Tips for Celebrating Holidays with Your Autistic Child

The holidays are all about being with family and enjoying the festivities. This can be very difficult for a child with Autism. This does not mean the holidays are ruined, it just means that as a parent you will have to take some precautions. Here are some tips for celebrating the holidays with your Autistic child.

1. Plan visits with family and friends for short time periods. If you plan short visits your child is less likely to get over tired, or overwhelmed. Keep the visitors to a few at time.

2. Do not force your child to participate in activities they do not like. If you are having a family dinner and your Autistic child does not want to sit at the table with a lot of people let them sit where they are comfortable.

3. Keep your child's schedule. If bed time is at eight in the evening, stick to it. Explain to visitors that your child's needs come first, and they need their sleep. Taking a sleepy child somewhere will be asking for trouble. If there is something that requires them staying up later in the evening try to get a nap in the afternoon. This will help the child enjoy the activity later in the day.

4. Spread holiday activities out over a few days. This way your child does not become too overwhelmed. There is no rule stating that you have to visit all the family in one day. They would much rather see your child in a happy mood than in the midst of a meltdown.

5. Leave your child home while Christmas shopping. If your Autistic child does not like crowds do not take them Christmas shopping. Leave them home with your spouse, or other responsible care giver. It is hard enough to deal with the crowded stores alone. It could be miserable bringing an unhappy child along.

6. Consider opening a few presents at a time. Opening Christmas presents is very exciting to a child. To a Autistic child the excitement can become overwhelming. An autistic child often has issues with over stimulation. By opening a few presents at a time the child does become to overwhelmed, and can enjoy their gifts.

7. If you have your child on a special diet make sure friends and family know this. You do not want other people feeding your child things that could ruin the progress you have made. Some people might not agree with your choices about your child's diet. Be strong and stick to your beliefs.

8. Remember the reason for the holidays. They are meant to be spent with family and loved ones. Enjoy the holiday with your Autistic child. Be thankful for all you have in your life.

9. Reward your child for their good behavior while visiting others. This will help with unwanted behaviors. The child will know they can earn a prize so they will work harder on behaving.

10. Relax. If your child senses stress or anxiety from you they will become uneasy.

The holidays with an Autistic child can be a wonderful time with a little extra planning. Forget about the daily problems and struggles you have. Remember all the good things you have. Most of all enjoy the holidays with your Autistic child.

Teacher's Asperger's Syndrome Guide

As a teacher you know that each classroom is filled with children who come from a variety of background. You also recognize that some of them will have learning challenges which may or may not be adequately addressed in the home. Yet are you prepared for the situations that arise from having a child in your class that has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome?

A child with Asperger’s Syndrome is well known for the intelligence with which she or he can converse on a topic that is of interest to the youngster. Dr. Asperger himself used to call them the little professors he would work with. At the same time, such children may display an extraordinary reticence at shifting gears in between different activities, leading teachers to sometimes experience something like exasperation.

It is important for a teacher to understand what it is like teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome and if you follow this guide, you are well on your way to integrating this child into your classroom and teaching.

* Recognize that simple acts, like forgetting homework, is not an affront toward you, but simply might be an expression of the child’s inability to remember a routine task. * Behavioral skills are not transferable. If your science minded Asperger’s Syndrome student is able to go ahead and do the research on a complex science matter, it does not automatically mean that he is able to transfer this research ability to a much simpler social studies project. If the topic does not appeal to the student, he will not know how to do the same things he did for science. * Positive reinforcement is a must with your student. While many students may do well with negative consequences and actually learn from their mistakes, the Asperger’s Syndrome student will get frustrated. Work hard to notice the good behaviors, and gently work with the parents to correct the bad choices the student makes. * Asperger’s Syndrome children will have meltdowns. The younger the student, the more prone to meltdowns he will be. Even older children will still showcase this behavior, although in many cases they will have learned how to handle the frustrations that set them off a bit better. If you have younger kids in your classroom, offer a safe spot away from the other children where the child may cool off. During such a meltdown there is little you can do for the child other than acknowledging his feelings and giving him some time to regroup. * Understand that an Asperger’s Syndrome child is considered odd by his classmates. If you do the group approach to teaching, assigning the groups rather than letting the kids do the picking is crucial. Otherwise you will end up with the child consistently being the odd man out. * The child has parents. Do not fall into the trap of trying to parent the child during school hours. Work together with the parents to help him during class time and make yourself available for help within the confines of your schedule, but do not try to correct or undo what the parents do at home.

Asperger's Syndrome in the Adult Population

Preschoolers turn into high school students, and from there they become adults. What does life hold for the young adult and the aging adult with Asperger’s Syndrome? There is no doubt that gainful employment, marriage, and also parenthood are all part and parcel of the experiences an individual with Asperger’s Syndrome may claim. Granted, she or he will have to work a lot harder to make them come true, but they are indeed achievable goals, if the individual is motivated to reach for them.

This of course opens up the question what is considered normalcy in adult life experiences. For some the litmus test is employment, while others consider it functioning independently in society and even becoming involved in a marriage relationship that further cements one’s relationships in that society. To others this is the wrong way of looking at the way adults interact in society today, and instead the focus for them is on the way the individual with Asperger’s Syndrome feels, when it comes to describing her or his interactions.

Critics of this approach have cited the many problems associated with the subjective consideration offered by the Asperger’s Syndrome patient. After all, if she or he were to have recently been rebuffed by a love interest, will the individuals rate their normalcy and societal integration as highly than they would if a lover had recently accepted them? At the same time, there is also the alarming rate of secondary mental illnesses that seem to come to light in the lives of those with Asperger’s Syndrome. There is bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and also multiple personality disorders that have been diagnosed.

It is hard to tell if these are more prevalent in adults with Asperger’s Syndrome or simply more easily diagnosed since these adults are more likely to seek out physician and counseling help than others. Yet it also begs the question how the term “normal” could be adequately defined so as to pertain to the experiences the average adult has.

The haggling over terminology notwithstanding, there are some recognized traits that do not go by the wayside, even as the child with Asperger’s Syndrome turns into an adult with AS. First and foremost are group interactions. Although adults are a lot more subtle at making their discomfort at that which is different known, there are still situations with an individual with Asperger’s Syndrome is the odd man out. This may then lead to depression in the individual as well as other, related, expressions.

Conversely, those who are in tight control of their Asperger’s Syndrome may turn it to their advantage by becoming an eccentric and instead of generating pity are actually generating envy and become much sought after in social circles. There is no doubt that this approach has its merits and that it has served well for many adults with AS, no matter the degree of the condition. Paired with a job or profession that capitalizes on their area of interest, these individuals will find that many doors open for them; doors which are usually considered closed to so called normal adults.

When Asperger's Syndrome Makes It Hard for a Child to Concentrate in Class

Some people believe that Asperger’s Syndrome is synonymous with a lower IQ or even some mental retardation. Nothing could be further from the truth! The mislabeling arose when children with the condition failed to concentrate adequately in class. Naturally they fell back in their studies and before long trailed behind their classmates in scores and grades. Drawing the wrong conclusions, the assumption that Asperger’s Syndrome and a lower IQ are related was soon made.

Today it is a known fact that poor concentration skills are actually one of the symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome, and thus teachers and also parents work side by side to enable the kids to do better in the classroom setting. While it is not possible to hold the child’s hand the entire time and to encourage copious note taking and concentration, there are some things parents and teacher do to foster a better level of concentration and also attention paying.

* Structure classroom activities in such a way that clearly defined transitions alert the child with Asperger’s Syndrome that it is now time to concentrate on something new. Failure to do so may result in the child’s mind wandering and you might find her daydreaming or still thinking about the last activity that took place in the classroom. * Assign time values to certain activities. An egg timer is a very useful gadget and it helps to limit the child’s inability to concentrate naturally. Just by setting the timer and having an audible signal of transitioning from reading to writing, math to social studies will help the child with Asperger’s Syndrome to shift gears. There may still be times when an incomplete assignment will have to be made up at a later time, but if you allocate time in the classroom for this purpose, you will soon find success. * Review the child’s writing abilities. If the child spends a lot of time forming letters and numbers and lags behind classmates in this endeavor, it is only logical that concentration on other tasks will lack. It is a good idea to offer remedial writing skills at a later time in the day outside the regular class setting so that the child can speed up his writing. * Children with Asperger’s Syndrome should be placed in the front of the classroom as opposed to the middle or the back. The less potential distraction from other classmates the child faces, the better he will do in the classroom setting. This also makes it easier concentrating on the facts at hand. * Teachers and parents can work together on a non verbal clue that helps the child remember to concentrate. Doing this preserves the child dignity in the classroom setting while at the same time getting the point across that he may be daydreaming or not doing that which needs to be done in step with other classmates. It is imperative that the child, teacher, and caregivers agree on this sign ahead of time, and that the child is frequently reminded of its existence. Failure to do so may lead to embarrassing situations and some where the child may actually forget what the teacher’s clue is attempting to tell him.

What Will the Future Hold for Patients with Asperger's Syndrome?

Although the early diagnosis often gives parents and caregivers a distinct advantage when seeking to begin treatment and adaptive modifications that make life in a society of individuals unaffected with the disease more possible, the long term outlook is not entirely understood. Considering that attention paid to Asperger’s Syndrome in the United States did not come about until just a few short decades ago, long term case studies are virtually nonexistent.

Conversely, for those adults who are extrapolated to be diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a complete and accurate case history is not usually available. There are, however, some theories that Dr. Asperger himself championed:

* Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome will not lose the symptoms of the disorders. They may be camouflaged through ageing and adaptive measures, but they are not lost. * Employment and normal functioning in society is a distinct possibility, although not each and every job will be a good fit. * There is a good chance that a person suffering with this disorder will be able to put to good use their special talent or skill that is amplified by Asperger’s Syndrome. This may come in handy in fields of mathematics and other sciences. * There is a not completely understood causation when it comes to mental illness and Asperger’s Syndrome. Behavioral scientists and physicians are uncertain if the presence of one causes the other or vice versa. In some cases there may be a direct relationship between the inability to function in everyday society and the accurately perceived inability to live up to standards considered normal by peers. In extreme situations this had led to clinical appointments and forced commitments due to threats of suicides.

Even advocacy attempts are sharply divided when it comes to gauging the overall outcome for adults with the ailment. Those who are determined to put a good spin on their advocacy will point to famous award winners and show that all can be overcome, while those with a vested stake in securing a more negative outcome will point to those committed for attempting suicide or living in relative isolation. There is sadly no distinct outcome and at this point there is a lack of studies that permits for adequate generalization.

At this point parents and caregivers are urged not to look for long-term studies in an attempt to predict what the future may hold for children or adolescents, but instead to focus with single minded intent on adaptive measures that will help the individuals affected with Asperger’s Syndrome to master the here and now. Although this flies in the face of many other advocacy movements, when it comes to those conditions related to the autism spectrum, the here and now quite frequently is as good as it will get.

If you believe that your child or adolescent is affected with this condition, it is crucial to have a diagnosis made as soon as possible, so that modifications in the surroundings and also education and vocational setup may be made quickly for best results.