My Aspergers Child: How will Asperger’s affect my other (non-Asperger’s) 7 yr old son as he grows up?

29.9.09

How will Asperger’s affect my other (non-Asperger’s) 7 yr old son as he grows up?

Question

How will Asperger’s affect my other (non-Asperger’s) 7 yr old son as he grows up?

Answer

Living with a sibling who has Asperger’s Syndrome is not always easy. One minute the two are playing a game or sharing a special toy and the next minute, the child with Asperger’s is in the middle of a meltdown while the sibling sits wondering what happened to cause it.

Everyone in your home should learn about Asperger’s Syndrome. Even small children can be told why their sibling acts the way he does in a way they can understand. Simple, matter-of-fact explanations will satisfy the younger ones. Allow the children to ask questions. Negative effects on siblings will be diminished if they are informed. Young children do not like personal mysteries.

Here are some additional ideas for you to use to help your other children deal with Asperger’s Syndrome.

* There are books written specifically for the siblings of children with Asperger’s Syndrome. These books are available for all ages and come in the form of non-fiction essays by real children, fictional storybooks, books written by teens with Asperger’s, and personal accounts written by parents or adult siblings to name a few. You should be able to find just what you need for your child’s siblings. A possible choice is “Views from Our Shoes: Growing Up with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs” by Donald Meyer, editor. This book is a collection of essays written by the siblings of children with Asperger’s Syndrome. They range in age from four to eighteen.

* Special attention is a necessity for the siblings of a child with Asperger’s Syndrome. The child with Asperger’s unintentionally demands attention. His behaviors are questionable in his sibling’s eyes; they would never get by with doing some of those things. Schedule regular one-on-one outings or play dates with each child. Give each one your undivided attention and make them feel special as often as possible. They need you and yes, you need them.

* Family counseling can help with all sorts of negative feelings, especially once the siblings get older. The child with Asperger’s can embarrass them. Having a safe place to vent frustrations and negative feelings will keep your household feeling positive while everyone makes the most of having a compassionate listener.

Siblings of a child with Asperger’s should suffer no ill effects when living in a balanced, supportive home. Take steps when they are young to minimize any negatives and help them grow up to be caring, compassionate adults.

The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide: A Complete
Resource Guide For Parents Who Have Children Diagnosed
With Aspergers Syndrome.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...: Brandy Dusenbury Balting My 9 yr old non asd daughter is starting to withdraw herself from my home, where her 10 year old aspie brother lives, she lives w/ her dad, but w/ us daily too. Its really hard. For her to see us have to drop what we are doing & give full attention to him sometimes. She hates that he is selfish & bossy. I explain till I'm blue in the face about asd, but she doesn't get it. Maybe someday. :(
about an hour ago · Like
Tish Newman U poor thing!!!! My two youmg kids 7 & 4 are learning real bad habits. Ive gone more then. blue.... A frw books that r simple. to explain help sometimrs and a. mutual person like a councellor. can help heaps coz it comes from. someone else and she is getting attemtion... Goof luvk xo
g
10 minutes ago · Like; August 29, 2011 9:12 AM

How to Prevent Meltdowns in Aspergers Children

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and the Asperger’s child are totally exhausted. But...

Don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

If your child suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, expect him to experience both minor and major meltdowns over incidents that are part of daily life. He may have a major meltdown over a very small incident, or may experience a minor meltdown over something that is major. There is no way of telling how he is going to react about certain situations. However, there are many ways to help your child learn to control his emotions.

Click here for the full article...

Parenting Defiant Aspergers Teens

Although Aspergers is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager with Aspergers are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the Aspergers teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

The standard disciplinary techniques that are recommended for “typical” teenagers do not take into account the many issues facing a child with a neurological disorder. Violent rages, self-injury, isolation-seeking tendencies and communication problems that arise due to auditory and sensory issues are just some of the behaviors that parents of teens with Aspergers will have to learn to control.

Parents need to come up with a consistent disciplinary plan ahead of time, and then present a united front and continually review their strategies for potential changes and improvements as the Aspergers teen develops and matures.

Click here to read the full article…

Aspergers Children “Block-Out” Their Emotions

Parenting children with Aspergers can be a daunting task. In layman’s terms, Aspergers is a developmental disability that affects the way children develop and understand the world around them, and is directly linked to their senses and sensory processing. This means they often use certain behaviors to block out their emotions or response to pain.

Although they may vary slightly from person to person, children with Aspergers tend to have similar symptoms, the main ones being:

=> A need to know when everything is happening in order not to feel completely overwhelmed
=> A rigid insistence on routine (where any change can cause an emotional and physiological meltdown)
=> Difficulties with social functioning, particularly in the rough and tumble of a school environment
=> Obsessive interests, with a focus on one subject to the exclusion of all others
=> Sensory issues, where they are oversensitive to bright light, loud sounds and unpleasant smells
=> Social isolation and struggles to make friends due to a lack of empathy, and an inability to pick up on or understand social graces and cues (such as stopping talking and allowing others to speak)

Click here to read the full article…

Living with an Aspergers Spouse/Partner

Research reveals that the divorce rate for people with Aspergers is around 80%. Why so high!? The answer may be found in how the symptoms of Aspergers affect intimate relationships.

People with Aspergers often find it difficult to understand others and express themselves. They may seem to lose interest in people over time, appear aloof, and are often mistaken as self-centered, vain individuals.

A person with Aspergers may have trouble understanding the emotions of their partner, and the subtle messages that are sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. Because of this, a person with Aspergers might be seen as egotistical, selfish or uncaring.

These are unfair labels, because the affected individuals are neurologically unable to understand other people's emotional states, and they are usually shocked, upset and remorseful when told their actions were hurtful or inappropriate!

Click here to read the full article…

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