I don't profess to know more than some teachers teaching in my school. Truth to be told, i have learnt a lot from some of them, but forgive me if said, i really cannot fathom, for the life of me, what i can learn from teachers who advocate "CONTROL" to a bunch of 6 year-olds children with autism.

Yes, CONTROL. With bright bold letters written on the board, CONTROL is number 8 on the list of rules these children has to follow apart from the usual class rules of "sit nicely" and "listen to teacher".

What the heck is CONTROL suppose to mean? Bladder control? Bowel control? What? Does it mean if you wiggle your fingers, twitch your toe, that meant you are not CONTROLling yourself? No talking. No sitting out of your hoops. No playing with your buttons. No fidgeting. No looking around the room. Sit straight. Cross your legs. Eyes front. Quiet. Listen. Roll over and play dead.

There has got to be a better way.

For god sakes! They are only 6! How many CONTROLLED 6 year-olds do you know? I have seen 26 year-olds having problem controlling themselves at times too. These children are already autistic and does not possess a "normative" ability to "have fun" from their lack of social and communication skills. And you want them to be more CONTROLled? Follow certain subtle social rules such as waiting for another person to finish before talking, giving eye contact and listening... well, yes! But CONTROL? Is that normal? Do you expect that of YOUR children? Total rigidity and CONTROL 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Whenever we take these children out for group therapy session (teaching basic social and pragmatic skills), they always look so... anxious initially. Like they have no idea what they CAN do or what is allowed. But they can have fun too when they are more relaxed! But in their classroom where CONTROL is the key, how does one relax?

Another class, another group of children with autism, same age and just as bright.

They are by no means CONTROLled but god, do they have fun! So much laugher and smiles whenever i see them as they are doing art and craft, playing games or even doing a lion dance for CNY. Sure, none are exactly sitting without fidgeting, or listening all the time or staring straight ahead but they are hardly destructive and "wild" like animals to warrant CONTROL waving at their noses.

There are lessons to be learnt where i work with these wonderfully sweet yet innocently flawed children... But CONTROL will never be one of them.