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Learning the Hidden Curriculum

March 19, 2013 By
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SpringHillThere is a saying, “love makes the world go round,” but for real it is NOT love. Instead, it is hidden curriculum that makes the world go round!  Any autistic adult will tell you that not automatically understanding hidden curriculum will pose numerous social difficulties in every day life!

What is Hidden Curriculum?
Hidden curriculum is all that social information most people know even though they were never actually taught it.  An example is the rule “don’t pick your nose” with the hidden curriculum being it is perfectly fine to pick your nose as long as nobody sees you doing it.

Autism Neurology Doesn’t Support Automatically Picking Up Curriculum
Many people with autism have difficulty with hidden curriculum.  Their brains are not wired to allow them to automatically pick up this untaught, unspoken social information.  This has all sorts of consequences from embarrassing to serious (job loss).  I had to intentionally learn lots of hidden curriculum before I could feel a part of the social landscape in the world all around me.

Sometimes getting caught in a situation of unknown hidden curriculum is quite embarrassing in the moment, but later makes a funny story.  Because hidden curriculum is so important and because people generally remember things that cause them to laugh I am going to tell you a funny story.

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Judy Endow, MSW About Judy Endow, MSW

Judy is an author and international speaker on a variety of autism-related topics. She is actively involved in many autism organizations. Besides having autism herself, Judy is the parent of three now grown sons, one of whom is on the autism spectrum. Learn more about Judy Endow .



Filed Under: Asperger's, Autism, Communication, Judy Endow, Life Skills, Nonverbal Skills, Pragmatics, Social
  • http://www.facebook.com/martianne.stanger Martianne Stanger

    Your example was such a good one. I am laughing though, b/c I thought the problem with the “skunk hair” was that some people get upset about roots showing. I don’t notice such things, and, when I do, I don’t think of them as “wrong”, but others do… It didn’t even occur to me that the “problem” was with the skunk-smell association. :) I am also smiling about voice modulation. My son has trouble with it, too, and it can present some funny situations. I love the way you bring your world and perspective to us.

  • Jackie Holmes

    The Hidden Curriculum has been on my wish list for my son at school (& in general) for a while now. These are definitely helpful for my 15yo!

  • Gareeth

    The most aggravating thing about the hidden curriculum is the places you expect to get useful sources of information from are often a trap. For example there is a saying that says actions speak louder than words but autistics are regarded as broken by trying to “fix” a situation where someone is upset by doing nice things rather than saying comforting words. I’m 44. I spent 6 years formally studying human behaviour and the only thing I know for sure is whenever I get a handle on something hidden I will run smack into everything else I didn’t know. I won’t laugh along if I don’t understand why people are laughing as that seems dishonest. I wish I could learn to pause more before I speak but so far no success there.

  • http://www.facebook.com/JudyEndow Judy Endow

    It really helped me to learn for myself how to learn the hidden curriculum so I don’t have to depend on others telling me. One of the ways helpful to me in learning is to laugh along. It lightens up the situation and allows me to further find out what I need to know from the place of equal standing with the other person. When I don’t laugh along in these sorts of situations it puts me under the other person in a relationship I do not like. I still find out the information I need, but from a place of less than. Even though this strategy works for me it doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. I share what I have learned and encourage others to find what will work for them. The bottom line is that autistics do not automatically learn the hidden curriculum so if it helps us to feel more comfortable we need a way to learn it.

  • http://www.facebook.com/JudyEndow Judy Endow

    There are several hidden curriculum resources, including iPad apps – Hidden Curriculum On the Go for Kids and another for Adults.

  • http://www.facebook.com/JudyEndow Judy Endow

    Once I know hidden curriculum items I surely do laugh at the mistakes I’ve made.

  • sondra

    where is of the funny story I could not find it/

  • sondra

    LOL I to guess I too just maked of this funny hidden agenda. the period on the first page caused me to think done finished but did not see or know I needed to click to get to page 2 LOL so now I found the funny story or the skunk hair I often have of the skunk hair too Judy LOL but trying to not let of that happen because learning socially others think of hair like that badly