Aspergers Update

As you may have read here, things are interesting at our house right now.  So how is my son who has Aspergers Syndrome (an autism-related disorder) dealing with everything?

The short version is that he has had several meltdowns- one involving how a box of his video game equipment was being packed.  The longer version is that we are managing.  Here are some of the coping strategies we are employing:

Balance Work With Fun-This is good advice for anyone, but especially important for my son who has difficulty dealing with change of any kind, much less having his entire world turned upside down.  I have arranged “play dates” with friends and I have allowed him more than the normal time to play video games.

Break Down Tasks-  There is a lot to be done and my son can be easily overwhelmed.  I have found that a key is giving him instructions in small pieces such as cleaning out one or two drawers or cleaning off the top of his desk.

Be Calm-You probably see this in every post I write about dealing with Aspergers, but I cannot emphasize it enough: Remain Calm.   I am easily upset by my son’s behavior when I don’t remember that his first response to stress is anger.  I have to remember to take a few minutes to pray and think about how I will respond rather than “taking authority” over his behavior.  My first thought is that I am going to win the battle rather than thinking about why he is acting the way he is.

Considering everything that is going on, I think we are doing very well.  Check back with me tomorrow!

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