Coping with Autism and Puberty

"How should I begin talking to my 12 year old autistic son (high functioning) about puberty?" 

Talking about sexuality with an HFA child needs to be straight forward. Autistic individuals do not pick up on social cues, therefore when talking about sexuality it is important to use concrete terms. Use real terms to describe what you are talking about.

Expect that your child will be a sexual being, and understand that with a diagnosis of autism often comes an inability to control impulse behaviors. It is important to be proactive when preparing yourself and your child for puberty.

Teach him that it is okay to be a sexual being, but this is also a private time. Teach him about good touch versus bad touch so that he is not vulnerable. Let him know that you are comfortable (and work at it if you are not) with this type of conversation so that he can be comfortable too.

Sometimes it's difficult to accept this reality (i.e., that they are sexual beings) in our children, especially when they have a developmental challenge. Nonetheless, they need to understand their right to express their sexuality in appropriate ways, but they also need to understand the important of privacy. They need to understand that sexuality, while a social behavior, is constrained by social rules, and they need skills to enable them to behave acceptably in open society.

Siblings of Aspergers Children

"I would like some tips on how to teach a younger sibling (age 3, not in school yet due to rural location) not to pick up unwanted behaviours from his Asperger's brother."

You might be concerned that your 3-year-old will pick up unwanted behaviours because he might have Asperger’s, also. Asperger’s does, indeed, have a genetic component.

New research in the area of Asperger’s has shown that toddler siblings of Asperger's children are more likely to exhibit the same atypical behaviours as their brothers and sisters with the Asperger's, even when they don’t eventually develop the disorder. Andy Shih, PhD, of the Baby Sibling Research Consortium, states that this increases the importance of careful monitoring of high-risk siblings of children with Asperger’s for any signs of a disorder. If one should occur, you are well-situated for early intervention. If atypical behaviours occur, but there is no Asperger’s, you will feel relief at knowing that your second child does not have it.

If you have a child with Asperger’s, the odds are 50 to 100 times greater that your second child will be diagnosed with Asperger’s. At the age of three, it might be difficult to tell if the child has Asperger’s. 

Ask yourself the following:

• Does your younger son have age-appropriate communication skills?
• Does he follow his brother’s exact behaviours?
• Is he overreacting to sensory stimuli (e.g., actions, lights, sounds)? 
• Does he cover his eyes or ears to avoid sensory stimuli?

If you answered “no” to these questions, your son is probably just imitating his older brother, and that is very common with siblings. He might see his older brother as a role model, or he sees his brother getting a lot of attention for these behaviours, and he is imitating him to get some of the attention.

If you answered “yes” to the above questions, consider having a professional, such as an Intervention Specialist or special education teacher, observe your three-year-old when he interacts with his brother, and when he is alone. You might be thinking of waiting to see if your son outgrows these behaviours; however, if he does have Asperger’s, you should begin early intervention. Make sure that the professional you consult is experienced in assessing autism spectrum disorders, and that his experience specifically includes Asperger’s Syndrome.

Your awareness of the sibling relationship, along with the help of a professional, will give you information and assistance to help with your three-year-old, if he, too, is diagnosed with Asperger’s. Stay in touch with the professional involved so that you can provide a comprehensive level of care for both your children.

The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide: A Complete Resource Guide For Parents Who Have Children Diagnosed With Aspergers Syndrome

Does My Student Have HFA?

“I’m a teacher and I think one of my students may have high functioning autism. What things should I look for in determining whether or not this child may have the disorder? Also, is it too early to approach the parents about my concern?”

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Aspergers: Quick Facts

"Would you have a simple summary, kind of a snapshot, that describes the most relevant aspects of AS that I can give my Aspie son's teacher so that she can get a basic understanding of this disorder without having to read a book on it?"

 

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Autism: Quick Facts

Autism is:

• a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication, and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years
• a brain disorder that is associated with a range of developmental problems, mainly in communication and social interaction
• a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills
• a developmental disability of the brain, much like dyslexia, mental retardation, or attention deficit disorder
• a developmental disability that affects a person's verbal and non-verbal communication, understanding of language, and socialization with peers
• a developmental disorder which is being diagnosed much more frequently today than it was ten years ago
• a lifelong, neurological disorder that significantly affects how a person perceives the world, interacts with other people, and communicates
• a neurological condition which people are usually born with
• a pervasive developmental disorder, which means that for most of those afflicted, autism is lifelong
• a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life
• at least four times more common in boys than in girls
• considered a FINAL COMMON PATHWAY because research suggests that there are several factors and conditions which may result in autism
• equally distributed among all of the social classes and also among ethnic groups, racial groups and nationalities
• four times more prevalent in boys than in girls and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries
• frequently referred to as a "spectrum disorder," meaning that someone can be afflicted severely or mildly, or to any degree in between
• likely to be linked to several genes
• marked by serious difficulties in interacting and communicating with other people
• more common than childhood cancer, cystic fibrosis, and multiple sclerosis combined
• much more common in people with certain genetic, chromosomal, and metabolic disorders, such as fragile X syndrome (an inherited form of mental retardation whose name refers to a damaged and fragile-looking X chromosome), phenylketonuria (an inherited condition in which the body lacks the enzyme needed to process the amino acid phenylalanine, leading to mental retardation) and tuberous sclerosis (a rare genetic disorder that causes benign tumors to grow throughout the body and brain)
• not “a fate worse than death”
• not a mental illness
• not a psychosis or lack of reality contact
• not the result of poor parenting
• now diagnosed in 1 out of 150 American children, and some people believe the numbers may be under-reported
• one of a group of disorders known as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)
• one of a number of possible outcomes for children with this genetic predisposition for communication or learning problems
• one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by “severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development
• referred to as a spectrum disorder because it ranges in severity across a wide range of conditions, like the colors of a rainbow
• the most severe of the developmental disabilities with an incidence of approximately 1 per 1000 live births
• thought by the scientific community to be of genetic origin

More facts:

• Children with autism are not unruly or spoiled kids who just have a behavior problem.
• The vast majority of persons with autism are not savants, like the character portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the movie.
• Children with autism are not without feelings and emotions. Furthermore, no known psychological factors in the development of the child have been shown to cause autism.
• It used to be thought that autism is just a fate that you accept.
• According to the Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. And although the overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.
• Most experts will say that autism is probably caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
• One aspect of autism is that it is like being in perpetual culture shock, no matter where the autistic person goes or how long the autistic person stays.
• Exactly what causes autism is still unknown.
• Although a single specific cause of autism is not known, current research links autism to biological or neurological differences in the brain.
• Although autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors, children and adults can exhibit any combination of the behaviors in any degree of severity.
• It is important to remember that every person with autism is an individual.