FAQautism: Episodes
So, should children with limited skills be required to help with chores around the house? It is probably quicker and easier for adults to take care of daily tasks without interference or interruption of a youngster who needs assistance. Autism adds another layer since many individuals with autism require ...
For a variety of reasons, children with autism are often reluctant to participate in group activities, and may resist joining “circle time” in an early childhood classroom, a play group, Sunday School class, or other setting. Short of picking them up and physically moving them to the circle, how ...
Although we may have the best intentions, we can certainly fall into the trap of constantly nagging our family members or students with autism. It can be helpful to take an inventory of the words we speak every day and to move toward gentle nudging rather than constant nagging.
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At what point are we guilty of stepping over the line when trying to manage the details of the lives of our children or students or friends with autism? Of course, we want to make the path smoother and to help people reach their full potential, but at what point are we going overboard in [...]
We all fall in the trap of saying repeatedly, “Do not do this” or “Do not do that.” When people ignore our pleas, we respond by saying, “Why don’t you ever do what I ask?” Hmmm, maybe it would be wise for us to examine our words. It might be more effective to state specifically [...]
What can we do if our friend with autism just plops down in the middle of a parking lot and refuses to get up? We can certainly try to determine the cause of the behavior and take some proactive steps to prevent the frustrating and potentially dangerous behavior. But sometimes our best intentions and ...
The lazy, hazy days of summer are just around the corner. Most school-aged kids enjoy all the free time and loose structure, but many individuals with autism prefer some consistency and a predictable schedule. Having pre-planned activities to look forward to each day can help keep the summer doldrums ...
For whatever reason, many of my friends with autism impulsively touch other people, including strangers. For example, the dad of a teenager with autism was horrified recently when his son reached out to straighten the bottom of the jacket of a stranger in the grocery store. When the gentleman felt someone’s ...
For a variety of reasons, some individuals with autism display explosive behavior occasionally. Sometimes the emotional turmoil is due to factors such as intolerance for change, inability to communicate frustration, or intolerance for sensory overload. At other times, the meltdowns are simply temper ...
Parents and teachers often comment on the challenge of preventing youngsters with autism from compulsively eating unhealthy foods or devouring all the snacks in the pantry. Some individuals must avoid certain foods because of dietary restrictions or diabetes, and others are compromising health with too ...
Families, teachers, and others who care about the well-being of individuals with autism frequently ask for ideas to help prevent isolation. Challenges like loud outbursts, aggressive behaviors, repetitive mannerisms, and meltdowns can make folks hesitate to get out in public. Sometimes it is just easier ...
The sister of a non-verbal youngster with autism and developmental disabilities said it really hurts her feelings when fellow students use the word “retard” or say something like, “You are so retarded.” This young lady says she doesn’t remember anyone using the term to describe her brother ...
We simply can’t ignore the research confirming the health benefits of vegetables. Even if our friends with autism are very picky eaters or if they insist on eating just two or three preferred foods, we can still contribute to a person’s overall well-being by sneaking in undetectable vegetables.
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Remember when you took those first steps into the big world as a graduate? That exciting, yet scary, time of transition from high school student to graduate is approaching for some of our friends with autism. Some will move on to college or to a job and their own apartments, and others will remain at [...]
A high school student who is diagnosed with autism sends e-mails every week or so with observations about her life and the lives of several friends with autism compared to other high school students in her school and family. One topic that is of great interest to this young lady is that of social interaction. ...
Although we don’t always encourage people to be copycats, it would sometimes be helpful if our friends with autism noticed what was happening around them and followed the lead of others. To one degree or another, many individuals with autism fail to automatically pick up on social cues and mirror what ...
I spoke recently at a public forum about some of the challenges encountered by individuals with autism. Several people were surprised that I said on of my friends would only ride in her grandmother’s car, and only if her grandmother was driving. The grandmother wrote that this is a habit her granddaughter, ...
A mom of a 30-year-old son newly diagnosed with autism wrote to an autism forum at About.com asking for some suggestions for addressing conflict arising from her son’s history of poor self-responsibilities and poor money management. This young man and his mom are dealing with issues similar to those ...
We are continuing the conversation with a reader who asked for some ideas to help things go smoothly when she has a chance to meet the 14-year-old son of a gentleman she is dating. The son, who visits every other weekend, has displayed some jealousy in the past. Because the son has some limitations in [...]
What are some considerations for people who date the parent of a son or daughter with autism? A reader recently wrote, “I am dating someone whose 14-year-old son is autistic. I really like this guy, so I need some advice about making things go smoothly should I have a chance to meet his son. My [...]