The "Smart Parenting" of Children on the Autism Spectrum
"For those parents of both neurotypical kids and children on the autism spectrum, do you basically parent the same - or is there a big difference in your approach with the autistic child?" There are basically two types of parents who are raising Aspergers and High-Functioning Autistic (HFA) children: (1) those who use "traditional" parenting techniques with ALL their children - including the one with Aspergers, and (2) those who have learned that you simply can NOT parent Aspergers children and "typical" children in the same way. Why? Because the mind of a child on the autism spectrum is wired differently than that of a "typical" child. Think of it like this: Let's say you have 3 children. Two of them only speak English, and one only speaks German. You, as a parent, have learned to speak both languages. So, which language will you use when you are trying to get your point across to the German-speaking child? German, of course! But