Aspergers Children and Pica

Question

I'm curious about messy eating and chewing on stuff ...pencils, toys, paper, wood ...you name it, he'll put it in his mouth.

Answer

Eating non-food items is referred to as pica. These items may include, but are not limited to dirt, paint chips, coffee grounds, hair, paper, sand, and cigarettes. For a true diagnosis of pica, the child should be craving and eating these things for at least a month.

Although common in infants and toddlers, most children outgrow pica by the time they are about three years old. Pica is also more common with other disorders, such as autism, and other developmental disabilities. 10 to 20% of children may suffer from pica at some point during childhood. Pica is also common during pregnancy.

Though, the specific cause of pica is unknown, there are a lot of theories prevalent trying to explain its cause. Most commonly it is suspected that emotional disturbance and deficiencies of iron or zinc may lead to this condition (However, it is controversial whether iron deficiency leads to pica or pica leads to iron deficiency).

The treatment for pica is first and foremost a secure and stable family structure. Your Aspergers child will have to be taught about edible and non- edible food substances. Your doctor may prescribe iron supplements and de-worming agents. If your child is suspected to have been exposed to a contaminated substance like lead, lead screening may be required.

If your Aspergers child is growing and developing normally, then pica is more likely a habit than an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The Aspergers Comprehensive Handbook

Rebellious Aspergers Teenagers

"Why does my Aspergers teen reject everything I say? Why is he so argumentative and defiant?"

These are some of the many questions you, as a parent of a rebellious Aspergers (high-functioning autistic) teen, might be asking yourself right now.

The teenage years can be a very rough time for both the teen and the parent – especially when you consider the challenges that are part of the Aspergers condition.

Why do Aspergers teens rebel?

It's normal for any teenager to show a little bit of rebellion now and again. However, teenage rebellion that is constant, interferes with normal daily functioning, and is destructive calls for much more attention. Aspergers teens rebel for a variety of reasons:

• Peer pressure - Some forms of rebellion can begin with pressure from peers to join in various destructive behaviors.
• Independence - These years are a constant struggle between dependence and independence. Rebellious adolescents want to have total independence and prove to you that they can do things themselves. At the same time, they are overwhelmed and still desire parental protection.
• Hormonal changes - As adolescents bodies are changing, hormone fluctuations can bring about all sorts of mood changes.
• Discovering their identities - Adolescents are at a point in their lives when they are trying to figure out who they are as a person, their likes/dislikes and what they will be doing for the rest of their lives. They use this time to test and try out many identities until they find one they are most comfortable with.

In what forms do adolescents rebel?

How your Aspergers teen chooses to rebel depends on his own individual feelings and problems. Some forms may include:

• Argumentative - quick to anger, overly defenseless
• Change in appearance/interests - trying out new clothing styles, hairstyles, tastes in music
• Rejection of rules/curfews
• Running away from home
• School problems - cutting classes, missing school, drop in grades
• Spending more time with friends away from family members
• Substance abuse - experimenting with alcohol and illicit drugs

How can you prevent teenage rebellion?

Preventing all forms of rebellion can be a difficult chore as some of this behavior is a normal process of growing up. Keeping the dangerous forms under control is necessary though in order to avoid further problems from developing. If your Aspergers teen is showing harmful rebellious behavior, further treatment with a mental health professional should be sought. Rebellion could be due to another underlying problem. 

As moms and dads, the following methods can be helpful in keeping rebellion at a minimum:

1. Don't be too harsh with criticism - Adolescents like to experiment with their individuality to discover who they are. As long as it is not harmful, let them try out new things. Give your opinion, but don't criticize.
2. Keep an open relationship with your teen - Let them know that they can always come to you with their problems, under any circumstances. If your rebellious teenager feels the need to be alone, give them some space to work out their problems by themselves first.
3. Punishments should be fair - Set reasonable consequences for broken rules as unfair punishments can create further rebellion.
4. Set up some reasonable house rules - If your rules are to strict, your rebellious adolescent might feel the need to break them. Give your adolescents some say in home of these rules and curfews so that they feel some ownership over them.
5. Try not to argue with your rebellious adolescent - Yelling and arguing with your rebellious adolescent about your differences only sets a bad example of how to deal with problems. Try to approach the matter at hand in a calm fashion. If that cannot be done, give yourself some space for a while and talk about it at a later time once tempers diminish.

==> Help for Parents of Teens with Asperger's and HFA