Life with Aspergers

In my last few posts, I've looked at the positive and negative effects of media and device access for children with Asperger's syndrome.  It's clear that while our children certainly benefit more from the media than their neurotypical peers, excessive access is still quite harmful. In this post, I want to look at some techniques for limiting media access and overcoming the negatives in a sustainable way. A word on Sustainability No technique is worth using unless it is sustainable. If your partner isn't going to stick to the rules and routine, then it simply won't work. Similarly, if you think that you can only stick to a new routine for a few weeks, then it's no good. In that case, you should choose a different routine - one that is sustainable. The Use of Rules and Routines Children with Asperger's syndrome handle rules extremely well. That's not to say that they will obey them without reinforcement but simply that clearly stated (and written)...

Today, I'm posting over at Specialism. Teaching Basic Life Skills to Special Needs Children http://special-ism.com/teaching-basic-life-skills-to-your-special-needs-children/ My post was prompted by the thought that our dependent special needs children may well grow up into needy and dependent adults - and that we, the parents, won't be around forever. It makes sense to start getting our kids to do things for themselves.

In my last couple of posts, ( 1 , 2 ) I've discussed the way in which our special needs children use the media to accelerate their learning. I've talked about how critical the media is for visual learners and how these kids learn in a completely different manner to their peers. Now however, we need to look at the negative aspects of this media obsession. I've already discussed the possibility of learned violent behaviours, irresponsibility (jackass) and bad language.  In this post, I want to look at some of the less obvious types of negatives. Inattention and Immediacy In the last decade have become an immediate society.  We expect our movies to start with action sequence immediately and without introduction. If the film is a slower one then often the action is the film's credit sequence itself; Panic Room for example.  I've noticed that many kids and adults today simply don't have the patience to watch an older film and it's one of the main reasons ...

In my last post , I looked at television and movies and discussed the amazing academic and social learning opportunities they present for visual learners. I also talked about the negative aspects of these and in particular, my belief that it's not violence that's the problem but language and stupidity - jackass; that last point is for you. In this post I want to look at other types of indoor recreation; computers, games, tablets, phones, music players and books. Computers Computers represent an amazing "not-to-be-missed" opportunity for children with aspergers syndrome to pick up skills, follow their special interests, learn visually and even socialize. It's hardly surprising that the computing field has much more than its fair share of employees with aspergers. On the one hand, this stresses just how important it is to give your child access to them - and to the internet. Even gaming, which you may see as a "wasteful" activity, is really devel...

We all know that too much TV is bad for your kids. The same goes for computers. Quite frankly, the same should apply for iPads, Phones, books and portable music players but somehow our society doesn't seem to have issues with these. Of course, all of these rules apply for "normal" kids. But how different is it for kids with special needs, and in particular, those with asperger's syndrome? Should they be afforded more time on these devices? Less? -- or is their diagnosis irrelevant in this case? In this series, I present my thoughts on the matter. The Needs of Children with Asperger's Syndrome Children with aspergers syndrome and other ASD's often have vastly different needs to their neurotypical counterparts. Chief among these needs is the need for visual and experiential learning. While most kids can easily follow classroom conversation and can easily separate the teacher's jokes and the general buzz of conversation from the teaching...

Last time, I talked about adult meltdowns and how they're just as real as meltdowns in children but are usually more controlled (due mainly to experience and self-knowledge). I also talked about how both physical and emotional restraint can bring about a more explosive and dangerous meltdown.  Today, I want to discuss how meltdowns occur in relationships and how keep your family and possessions safe. I've had new couples tell me that they're getting married and that they've "perfect for each other" because they've never had a fight - or even a disagreement. I'm usually far from impressed with this degree of "love" and suggest that they at least wait until they've had a few fights. You see, some people fight dirty. Some people give in too easily and some people hold grudges. It's really not a good idea to settle into a long term relationship without a good idea of how you and your partner fight, what tips them over the edge and how...

Today I'm blogging over at Special-ism. My post is about visual learners and how we need to take advantage of the visual aids around us.  That's right, computers and TV are often considered to be bad for children but actually, they're some of the best tools for visual learners. I also talk about taking visual learners to real-life places and about experimentation and play within the home. Click here to read it .