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Aspergers and HFA Children and Their Reaction to Pain

As parents of kids with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism (HFA), we are all familiar with the enigma of their unequal reaction to pain and injury. A stubbed toe or paper cut may set off a pain response (e.g., crying, screaming, and sobbing) such as is equaled by the loss of a limb, yet a burst ear drum or broken limb may go seemingly unnoticed.

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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is nice to finally have an explanation for why my son cries over the smallest bump, but wasn't worried when he sliced his hand open and needed stitches. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

This is an amazing article...thank you so very much for posting it...:)

Anonymous said...

My son broke his foot at 4 yrs old by knocking over a concrete block on it, barefoot!.. of coarse it broke n he didn't shed a tear, he was suppose to wear a hard cast 6 weeks n by the 3 rd week he had literally run it off.. it never healed properly n he is now 6 n the top of his foot is still red to this day...knowing if he's sick or hurting is always a question ...

Anonymous said...

My oldest daughter fell and broke her front tooth down to the nerve and was acting like nothing happened... but yet she freaks out over shots and stubbing her toes. :/ I always wonder at every injury if she hasn't done more damage than she can express or even knows about.

Anonymous said...

My Aspie (7), doesn't usually ever feel the pain unless he can see the injury like blood. Once he sees it, he freaks out, even if it is a simple paper cut. He had a bursted ear drum once and we never knew it because he never complains of pain.

Anonymous said...

This is a great article. 20 years ago my son broke his arm at the elbow, he was so calm, didn't cry. The nurses in the emergency room were telling him he should be the one crying like the other kids in the other rooms. He has always taken that kind of pain so well, yet his back pain he is always obsessing about. Of course when he was 4 we didn't know he was an Aspie. This article made it so clear.

Anonymous said...

When my son was 6 he almost died. He had a blood infection and internal bleeding. He never said a word.He never notices the pain from Ear infections and strep throat. If I ever even suspect an illness we go straight to the doctor. Nice to know I'm not alone.

Anonymous said...

I am an adult aspie and I have been told that when I had my jabs as a baby I was the only one that did not cry lol. Apparently I just glared at the nurse.

Anonymous said...

Can I please just tell you how much I love and appreciate what you do for us as parents of a newly diagnosed 11-year old with Asperger's? This is something our son exhibits all the time, but we didn't know it was related to the Asperger's. Thank you for helping us be patient and understanding.

Anonymous said...

when i took my son to the doc he had a hole in his ear drum the doc. could not believe it kept asking are ya sure that does not hurt?!! but the smallest scratch and its tears and panic..

Unknown said...

Thanks

Unknown said...

My 8 year old just started complaining of pain in her feet. She says it hurts so much that she doesnt want to stand up or walk. Im unsure of it could be and its helped to read this article. To be on the safe side, should I have her seen by her physician?
Thanks
Sienna's mom

Unknown said...

My daughter is only 18 months. She has never reacted to pain or fear. This article opened my eyes to why she does alot of what she does. She is almost identical to my nephew who has this type of autism. They both have received 3rd degree burns on their hands and never even flinched. Shes seeing her doctor on Monday

Unknown said...

My mother has told me two stories from my childhood exactly like this

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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