In this modern age of technology, we accept what we see on the TV and in movies. We marvel at the amazing special effects that bring mythical creatures to life and create stunning backdrops. We understand that these effects are created by a combination of computer wizardry, animation and puppetry.
However, to a child with autism, the lines can be blurred. When my son watches Merlin on TV talking to a dragon, he presumes that the dragon must be real because the person on the screen is real. When I try to explain to him that it is special effects, he gets very confused.
The other day we were watching TV when a Sky advert came on. The advert was fairytale-style, with the wicked queen talking to the magic mirror. My son asked me if all mirrors had heads inside them, because it was scary. When I told him that is wasn't real, he said it must be, because the lady talking to the mirror was a real person.
Unfortunately, this can cause quite a few problems. The kids were watching Men in Black on TV and the scene came on where the man pulls his skin tightly upwards over his face. My son started crying and screaming to switch it off because he thought it was real. He wouldn't go to bed by himself because he was so scared about it.
How do you explain to an autistic child about the boundaries between reality and fantasy?
No comments:
Post a Comment