My ASD Child

At this moment in time, I feel like my heart is broken. A good friend of ours contacted my husband today and said that last week our son K___, 14, said sexual things and showed dirty pictures. We asked K___ and he said nothing was said or done. When our friend came over with his 10 year old son, we all sat down and K___ just sat there as the 10 year old told how K___ put on a DVD where there were women kissing and two people having sex though they didn’t see anything. Along with the 10 year old was his 7 year old sister. K___ has a human body book and he showed the 7 y/o where the penis goes into the vagina. K___ also asked the 10 y/o if he knew that a man’s penis can go into another’s bum and did he want him to try it out on him. Needless to say, I felt nauseous and in shock. Our son has sex and puberty books, and as a rule, asks if he wants to know anything. I am totally gob smacked. I have read discussions on other websites and I know we are not alone. Other parents

Young people with ASD [High-Functioning Autism] respond with anger mostly because they feel frustrated - they feel helpless to understand the situation fully, and helpless to change it. Parents need to understand that anger is not the same thing as aggression. Anger is a feeling, while aggression is a behavior. Anger is a temporary emotional state caused by frustration; aggression is often an attempt to hurt a person or to destroy property. Explain to your ASD child that anger is OK – aggression is not. Dealing with your child’s anger requires first finding out what he is feeling. Ask him what happened, what went wrong, what he wants, and what he is feeling. He may - or may not - be able to tell you very clearly, and he may need your help to label his feelings. Contrary to some popular opinions, punishment is not the most effective way to communicate to ASD children what we expect of them. Explaining, modeling, and setting rules are far more effective. However, expect you

The way kids with Aspergers (Aspies) perceive the world makes sense to them, and for the most part, they can’t change the way they think or act. However, with assistance, they are able to adjust their behavior so as not to cause conflict and confusion with parents, teachers, and peers. Here are some common issues that will need to be dealt with when working with an Aspergers (high functioning autistic) child: • Aspergers kids don’t take much notice of the reaction of the people listening to them and may ramble on regardless of the listener’s interest, thus appearing insensitive to other’s wants, needs, and feelings. • Aspergers kids look just like their peers, and they often have average or above average intelligence, but they have difficulty understanding and relating to others in a way other non-Aspergers kids of their age do. • Aspies can be assumed to be selfish, because most would just rather play by themselves with a special interest of their own. • Aspies