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The Mark Hutten Show

If you missed this week's show, you can listen to a recording of it here: All About Autism Spectrum Disorders - Radio Show Archive

1 comment:

JustMom62 said...

I am currently going through a situation with my son who is HFA. He is so smart and has a bright future. He is 23 years old. He was not liking to clean his room (it's atrocious), would not let me come in his room, he was having bad hygiene and body odor and this has been for years but he cannot take criticism or be told that he needs to correct something. Also, did not like to do chores. He has navigated his whole education path on his own. I think he tries to overachieve and then becomes overloaded/overwhelmed. About a week ago, he had a meltdown due to a rejection from Georgetown for the law school and the grad program. He became very despondent, projected on social media and Playstation Live and was being inappropriate. He was telling everyone we were racist and didn't understand his biracial (black/white) identity. I mean it was tough. I really am not doing well to help him. He left and didn't tell us where he was. His girlfriend is buying him a phone and taking control over him by not letting him talk to us. My daughter (age 29) and I met him across the street from the dorms and he had dinner with us. He seemed paranoid to be with us. He says he is checking into therapy. I told him I would come too. He has a lot of emotional distress right now and I don't know that his girlfriend really understands what or who she is dealing with. She babies him and buys him endless amounts of things. I am struggling because I failed to teach him some things as a single mother and now I fear that he may have a difficulty with basic life skills. I really tried but he just fought me. So now he is navigating for assistance saying he was kicked out of my home. He left and I didn't know where he was. Now he s acting and telling people I abused him, but I was there to support him when he was bullied for his what people said (particularly kids) as being "awkward" or "weird. He is a handsome kid and I just fear that he needs more guidance as an adult with HFA. I have had health challenges stemming from a fall so I have not been able to keep up with him. Before that, I was working as a social worker in a correctional facility, having to drive to Los Angeles or taking the train from our home 2 hours away. I have since left that job but due to my disability I am not working so I am trying to be supportive although very painful to watch him go through some questionable decisions he is making. I just don't know how to repair his distrust in me and his problems with his recent meltdown. What should I do?

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.

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How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

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 or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your 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.

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Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

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

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Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

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Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.

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to read the full article...

Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.

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