Thanks Shirley for your question! After conducting some research this is what I (Elizabeth) have found.
According to Connie, who is a frequent article writer on the website Parent Coaching for Autism (2013), the biggest challenge that parents face when they have a child who has been diagnosed with Autism is potty training. Autistic children have difficulty with communication and possess distinctive sensory sensitivities such as playing with a string (waving it in the air) for the majority of the day or not wanting a parent to take off their diaper to be potty trained. Some of the questions that this article ask are, “So what do you do with a child who is OK with the status quo of wearing diapers?” and “How do you potty train a child whose level of awareness, motivation, and ability to communicate are compromised?” At the end of the article, Connie recommends to parents a Program entitled, “From Bathroom Battles to Bathroom Bliss- Potty Training 101”.
Reference:
Connie. (2013). One of the Biggest Challenges a Parent of a Child with Autism has to Tackle. Parent Coaching for Autism. Retrieved from http://parentcoachingforautism.com/2011/05/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-a-parent-of-a-child-with-autism-has-to-tackle/
Thank you Elizabeth. I have several friends who have children with Autism and I want to e sensitive to their feelings and needs. Your information is very helpful.
Before the change to the Austism specturm of functioning, I had heard that some people felt that Asbergers and Austim were 2 separate pervasive developmental disorders. What are your feelings on this?
Kamille, we greatly appreciate your comment! This is a wonderful question to ask. Thank you.
Under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), Asperger’s and Autism were separate diagnosis, however in the DSM-V Asperger’s will be lumped under the general “heading” of Autism. This means that children who will be given future pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) diagnosis will be lumped in the “parent” category of Autism and not diagnosed in the “sister” categories, i.e. Asperger’s, PDD-NOS, and Rett’s. Asperger’s in the DSM-IV-TR is a subcategory of Autism and is labeled as a mild case of Autism on the Autistic spectrum (Autism Society), yet a child can receive a diagnosis for either disorder without having the other; i.e. a child being diagnosed as having Asperger’s or Autism, but not both. Since the DSM-V is congealing all subcategories of Autism together, children who have specific PDD characteristics may run the risk of being misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. I feel that Asperger’s should remain a subcategory under Autism.
If you would like more information here are some excellent references.
Autism Delaware. (2012). How Does Asperger’s Syndrome differ from Autism?. Retrieved from http://www.delautism.org/aboutautism/whatisaspergerssyndrome/aspergersvsautism.aspx
Autism Society. Diagnostic Classifications. Retrieved from http://www.autism-society.org/about-autism/diagnosis/diagnostic-classifications.html#autism
Bortfield, Holly. (December 16, 2011). Autism, by any other name…How the new DSM-5 may affect people with ASD. Retrieved from http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/autism-vs-aspergers-syndrome-diagnosis/
Korin , I too have a son with Asperger's. Do you have any suggestions to help someone with Asperger's to improve their social skills? My son Kenny really struggles in this area. Any suggestions would be helpful . Thank You
Hi Barbara! Thanks for your question. It is a challenge to keep our children engaged in positive social activities. I found a couple of websites with great information for you to browse through. Years ago we participated in Barbara Lester’s social skills groups. She is a licensed social worker with many years of experience with autism. She has a website with videos full of helpful information. Barbara recommends involving young adults with Asperger’s in groups that they share common interests with. Theater or acting classes also encourage repetitive interaction allowing them to practice social behaviors. I think the key is to find the thing that sparks your child and engage him in a group of people with similar interests. Sometimes it is hard and you may have to get creative. Hope this helps. I would love to know how things are going with you. Keep me posted. :) ~Korin P.S. Tony Attwood is an amazing author and has written several books about Asperger’s Syndrome. I would highly recommend looking him up as well!
Do you think children with autism should be told about their disability/diagnosis and if so when? My experience is that the some parents we have worked with don't want to discuss autism with their child and this makes it hard for us given that the focus of our iSTAR project is autism!
What is the biggest challenge for parents with an autistic child?
ReplyDeleteThanks Shirley for your question! After conducting some research this is what I (Elizabeth) have found.
DeleteAccording to Connie, who is a frequent article writer on the website Parent Coaching for Autism (2013), the biggest challenge that parents face when they have a child who has been diagnosed with Autism is potty training. Autistic children have difficulty with communication and possess distinctive sensory sensitivities such as playing with a string (waving it in the air) for the majority of the day or not wanting a parent to take off their diaper to be potty trained. Some of the questions that this article ask are, “So what do you do with a child who is OK with the status quo of wearing diapers?” and “How do you potty train a child whose level of awareness, motivation, and ability to communicate are compromised?” At the end of the article, Connie recommends to parents a Program entitled, “From Bathroom Battles to Bathroom Bliss- Potty Training 101”.
Reference:
Connie. (2013). One of the Biggest Challenges a Parent of a Child with Autism has to Tackle. Parent Coaching for Autism. Retrieved from http://parentcoachingforautism.com/2011/05/one-of-the-biggest-challenges-a-parent-of-a-child-with-autism-has-to-tackle/
Thank you Elizabeth. I have several friends who have children with Autism and I want to e sensitive to their feelings and needs. Your information is very helpful.
DeleteBefore the change to the Austism specturm of functioning, I had heard that some people felt that Asbergers and Austim were 2 separate pervasive developmental disorders. What are your feelings on this?
ReplyDeleteKamille
Kamille, we greatly appreciate your comment! This is a wonderful question to ask. Thank you.
DeleteUnder the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), Asperger’s and Autism were separate diagnosis, however in the DSM-V Asperger’s will be lumped under the general “heading” of Autism. This means that children who will be given future pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) diagnosis will be lumped in the “parent” category of Autism and not diagnosed in the “sister” categories, i.e. Asperger’s, PDD-NOS, and Rett’s. Asperger’s in the DSM-IV-TR is a subcategory of Autism and is labeled as a mild case of Autism on the Autistic spectrum (Autism Society), yet a child can receive a diagnosis for either disorder without having the other; i.e. a child being diagnosed as having Asperger’s or Autism, but not both. Since the DSM-V is congealing all subcategories of Autism together, children who have specific PDD characteristics may run the risk of being misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. I feel that Asperger’s should remain a subcategory under Autism.
If you would like more information here are some excellent references.
Autism Delaware. (2012). How Does Asperger’s Syndrome differ from Autism?. Retrieved from
http://www.delautism.org/aboutautism/whatisaspergerssyndrome/aspergersvsautism.aspx
Autism Society. Diagnostic Classifications. Retrieved from
http://www.autism-society.org/about-autism/diagnosis/diagnostic-classifications.html#autism
Bortfield, Holly. (December 16, 2011). Autism, by any other name…How the new DSM-5 may affect people with ASD. Retrieved from
http://www.tacanow.org/family-resources/autism-vs-aspergers-syndrome-diagnosis/
The reply above was sent by Elizabeth H.
DeleteThanks Elizabeth, the resources were helpful!
DeleteKamille
Korin , I too have a son with Asperger's. Do you have any suggestions to help someone with Asperger's to improve their social skills? My son Kenny really struggles in this area. Any suggestions would be helpful . Thank You
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara!
DeleteThanks for your question. It is a challenge to keep our children engaged in positive social activities. I found a couple of websites with great information for you to browse through. Years ago we participated in Barbara Lester’s social skills groups. She is a licensed social worker with many years of experience with autism. She has a website with videos full of helpful information. Barbara recommends involving young adults with Asperger’s in groups that they share common interests with. Theater or acting classes also encourage repetitive interaction allowing them to practice social behaviors. I think the key is to find the thing that sparks your child and engage him in a group of people with similar interests. Sometimes it is hard and you may have to get creative. Hope this helps. I would love to know how things are going with you. Keep me posted. :)
~Korin
P.S. Tony Attwood is an amazing author and has written several books about Asperger’s Syndrome. I would highly recommend looking him up as well!
http://www.asperger-advice.com/asperger-teens.html
http://www.yourlittleprofessor.com/social.html
Barbara Lester blog videos-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-II-rbkRbv4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J3T6MXb5_Q
Barbara blog-
http://asdspecialist.com/blog/?page_id=59
Book-
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/social-skills-for-teens-and-young-adults-with-aspergers-syndrome-nancy-j-patrick/1009273076?ean=9781843108764
Reference:
Atwood, T. (1998). Asperger’s syndrome: A guide for parents and professionals. London, England: Jessica Kingsley.
Do you think children with autism should be told about their disability/diagnosis and if so when? My experience is that the some parents we have worked with don't want to discuss autism with their child and this makes it hard for us given that the focus of our iSTAR project is autism!
ReplyDelete