Presuming Competence
Charlie just missed getting on to ride the merry-go-round at the boardwalk and waited with his hands atop the locked “entrance” gate. We were at the beach—the Jersey shore—and have been to these boardwalk rides many times before, so Charlie knows the routines of gettting in line, “give the ticket,” and getting on.
Just as the merry-go-round was slowing down, Charlie somehow opened the lock of the gate and it swung open. The young woman who was running the ride was from an Eastern European country and, when she saw the open gate, she stood in front of Charlie and said to him sternly, “You have to wait for me to open the gate. You cannot open it until I do and I say that it can be opened.”
Charlie stood quietly.
I was right behind him and just smiled and kind of nodded at the young woman. And somehow I knew that I did not need to step in, proclaim “my son has autism” or “he has special needs” or anything. She was talking to Charlie and Charlie needed to know that he should not open the gate, and there was no need to step in and explain for Charlie, even though his face and body language gave no sign of his understanding what had just been said to him.
Douglas Biklen in his book Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone calls this “presuming competence.” I would also say, today I presumed—assumed—competence and comprehension in Charlie.
My husband and I presume that Charlie understands everything said around him as much as any nine-year-old boy—-regardless of what his expression is.
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POSTED IN: Books, Disability Rights, Language
6 opinions for Presuming Competence
Sharon
Jul 2, 2006 at 4:21 am
It’s always a fine line to know when to step in. I feel so good when I don’t have to.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 2, 2006 at 7:31 am
I really did, and I was just on the verge of going to. And Charlie did not get upset or anything.
Julia
Jul 5, 2006 at 8:23 am
Sam protests when he’s told not do do something he wants to do, or when he’s told to do something he doesn’t want to do. He understands fairly well.
What he doesn’t understand is some kinds of behavior from adults, usually ones that aren’t properly tuning in to him. If an adult tunes in to him, he’s easier to work with, easier to play with, easier to be with. If the adults around him are not tuned in to him, there’s a “this doesn’t make sense” vicious cycle that starts up, and that’s no fun for anyone, least of all Sam.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 5, 2006 at 11:39 am
Something similar definitely happens with Charlie—just hearing “don’t” (esp. in the kind of annoyed tone delivered by the young woman at the merry-go-round) can set him off. I was more than surprised than nothing happened. (And highly relieved.)
He Looks So Smart
Aug 16, 2007 at 3:15 pm
[…] expressive language (coupled with the traces of verbal apraxia) and, while Jim and I have long presumed competence in him and feel certain that he understands everything he hears—–however long it takes […]
Hope Starts With Acceptance
Apr 27, 2008 at 12:44 am
[…] autism and I have a lot of hesitations about comparing autism to other medical disorders. Fischkin, presuming competence, writes this of her son now: Dan still does not speak although he now gets out a few guttural […]
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