TITLE

For Autistic Boys, the Subway Is Actually Soothing

DESCRIPTION

The article focuses on boys who are on the autistic spectrum and who find trains, subway trains, and related ephemera attention holding.  It is known that some children who fall on the autism spectrum develop deep fascination around a special interest.  The author of the article (and photographer) focused on boys who were intensely interested in trains, schedules, riding subways, the soothing noises (for some).  The author could not find girls who had a similar interest.  “It’s loud, it’s crowded, it’s delayed because of an earlier incident. But to the minds of boys along the spectrum, it may be a paradise.”  This is an interesting article that can be used for discussion of real life issues for those on the spectrum.

SOURCE

New York Times, November 8, 2018, by John Leland

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/nyregion/autistic-or-spectrum-boys-and-the-subway.html

(Tiny URL)  http://tinyurl.com/yaaytdza

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What is autism?

•Why is the term “spectrum” used when discussing the concept of autism?

•How and why did the author of the article provide his anecdotal case of boys on the spectrum and their fascination for trains?  What about girls and the interest in trains and subways?

•How can we apply these types of findings to working with autistic children?