Using Heroes

HEROES Once you have a good understanding of the fantasy world that your child relates to it can also be a great bridge to explaining things that may seem difficult. Using our heroes as role models is as common in Heroes can also help children and young adulthood as it in in childhood... children may play at people to understand different traits and being Harry Potter but adults too may secretly imagine concepts. that they are Gwyneth Paltrow when they buy their health foods, or Whitney Houston when they are Dumbledore from Harry Potter says this of singing in the shower! bravery… "It is our choices, Harry, that show what Identifying a hero can be really helpful especially when we truly are, far more than our abilities." we are not sure what to do. We can reflect on what — Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the our hero may do in the same situation. Chamber of Secrets And the man himself on happiness… It is important to talk to youngsters to find out what they think about their heroes as this may not be what “But you know, happiness can be found we think. For some, to be like Indiana Jones means to even in the darkest of times, if one only be terrified (of snakes!) . remembers to turn on the light.” – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Careful about other traits e.g. many super heroes will thwack those who irritate them, so not ideal for trying to smooth out arguments between siblings!) This way of relating to others can also be done by using other keen interests such as the natural world or science. Simply find By talking to young people about their heroes we are something your youngster understands and already winning. We have shown them that their feels safe with and then work within it! interests deserve our time and attention. You may need to allow quite some time for this and show that (Word of caution, you need to be sure your you are listening properly – don’t multi task it with child or young person has an understanding something else, make notes on what you are learning. of fantasy and reality if choosing a hero For your youngster, being ‘the expert’ may be a from make believe). wonderful new experience. Please see the Pokémon PowerPoint which is a wonderful example of how powerful it can be to link concepts to something the child already understands and enjoys. The young man who created it is an expert on Pokémon and used his specialist knowledge to understand and explain emotions in a meaningful and original way. AUTISTIC POKéMON BY PETER THOMAS (A STUBBORN PIKACHU) ANGRY (ASH’S PIKACHU) • Ash’s Pikachu frequently gets angry. • This generally happens when the evil Team Rocket try to harm or steal any Pokémon. • This also shows another autistic trait of a strong sense of justice CALM (SNORLAX) • Snorlax is practically always calm and collected. • In fact, he is generally so calm he is usually asleep. • This is often inconvenient, as he often sleeps blocking the paths, and needs to be woken up. • When this happens, he stops being calm, and becomes angry. FRUSTRATED (BAGON) • Bagon has single- minded pursuit of flight • He gets frustrated at his lack of wings, and so starts smashing things with his rocky head. • He will eventually grow wings, but only after a period in a bony shell as a Shelgon. He grows wings when he evolves into a Salamence. Worried (Wobbuffet) • Wobbuffet doesn’t like having his black tail touched, so some say that it hides a secret • When his tail is attacked, then he will teleport away, or will attack. • This is similar to the well-known “Flight or Fight” response to worry or panic. Freeze (Ice Beam) • When a Pokémon is hit by Ice Beam, then it will freeze solid – see picture. • Also, in the Pokémon Anime, sometimes a Pokémon will be too scared to battle, and will stay in its Pokéball and not fight. Excitable (Froakie) • Froakie is a small, frog Pokémon • He frequently jumps around in excitement (see picture) • He creates a ‘backpack’ out of bubbles (called “Frubbles”), which he uses for protection • In the anime, he sometimes uses this as a hood, which is similar to many autistic children hiding underneath their hoods. THE POKéMON CREATOR • The creator of Pokémon • He created the Pokémon (Satoshi Tajiri) has autism games with help from the main creator of Mario • He enjoyed bug collecting (Shigeru Miyamoto) as a child • Ash Ketchum, in Japanese, • As a teenager, he became is named after Satoshi Tajiri interested in arcade games • Similarly, his Rival (Gary • This meant that he nearly Oak) is named after didn’t finish school, Shigeru Miyamoto in because he was playing in Japanese the game arcades • He started by writing a magazine on games called Game Freak, which evolved into the game company that wrote Pokémon • He started creating his own games, and helped in the creation of Mario .

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