Making Do

This week’s “Social Incites™” is being sent later than usual. I got called out of town unexpectedly this weekend to help a friend, and did not have access to the Internet. For the last few weeks, I had been thinking of the importance of being “flexible” and “resourceful,” or “making do” with what we have. My friend and I laughed over the things we encountered this weekend that made those traits more necessary and valuable than ever. My friend prepared my breakfast, which included a “flower” on my tray. Lacking floral arrangements, she had filled a small container with baking “flour” and sprinkled it with red paprika. When I got ready to teach my class this morning, I discovered that I hadn’t packed a hair dryer. After turning down my friend’s offer to drive around the neighborhood with my head out the window, I “made do” with a fan blowing on my head for awhile. It produced a different hairdo, but it worked.
 
Working with individuals with autism, I often find that I have to “make do” in my teaching and my coaching. They bring unexpected, unique questions and situations that need to be addressed. Often I have to implement strategies I’ve never tried before, or have never thought of before. It’s crucial to be flexible and resourceful. I tell people that my classes are not “curriculum-driven,” but instead, they’re “driven by the individuals who make up the class.”  We encounter unexpected situations during almost every session, but are able to successfully address them through flexibility and resourcefulness, learning to laugh at ourselves along the way.
 
Sometimes we can control our setting and the outcomes. Other times we need to “make do,” with staffing, financial resources, materials, and other things. Being flexible and resourceful can improve the outcomes for both us, and for the people we’re working with!
 
Best wishes for successful outcomes as you “make do” this week!