{"id":6667,"date":"2026-06-23T11:47:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T09:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie\/looking-toward-the-future-how-flexibility-expands-your-childs-world\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T16:44:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:44:28","slug":"looking-toward-the-future-how-flexibility-expands-your-childs-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/en\/column\/looking-toward-the-future-how-flexibility-expands-your-childs-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking Toward the Future: How Flexibility Expands Your Child\u2019s World."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-04822461 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"377\" height=\"453\" src=\"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aidan-Veerle-Column-Juni-2026-e1782208043629.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aidan-Veerle-Column-Juni-2026-e1782208043629.jpg 377w, https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Aidan-Veerle-Column-Juni-2026-e1782208043629-250x300.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 377px) 100vw, 377px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-column-is-layout-68053202 wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);flex-basis:66%\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:0px\">It\u2019s 2005. I\u2019m walking to the Uk de Zon daycare center on Achtergracht in Amsterdam, about a ten-minute walk from our home on Utrechtsedwarsstraat. I\u2019ve walked this route countless times, crossing diagonally across Frederiksplein, past the familiar facades of the city. This is the place where our oldest son played happily for years. He\u2019s now attending elementary school in the neighborhood. Now I\u2019m walking that same route, which has become second nature to me, but this time for his younger brother, who is now two years old.     <br\/><br\/>It\u2019s spring\u2014that lovely, mild weather when the city slowly awakens. The trees along the canal are thick with buds; you know they\u2019ll burst into a dazzling display of fresh green foliage in no time. Everything exudes promise, routine, and predictability.  <br\/><br\/>I walk into the daycare center and head up the stairs to the first floor. Aidan\u2019s beaming face when he spots me is, as always, a wonderful moment that instantly pushes the worries of the day into the background. Only this time, I don\u2019t take him home right away. One of the childcare staff asks if I can come sit down with her for a moment. It was supposed to be a brief conversation, but it turned out to be a meeting that would turn our family life upside down forever.    <br\/><br\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-66042007 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Do you have a moment? I&#8217;d like to discuss something with you,&#8221; she begins cautiously. &#8220;We&#8217;ve noticed recently that Aidan is developing differently than other children his age.&#8221; She then gives a number of specific examples that support her professional intuition.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was behavior I had never really noticed at home until then. And why would I? As a parent, you understand your child inside and out. You\u2019re so deeply connected that you instinctively sense what he needs, even before he knows it himself. You pick up on the tiniest cues, naturally adapt to his needs, and understand exactly what he means\u2014even if he hasn\u2019t yet put his inner world into words. In the safe, familiar bubble of our family, there simply was no \u201cunusual\u201d behavior. There was only Aidan, and the way he acted was the most normal thing in the world to us. Until someone from outside presented us with a different perspective.       <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We could have him evaluated by a developmental psychologist,&#8221; she suggests. A what? How? The ground seems to give way beneath my feet, and I only catch half of the question with which she concludes her story: &#8220;Do you agree to that?&#8221;   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, we agreed. But the moment I walked down the stairs of the Achtergracht that afternoon with Aidan in my arms, the world had changed, and our unpredictable journey began. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br\/>No concessions<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although we had no idea at all what exactly was different about Aidan\u2019s development, Andrew and I knew right away: we weren\u2019t going to make any concessions in our lives. With a busy theater company, a large circle of friends, and family in America, our lives were a constant stream of activities, trips, and events. \u201cWe\u2019re going to take Aidan everywhere with us and see how far we get,\u201d we said to each other. A mix of the optimism that characterizes us and total ignorance, of course.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the journey that followed, we saw that Aidan\u2014given his now-diagnosed autism\u2014actually had a tremendous need for rituals and routines. But then again, life just can\u2019t be scripted. That\u2019s when I came to firmly believe that flexibility is a muscle you can train.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As parents of a child on the autism spectrum, the instinct to cling to a rigid structure makes perfect sense. You want to protect them and build a safe cocoon where no unexpected storms arise. But if we anxiously ward off every change and every ripple in the water under the guise of <em>\u201cdon\u2019t rock the boat<\/em>,\u201d that muscle will never get the chance to grow stronger. We create a kind of false sense of security. We may keep today calm, but in doing so, we unintentionally make their world microscopically small. It doesn\u2019t prepare them for a society that will later be big, loud, and completely unpredictable. If we don\u2019t teach them now to be a little flexible, how will they stay afloat when the wind suddenly shifts later on?      <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Behind the Scenes to the Big Stage<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-dfbfd795 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-column-is-layout-bb3fa6d7 wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0;flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I look at Aidan now, I see just how essential that training has been. He\u2019s 22 years old now and works as an usher at the door of the Carr\u00e9 theater in Amsterdam, scanning tickets. He welcomes complete strangers, strikes up a conversation, connects with the audience in a flash, and stands there, whistling, right in the midst of the hustle and bustle of a packed theater lobby.  <br\/><br\/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, I realize full well that this level of self-reliance and intense social interaction is certainly not achievable for everyone. Every child has their own pace and their own limits. But I do think that if you keep flexibility in mind, you can always make much more progress than you might expect. Because believe me: the idea that Aidan would one day become the face of the Netherlands\u2019 most iconic theater was the very last thing I would have imagined that morning on the Achtergracht.   <br\/><br\/>It takes courage to keep your child\u2019s future self in mind when making decisions today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"margin-right:0;margin-left:0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"536\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3ef063f9-8357-453b-847f-28691bb2ee31-2-edited.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3ef063f9-8357-453b-847f-28691bb2ee31-2-edited.jpg 536w, https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3ef063f9-8357-453b-847f-28691bb2ee31-2-edited-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3ef063f9-8357-453b-847f-28691bb2ee31-2-edited-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It means that sometimes you have to dare to stretch your patterns in a playful way and take that step outside your comfort zone. Yes, that might cause a little more stress or make you break a sweat today. But by focusing on concentration, unconditional love, and a clear long-term vision, you\u2019re laying a foundation that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We need to dare to think bigger for our children. Let\u2019s stop just shielding them from the outside world, and instead, step by step, help them develop the resilience and social confidence to discover that world for themselves. My guiding principle in this has always been this mantra:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;If you treat a child as he is, he will remain that way, but if you treat him as you want him to become, you&#8217;ll help him on his way there.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That muscle is there. Let&#8217;s keep working on it together. <br\/><br\/><br\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-04822461 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Zonder-titel-23-x-23-cm-1-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Zonder-titel-23-x-23-cm-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Zonder-titel-23-x-23-cm-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Zonder-titel-23-x-23-cm-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Zonder-titel-23-x-23-cm-1-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Zonder-titel-23-x-23-cm-1-1536x1536.png 1536w, https:\/\/interacting.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Zonder-titel-23-x-23-cm-1.png 1750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About Saskia Maas<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br\/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saskia Maas is co-founder and director of Stichting InterActing, a theater school that helps young people with autism increase their social flexibility through improvisational theater. She is also CEO of Boom Chicago (the international comedy institute and theater-venue in Amsterdam) and the founder of Falcon Artists (an agency focused on managing and developing creative talent). A proud mother of her sons Finn and Aidan (who herself has autism), she combines her experience in the theater world with her personal mission to look for opportunities, develop talent and celebrate unique, colorful brains.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-66042007 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s 2005. I\u2019m walking to the Uk de Zon daycare center on Achtergracht in Amsterdam, about a ten-minute walk from our home on Utrechtsedwarsstraat. I\u2019ve walked this route countless times, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-column"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Looking Toward the Future: How Flexibility Expands Your Child\u2019s World. - InterActing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/interacting.nl\/en\/column\/looking-toward-the-future-how-flexibility-expands-your-childs-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Looking Toward the Future: How Flexibility Expands Your Child\u2019s World. - InterActing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It\u2019s 2005. I\u2019m walking to the Uk de Zon daycare center on Achtergracht in Amsterdam, about a ten-minute walk from our home on Utrechtsedwarsstraat. 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