Aspergers???

Question

ok so hi
my cousin has Aspergers and everyone at school is really mean to him because he just flips everytime someone looks at him! He always swears and its really emarissing. I love him soooooo much and i hate seeing him getting teased i tried explaining to some people but they just said to controll him and thats the thing I CANT!!! If anyone could give me some advice it would really help
thanks
xoxPeace Out

Answer 1

Maybe ask the school if you could go in and do an assembly on the topic of aspergers syndrome and highlight the problems. Include some roleplay scenes where can ask other pupils to join in from the audience.

A lot of the abuse he gets will most likely be from children who are embarrassed because they dont know how to respond to him.

Answer 2

First of all, don't be embarrassed by your cousin, because if he truly has Asperger Syndrome, then there is nothing he can do about it - he is who he is and may always need support and guidance in certain areas.

You will never be able to control how others react or feel about him, but you can control your feelings. Give him unconditional support and be proud that he is your cousin.

If he sees a therapist regularly, then you need to document the specific incidents/episodes so that he/she can develop an appropriate treatment plan and try to figure out what may be triggering the behavior. Many individuals with Asperger Syndrome can become easily overwhelmed by sensory overload - too many people, too much noise, too much light, etc. So, if you can work to better control his environment and various social situations, then I am sure that you would see immediate results. Plus, he has Asperger Syndrome, he is not mentally retarded. In fact, his IQ is probably higher than yours and mine. Don't be afraid to talk to him about the consequences of his actions so that he can become more aware of how is behavior affects those around him.

Good luck!

Answer 3

If this is happening in school then it is up to the school to deal with it. His parents should be made aware or what is happening and then go into school and demand something is done about the situation. Is he on an IEP and are the school aware that he is having so much trouble. If he does have Aspergers he can't help how he behaves in certain situations and school should be making sure that he avoids these situations where he gets angry and annoyed. Do you have a local support group that would be willing to educate people who he comes into contact with about Asperger's?

Answer 4

Getting him to control it is about the equivalent of telling a paraplegic to stand up and walk and get over it.

Asperger's is high-functioning autism. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects the way that the autistic person communicates. There is a book out about autism called "Oops, Wrong Planet." It is easier to understand autism and its communication difficulties if you can use the analogy of "How hard would it be to go to another planet and not know how to communicate with the inhabitants there?" You can't control his outbursts, because he cannot control it - he is overstimulated. A person with Asperger's generally has hypersentive senses (and in some areas hyposensitive, often tactile). What do you hear right now? I hear myself typing and my computer humming. My son would hear that two, but he would also hear the dog breathing, the wind blowing the shutters, the lights buzzing, the furnace kicking on, the dog's nails clicking across the floor. You can imagine how one more thing to deal with might make you freak out.

If he is in school, the school needs to separate him from the abuse, as that is exactly what it is. He needs an IEP (individualized educational program) in place that includes occupational therapy and education for the teachers. He also could benefit from counseling so he knows how to handle the bullying. Social cues that come naturally to you, like body language and facial expressions, do not come to him naturally. He needs to be taught and retaught.

Talk to a counselor for some help and advice. Learn about autism yourself. It is a disability. It is permanent, but he will learn how to deal with it better and better as he gets older.

You are a great cousin! Good luck.

Answer 5

Have you spoken to your teacher, headmaster or parents about this? This is not teasing, it is bullying and it is not something that you can deal with on your own. Your cousin may not be able to tell anyone he is being bullied, the best thing you can do is to ask for help on his behalf. So pelase ask an adult you trust for help.

And you are right, you can't control him and he probably can't control himself either.

Lastly I want to congratulate you on speaking out like this, I can be very difficult to ask for help So well done!