early 1990s
How Do We Know Taggie's Model of Care
is the Best One for Him?
Individuals with autism manifest in a wide variety of ways. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. For a care plan to be effective, it must be tailored to the person's individual needs. There are very high-functioning autistics and very low-functioning autistics. Of people who are truly autistic, about 40% are high functioning and 60% are low functioning. Most autistics have a lot of difficulty with communication and social interaction. Many cannot take care of themselves. Although Taggie has and continues to function on the lower end of the autistic spectrum, he is a highly sensitive person in general
As Susan Taney says:
Taggie is incredibly sensitive to even the tiniest shifts in people and their emotions. Even one little waiver, and Tag will shift behavior to try to be in charge. It's from a point of view of being so sensitive. If you consistently project and are in fact the one who is holding the container, safe and secure, he doesn't try to take over and do the job. If Tag knows that he has security, that this person is the one who is going to make sure that everything's happening, he can relax. The person who is providing care for Tag needs to realize this all the time.
This is the idea of 'Alpha Principle,' which Dr. Podvoll introduced. The caregiver needs to always communicate that he or she is the one who is responsible for the environment, for safety. He or she is the one who is in control. There is a constant tension about who is in control. The 'Alpha' has to consistently communicate that he or she is in charge. This is the responsibility of each caregiver and is an essential component of Taggie's care model.