Beautiful Imagination.

I'm about to bust open one of the many myths about autism that drive me crazy! One of the misconceptions that I have personally seen 'professionals' get hung up on. Imagination! Oh yes people with autism can have imagination and guess what? They can play imaginatively too! I have read so many times in so many different places that those on the spectrum lack social imagination, many times it is clear others have totally misread or misunderstood what this means.  Social imagination is far more about being able predict the actions of others. However time and time again I have heard 'Well S seems to be able to play imaginatively'. It makes me want to ask 'So? What is your point? Would you like me to tell you where she has picked up her story lines from? Which TV show or film that is from? Would you like to try change a character in the game she is playing see how "imaginative" her game is then?' It was a huge sticking point for both S's school and her Ed Psych and I lost count of how many times I tried to explain she was mostly copying TV shows or others games and felt I was not listened to. Luckily we found someone who could see past the surface of S's play to what lay underneath.

This is an example of how wonderful S's imagination is and  how I have leaned to enter her bubble where others can't. Firstly I have had to learn a lot about dinosaurs!
This is a Gallimimus:

On a recent trip to the park S decided she was going to spend the whole trip being one. This meant that she ran around stating 'I'm a gallimimus. I'm an omnivore that means I eat meat AND leaves.' She would have happily run around pretending to chase other dinosaurs and eat leaves from the trees, with her body in a similar stance to the picture above, holding the correct amount of fingers out. Sometimes she would run past telling me again that she was a gallimimus who happens to be an omnivore, however I wanted to play. I wanted to join in and I knew exactly how. I walked close to where S was playing with E (my 2 year old) at my heels and loudly announced 'ARGH quick E! There is a gallimimus on the loose! Run away!' Her head flicked around and she paused for a moment and watched as I scooped up her sister and ran away, then 'RARGH I'm an omnivore so I eat leaves AND meat and you are meat.' I had her! she was chasing me she was playing with me. We played this game for some time, we even managed to capture the rouge dinosaur! Once I tired of running S went off and played alone again happily in her little dinosaur bliss. There was another child in the park at this point who attempted to get S to play but she was not interested in being chased by a gallimimus and after answering a few questions very briefly (the girl knew S from school) S would again tell her 'I am a gallimimus. I'm an omnivore, that means I eat meat and leaves. RARGH.' The girl didn't realise that this meant S wanted to chase her and just looked on confused when S insisted she was off to eat some grass. 

It was a bit of a mixed trip I was given a little insight into how S interacts with other children and how her lack of social imagination made it difficult for her to realise the other little girl had no interest playing dinosaurs nor did she understand the game S was playing and S just didn't pick up on the subtle hints to play something else or talk about school (not something I wanted her to discuss with this particular child anyway). Sometimes it does make me feel sad to see S not having the same social development as children her age but S did not come away feeling sad as we had a wonderful time. Although she didn't tell me this I know she did too and am expecting the gallimimus to show up again next time we visit the park.