My ASD Child

"Any tips for helping my depressed teenager with ASD to develop some people skills in order to find a few friends that he can relate to?" The rules of social engagement are unwritten. If an adult makes a “social mistake” (e.g., saying “thank you sir” to a woman who happens to look like a man), it may result in an awkward moment or some embarrassment. For teens though, social mistakes can have profound and disastrous consequences. If they “fail” socially, they can be ostracized from their peer-group, have difficulty making new friends, and feel a sense of general isolation from everybody. Many teens with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS) do not know how to engage with their friends and classmates. They are simply not interested in the current fads or topics of conversation among their peer-group. As a result, they may experience teasing, bullying, and rejection from peers – and may feel isolated to the point of experiencing anxiety and/or depression.

Do you need some assistance in parenting your Aspergers or HFA child? Click here to use Mark Hutten, M.A. as your personal parent coach. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Mark, I read your Ebook Living with an Aspergers Partner and truly believe God used you to rescue me! I am a relatively newlywed (since November 2014) and many behaviors of my husband now start to make sense... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Mark: We're going through your e-book and there's a lot of helpful material here. Do you have any advice on how to help a teen accept the diagnosis? Our 14-year-old daughter, who's been struggling for about 2 years, is currently in the mental hospital for a severe self-harming compulsion, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. She says she would rather kill herself than accept the diagnosis that she has Asperger's, which is quite recent after many professionals missed it. She has a very hard time with acceptance. Help appreciated, thanks. ~~~~~~~