For instance, Topic Twistermeister is the Unthinkable villain who gets people to “jump off topic,” and is defeated by the “Thinkable,” Tracker the dog. One of the biggest problems with Superflex is how it vilifies neurodivergent behaviors. Additionally, the idea that Unthinkables aim to get people to do things that show others that they are not thinking about them can lead to neurodivergent individuals being blamed for their behavior and viewed as intentionally harming others, rather than struggling with challenges that are beyond their control. This can create a harmful stigma and ostracize neurodivergent individuals who do not conform to the expected social norms. By portraying the Unthinkables as invaders of people’s brains and as villains who aim to defeat every human brain, the Superflex curriculum sets up a binary where neurodivergent behavior is seen as abnormal and undesirable, while neurotypical behavior is deemed as the norm. Superflex introduces the villainous Unthinkables with, “These unthinkables have been around for a long time and enjoy invading the brains of Social Town citizens! Their goal is to defeat every human brain by getting people to do things that show others that they are not thinking about them.” This statement from Superflex and the Unthinkables can be harmful for neurodivergent individuals because it can promote ableism and negative stereotypes about neurodivergent behavior. While many students love and relate to superheroes and Superflex can be a fun and engaging tool on the surface, it can actually be harmful for neurodivergent students. The hero of the story is Superflex, or the “Thinkable” superhero who teaches students how to defeat The Unthinkables by using different social skills strategies. The program introduces the concept of “The Unthinkables,” which are villains that represent different social challenges such as inflexibility, fragile emotions, getting off-topic, moving away from the group, getting stuck on ideas, and using humor at the wrong time or place. Superflex is a social skills program that uses a superhero theme to teach students about social situations. One aspect of the Social Thinking curriculum that can be problematic is Superflex and the Unthinkables. Although well-intentioned to help students with problem solving and self-regulation strategies, this curriculum can have the opposite effect for neurodivergent students who see their own natural behaviors and traits being vilified on a SuperFlex poster being hung in a classroom. As someone who is autistic myself and will soon become a SPED teacher, I have seen many of these posters hung up in classrooms and learning resource rooms, and worry about the messages we are sending to our neurodivergent students. These programs often use colorful characters and engaging activities to teach students about social cues, body language, and what is deemed as appropriate behavior in different settings. The Social Thinking curriculum was published in 2009, and is still being widely used today, mostly in elementary school classrooms. In recent years, social skills curriculum has been increasingly popular in schools as a means of teaching social skills to neurodivergent students. ![]() Image description: Five of the “Unthinkable” villains from the Superflex curriculum, including Topic Twistmeister, Body Snatcher, WasFunnyOnce, Glassman, and Rock Brain, that characterize behaviors often associated with neurodivergent people as “unthinkable” and “unexpected.”
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