Forum: Appropriate responses needed when interacting with people with autism
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A recent incident involving my teenage son with autism at the Sit-n-Read node at AMK Hub, operated by the National Library Board, has left me reflecting on how far we have, and have not, come in building an inclusive society.
While on a supervised community outing with his therapist, my son expressed his feelings through two brief loud sounds of excitement.
On-site security, following instructions from mall management, informed his therapist that he would need to leave the mall entirely, even though the immediate area was unoccupied, as his behaviour was perceived to be disturbing.
As a parent, this is difficult to accept, not because of what happened, but because of what it reveals about how behaviours associated with autism are often interpreted. Such behaviours may be expressions of joy, anxiety or sensory overload, rather than intentional disruption or threat.
In Singapore, about one in 100 children is on the autism spectrum. These are everyday realities for many families. Yet when such behaviours are met with exclusion rather than understanding, it sends a clear message about who is, and is not, welcome in our shared public spaces.
For families like mine, such experiences can be discouraging. We make intentional efforts to help our children learn how to function in public, regulate themselves and participate in society. When they are asked to leave for behaviours that are brief and non-threatening, it undermines these efforts and makes families more hesitant to continue participating in community spaces.
April is World Autism Awareness Month. Awareness, however, must go beyond campaigns, symbols, and token representation. It must be reflected in how we respond in real-life situations, especially by those on the front lines of our public spaces.
Perhaps it is time to move beyond awareness towards practical understanding by equipping front-line staff with the confidence to respond appropriately and fostering a public that is more informed and less quick to judge.
An inclusive society is not measured by how we treat those who fit in easily, but by how we respond to those who do not.
Phang Pei Yue (Dr)
