"Now that my son with Asperger Syndrome has become a teenager, are there things that I should be doing now to prepare him for adulthood?"
The teen years can be difficult whether or not your child has Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism. In situations where he does, however, there are special challenges that differ depending on the child.
Some parents find themselves dealing with a teenager who is a loner, who has few friends, and focuses on one or more hobbies or preoccupations. This type of child is independent in some ways, but lacks the maturity to truly be independent in life. A teen like this needs to be pushed in the direction of finding friends and developing relationships.
He or she may also need to learn some of the specific things necessary for “life independence,” like how to deal with money, cleaning up after oneself, doing the laundry and other life skills that will be needed once the teen is ready to leave home. Interpersonal skills, including how to talk to service people, shop assistants, and other people he may meet along the way, should be taught and practiced as concretely as possible.
Other parents are dealing with the ongoing presence of rituals and obsessions that might interfere with the teen’s eventual independence. Psychotherapy might work in this kind of situation, but there are also medications designed to control ritual behavior. Getting this under control as a teenager will go a long way in enhancing the teen’s adult experience as she grows older.
Adolescence is a time when depression can develop in teens, especially in those who know they don’t fit in and suffer from resultant poor self-esteem. Be aware of the signs of depression, and be proactive through the use of psychotherapy or medications to control some of these symptoms. This means, as a parent, you need to be aware of excessive isolation, “dark” language, outbursts of anger, or self-mutilation. Help is available and can assist the teen resolve some of the conflicts unique to adolescence and having Aspergers.
3 comments:
Promoting independence should be a life long thing. Why wait to start teaching them until teen years? Start early.
i have been trying to socalize my 14yr old. the other day we went to my mother inlaws and had some friend stop by. it was the frist time i actually got him to goin in a big group and really participate without running for the hills. after about 2 hrs our guest had left and things seemed to be going well. my husband had been working night shift so he took a nap in his old room while his mom and i cleaned up. selena my 3yr old daughter was playing with bruce like normal when he started becoming very aggitated. fortunatly he came to me and was trying to express himself when he lost it he grabbed ahold of me and started shaking me. then he froze it was as if he didnt realize what he was doing. this was one of the lighter of his melt downs but it was progress because he was able to regroup and come back. i dont know what more i can do to help him. he is taller and much stronger then i it does scare me. but we will continue to move foward and work at it
i have been trying to socalize my 14yr old. the other day we went to my mother inlaws and had some friend stop by. it was the frist time i actually got him to goin in a big group and really participate without running for the hills. after about 2 hrs our guest had left and things seemed to be going well. my husband had been working night shift so he took a nap in his old room while his mom and i cleaned up. selena my 3yr old daughter was playing with bruce like normal when he started becoming very aggitated. fortunatly he came to me and was trying to express himself when he lost it he grabbed ahold of me and started shaking me. then he froze it was as if he didnt realize what he was doing. this was one of the lighter of his melt downs but it was progress because he was able to regroup and come back. i dont know what more i can do to help him. he is taller and much stronger then i it does scare me. but we will continue to move foward and work at it
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