Autistics and Social Competence Method (SCM)

There are many competence-based models for social, cultural, interpersonal development.

SCM is one. It is common in the Netherlands.

----- for ✔ and against ✘

✔ SCM does look to youth to develop their own individuality or identity in several senses, but not others.

✘ SCM does seek to reinFORCE 'positive' behaviour and ignore negative 'behaviour', yet autistic is a way of being, not a collection of aberrant behaviours like one might expect in a child that comes from a violent or malnourished family (and even there, it is the root cause that needs addressing).

✘ SCM enforces a need for eye-contact.

✘ SCM calls autism 'Stoornis' or Disorder.

✔ SCM seeks to build on strengths and ignore weaknesses,a dramatic improvement over endlessly zeroing-in on weaknesses as seen in some 'therapies' (i.e. serious abuse, really).

✘ SCM is western developed for westerners. A growing body of literature suggests that SCM is less applicable or not applicable at all for other cultures ((Mendez, McDermott, & Fantuzzo, 2002; LaFreniere et al., 2002) and - by extension - this enhances the possibility SCM is totally unsuited for use in autistic cultural, social and other settings too.

✔ SCM seeks a safe and familiar environment and a positive self-image for subjects... although too often from ease with masking.

✘ SCM does in a way define social competence in terms of social popularity, how well one fits in, is received by peers, and suggests future life trajectory is impacted well by such popularity... but authentic autistic living, a truly good autistic life, is radically less-referenced by popularity, by peer amassing, by such status.  SCM misses that point widely - autistic competence is not general social competence or the superficiality of peer hierarchies. Our relationship to environment (things concepts) tends to matter more than to ecology (people) and factors such as DNA, autistic narrative, trauma, distance from other autistics, the unquenchable search for identity, fascinations/passions, and ... cash......... matter much.

✘ Most autistics who attribute some limited success to SCM for autistic candidates are referencing gains from rather slender matters that receive a tick above.

----- conclusion

If the developmental tasks required were truly those appropriate to an autistic, reflect autistic milestones and not those seen as pertinent to non-autistics, sought to tease out natural and not unnatural ('normalising') developments, then SCM - shorn of other negatives noted here - might have a role to play. But ... SCM doesn't.

While many autistics do want to develop whatever it takes to make, maintain, repair, and end social relationship's with actual peers and those from other cultures with desired peer-values, SCM is far from ideal for that purpose and may even militate against. AUsome Autism Training (AAT) is an example of a genuine approach. SCM however is what some parents <think> their children need, on behalf of their children, falsely, without factual basis.  It serves parents and educators, governments and general society in some superficial way... but not autistics at all, i.e. those it was meant for, apparently.