(Adapted and modified from Peeters 1999)

1. Be attracted by differences. Do not fear them or be intimidated by them but learn to accept and embrace them as they come up.

2. Develop a vivid imagination and don’t get restricted by rigid conventional ‘mindsets’.

3. Learn how to give without getting (ordinary) thank yous.

4. Be willing and able to adapt one’s natural style of communication and social interaction.

5. Have the courage ‘to work alone in the desert’ and, possibly, to be criticized instead of applauded for one’s enormous efforts.

6. Never be satisfied with how much one knows. Learning about autism and educational strategies is continuous. The professional who thinks he has found it has lost it. Training in autism is never ‘finished’.

7. Accept that each bit of progress brings a new problem. Once you start you know that the ‘detective’ work is never over.

8. Be prepared to change one’s views if they turn out to be wrong. Not to be ashamed of saying, ‘Sorry, I was wrong. Let’s do it otherwise.’

9. Be prepared to work in a team. As the approach needs to be coherent and consistent, all professionals need to be informed about the efforts of others and the levels of help they provide.

10. Stay humble. We may be experts in autism in general, but parents are the experts about their own children and we need to take into account their wisdom. The professional who wants to stay ‘on his pedestal’ is not needed in autism. When collaborating with parents it is important to talk about successes, but also admit failures (‘please help me’).