My son was diagnosed with Asperger's Autism. His school is doing certain things to help him cope, but what can I do as a mom to help him? Reading is slow going for him..and socialization is an issue although he is very outgoing.
2007-03-15 05:28:17 · 4 answers · asked by pixie 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Special Education
As a mom of someone on the autisim/aspergers scale, the first thing you can do is learn more about how the school will handle things like transitions, schedules and behvioral issues (if he has any) and they use similar strategies at home. The more continuity he has between home and school, the easier it will be for both places to introduce new subjects, goals, etc.
Next is being consistent in how you discipline him at home. If he looses TV for an night for knocking over his supper one night, it needs to be like that every night (or as much as humanly possible...we will all have nights that we are too tired to fight). Of course, he should have to clean up the mess and then loose TV! But whatever you do or choose as a punishment, be prepared to use it every time. Kids with autism and aspergers have a really hard time with cause and efffect when it comes to thier own actions and that can make discipline really tough. Eventually, if you are consistent, it will start to sink in!
Finally, for the social aspects this is always a tough area. Autistic kids are exceptionally outgoing in their own ways...as long as the person on the recieving end wants to hear about what the autisitc person finds interesting, does what he wants and stops when they say stop! Start slow...if he has a friend in the neighborhood, do hour long play dates with planned, structured activities. Be there for the whole time. Sometimes plan an activity you know your son loves, another time plan one the friend loves. If possible, make the activity involve interaction and taking turns...art projects and cooking activities are two good ones. Games that require taking turns and talking to one another...Go Fish for example...are also good choices if you have a child who is ok with loosing.
Another good way to work on social skills is just in day to day living. Asking questions like "How was your day?" after school. When you see an upset child at the store, say something like "Wow..that baby is so upset. What do you think is wrong?" Books with social stories (things like the first day to school, trying out for a team, making new friends) are a terrific tool as well. Libraries always have a good amount and you may be able to find others to download off the internet if a certain situation comes up. And of course, you can always write your own and use photos, clip art of magazines to do the illustrations!
I hope this gives you some good ideas. There are tons of books and information out there to help. Go to a site like the Autism Now or Autism Society of America. They have links, parent sites and you can look for local chapters as well (good for resources like autism friendly dentists). Another good resource is the local ARC. Check to see if your school system has a program for parent workshops as well. In the beginning you will feel overloaded with the information, but listen to your head and your gut...parents instictively have a feel for what may or may not work for thier child.
In the end, this is a strange journey you have started, but trust me...it is filled with things you've never seen, things you've never tried and ideas you would never had thought...and you'll wonder how other people get along missing them!
2007-03-15 06:37:39 · answer #1 · answered by Annie 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I am a special education teacher and have had several students with Asperger's. Most of them have been very successful. Most children with Asperger's excel in one or more areas. They need a dependable schedule to follow at school and at home. Social interactions and situations need to be practiced and scripted because these children to not generalize well. They also need to be taught acceptable behavior. Give him a lot of praise and set up a tangible reward system. You didn't mention grade level, but sometimes a one on one aide can help. Treat him as normally as possible and give hime many opportunities to see and try new things. There are many web sites to give you further information. Good luck and don't forget to give him lots of love. They are really neat kids!
2007-03-15 13:41:42 · answer #2 · answered by Lin s 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Although AS presents challenges for both affected children and their parents, there are a number of steps you can take to help your child adjust and help support his progress.
Look into educational or training programs for parents.
Here are some online support groups you may want to check out:
http://www.autism-society.org
Video presentations of parents of recovered children from the October 2006 DAN conference are available at www.Autism-RecoveredChildren.org.
National Societies
Autism Research Institute: Directed by Bernard Rimland, a parent of an autistic adult and a leading advocate of research on autism. Publishes a quarterly newsletter summarizing current research on autism, and maintains a website full of relevant information about autism. ARI also sponsors the Defeat Autism Now! approach to autism. DAN! conferences, held bi-annually, are the leading conferences on biomedical treatments for autism. Contact: www.AutismResearchInstitute.com, fax: 619-563-6840.
Autism Society of America: Publishes a newsletter, sends monthly emails, hosts a national meeting and maintains a good website. Most importantly, they are the major lobbying body for people with autism, including efforts to increase research on autism, increase education opportunities, and generally improve the lives of people with autism. Parents should be encouraged to join and support the ASA. : 1-800-3-AUTISM; www.autism-society.org
Families for Early Autism Treatment (FEAT): Provides valuable information regarding Applied Behavior Analysis. www.feat.org
Internet. There are hundreds of websites and news sources to explore. An excellent newsletter starting point is the Schafer Autism Report (SAR): www.sarnet.org
Teach your child self-help skills.
Encouraging the learning of these skills will help your child achieve maximum independence.
As a parent, you may have to take on the role of educator when dealing with teachers, medical personnel, and other caregivers.
Get support for yourself and other family members. You can't help your child if you are not meeting your own emotional and physical needs.
2007-03-15 07:49:10 · answer #3 · answered by Advocate4kids 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
In my humble opinion nutrition is the key ... my colleague Donna Gates author of the Body Ecology Diet has a program Body Ecology Diet Recovering Our Kids (BEDROK) which promotes the health and healing benefits of a probiotic diet. It is my opinion that supporting our children's inner body ecology can make a great contribution to the a successful and positive health outcome. My name is Caroline Alexander and I am a certified body ecologist. You can learn more about Body Ecology at www.bodyecologydiet.com or through my own website www.healthymuse.com My intention is to share information that I feel is valuable for our children's health and it begins with their health status and the foods we give them to build strong bodies and minds. Our bodies are wonderfully regenative when given the opportunity to heal and as the mother of two very healthy sons it is my mission to assist other children (my children's peers) with their own personal health journey and provide additional information upon which individual choice and decisions can be made. Thank you for your consideration. Make it a truly great day!
2007-03-17 02:28:13 · answer #4 · answered by Caroline A 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋