Aspergers (high functioning autism) teens that regularly test the patience of their mother and/or father do so for a variety of reasons. For example, they:
- are asserting themselves and their independence
- are protecting themselves
- are stiff and rule-oriented and acting like little adults
- are testing whether their parents will enforce the rules
- can’t "fit-in" with their peer group, or they can’t get through the school day without a significant degree of anxiety, thus when they return home at the end of the school day they slip into meltdown
- face similar academic problems as students with Attention Deficit Disorder due to their distractibility and difficulty organizing materials
- feel a sense of pain, loneliness and despair, which can lead to significant behavioral problems at home or school (or both)
- feel bad about themselves
In any event, parents can do a few things to muster-up some much needed patience:
==> Discipline for Defiant Aspergers Teens