They say you shouldn’t judge a person until you walk a mile in their shoes. But many are rushing to conclusions about one mom’s parenting tactics. Andrea Lunsford’s son Rafael has obsessive-compulsive disorder and high functioning autism.
Recently, she filmed one of her son’s episodes and demonstrated how she deals with them. While many think her reaction to his emotional response is cruel, she argues that it’s a form of treatment. According to the
Daily Mail, “she first came across exposure therapy, the method of treatment she uses in the video while watching British television show ‘Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners.'”She commented, “We are choosing exposure therapy to make him face his fears and expose him to things that would cause him anxiety, so he can overcome it and realize it will not control his life if things are not perfect.”
Andrea appears to laugh and consistently pokes holes in Rafael’s logic concerning his pudding wrapper. After considerable back and forth, Rafael does something amazing.
Read More: A Boy With Autism Went To Meet Santa — What He Found Melted Our HeartsThe reaction to the video has been mixed. Some say her method creates distrust and dismisses his mental illness as something he can be talked out of.
YouTube commenter Mc Kenna wrote, “I work with kids like this. You are constantly working towards goals. Sure there are and will be bumps in their road ahead. But egging on the issues when he is showing success is just cruel.”Others say her method is successful and that exposure therapy is legitimate for treating OCD, as evidenced by the fact that Rafael
does eat the pudding.Another commenter, Larissa Gaines, revealed she also has Asperger’s and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. She writes, “She is trying to show him that he doesn’t need to obsess over it, and it’s possible for him to move on from the problem (the wrapper).”
It’s important to remember that mental illness is never straightforward, and treatments that work for one person may not work for another. Here’s hoping Rafael’s doctors and his family have found a treatment that works for him.
What do you think? Cruel or logical? Let us know!
