Raising a Child with Asperger’s
Most parents don’t think twice about taking kids to the movies or signing them up for sports. But the day to day stuff is different when you are raising a child with Asperger’s.
Studio 5 Contributor Connie Sokol shares solid solutions to help family’s with children who have Asperger Syndrome.
For more information about Connie’s books and publication, visit www.conniesokol.com.
Wow…I wish our sons’ former teachers in Texas would view this. Our oldest son’s Kindergarten teacher suggested (to us AND the administration) that he receive medication because he felt more comfortable sitting in a teepee at the back of the room with a book than with his classmates at circle time. The kicker? He still participated in the discussion.
The most reasonable comment about our younger son came from his 2nd grade teacher. She told us that she knew he was intelligent (we knew that already), she just didn’t know how to reach him. At least she tried.
Great job in recognizing what your family needed instead of what was being told to you. I think it’s hard for teachers and others, especially if they’re not familiar with the issues. It’s great when you can find someone who will listen and try–but if not, at least we are continuing to do so as the moms:)
I was diagnosed with Asperger’s at the age of 27, and I’m now 41. I’m at the very top of the functioning range, which is both a blessing and a curse. I can “fake it” in public quite well by now, but the sensory issues are still there and others don’t always taks sensory overload seriously. It’s possible to learn social rules scientifically and blend in as needed. I graduated from high school with honors, served a full-time LDS mission, graduated from college, and married my husband in the temple. My ability to focus on detail and visual skills make me very good at my clerical job, and I’ve worked myself into an area with minimal social contact. Sensitive hearing made the violin and piano good skills to develop. Other spectrum tendencies can actually be strengths in some ways. Academics and musical training were areas I could work on when I was younger and excel. So, in a nutshell, Aspies can be successful adults.
This was so inspiring, I read it to my son. Kudos to you for recognizing so much. What I’ve seen is that my son, from being very aware at an early age of what he does and how it affects others, has a heightened social sensitivity in other ways. Whereas, there are many people without Aspergers but who have difficult habits and who just go about their day in their ways not realizing how they affect others. I think it’s given him a unique and early knowledge he wouldn’t have otherwise had. Great job:)
My oldest son has Asperger’s. I completely understand about the bullying and not fitting in. He is high enough functioning that to people who don’t know him well, he just seems “odd” like you can’t quite put a finger on what exactly is going on. He’s brilliant and is holding down a full time job for which I am grateful. One year out of high school though, I can’t seem to get him interested in using his magnificent brain to try going to school, or do anything else besides play his video games (which soothe his spinning mind I am sure). I love him, he is a good young man, but I am endlessly frustrated with him. I know he’s an adult now (we charge him rent!) so I am trying to be patient with his slow emotional maturation process, and trying not to “bite” when he endlessly baits me, which is a personal thrill for him. Thank you for sharing tips about your older son, it gives me hope that someday my son will be a successful adult with a career (hopefully a college degree) and be able to be independent.
That’s so great that he is as high-functioning as he is. My son was going down the college track but then decided he wanted something more hands on, which might be a better fit. Vocational training like automotive or welding or something like that usually takes less time and keeps them more involved because they are actually doing so much more. To stay busy, our son does fix-up and handy-man things: yard, painting inside the house, fixing things, etc. He does a great job, enjoys doing it, and keeps him occupied in positive ways. It’s a constant learning process:)