Filtering Communication

I always say to parents, if you don’t want something repeated then don’t mention it in front of your child. Our children appear not to have the filtration system that us neuro-typicals have. So for example when I am out with my one friend who has autism I have to say ‘What I am telling you must not be repeated to anyone else’. I have to say this to make sure that he knows not to tell others. Most neuro-typicals know that when one friend tells them something then they use their discretion to know who or who not to relay the information to.

Sam was having difficulties with his Maths teacher Mrs Williams, dad tried to make light of the situation by saying to Sam ‘Don’t worry about Mrs Williams, she is just a miserable old bag’, unfortunately the next time Sam was in Mrs Williams class he told her what dad had said. This can then get really messy if this is mentioned at the next parents evening and dad denies ever having had this conversation just to save face. Unfortunately this means that Sam very quickly gets labelled a liar. This can also happen the other way around when the teacher calla Sam an idiot and a moron and when Sam tells dad he goes to the school and confronts the teacher and then the teacher denies having said a word of it. In one situation the teacher had got caught out because Sam had recorded the entire conversation.

Simon came to visit me one day for a meeting we had planned; he was early so I had not yet arrived. A female colleague of mine asked Simon if he would like to sit with her whilst he waited for me to arrive. Simon agreed and whilst sat by her desk he noticed that she had a card on the desk saying ‘Congratulations on your engagement’, Simon said to the lady ‘Oh you’re getting married’, to which the lady replied ‘yes’. Simon replied ‘I haven’t got a girlfriend, but I do masturbate’. The lady did not know which way look.