Posts tagged Psychologist

School Asperger

We left the doctor’s office in a arrangement of news the day we learned the present our three-and-a-half-year old son had Asperger’s Syndrome, that is an autism spectrum disorder. Fortunately, we took notes which day. Looking back during the notes based on what i read in which day, the psychologist gave us some excellent advice.

1) Keeping a sense of humor will go a long way. School Asperger

I do not recall what we said to her, but I do remember her response. “It is good that you have a sense of humor about this, it will go a long way in helping you raise your son through all the challenges. ” I am not by any means trying to down play the seriousness of this diagnosis. It has been very challenging and difficult. Being able to laugh when we really wanted to scream or cry did help. I remember one day my husband came into the bedroom looking like he was about to lose it. Our son had gone twenty straight minutes of repeating the word “Underwear” in various musical styles. I just busted out laughing at the lunacy and the fact that the crazy song will forever be stuck in my head. My husband also started laughing instead of losing his temper.

2) Stay off the Internet.

While I agree staying off the Internet in the beginning was a great piece of advice for parents first receiving the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, I would not agree they should forever stay off the Internet. It is best to read books, magazine, studies and articles by well-respected and acknowledged experts in the field until you have a good handle on autism. There can be a lot of misinformation available to the public that is not helpful. Once you have formed an opinion on what is credible and what is not, then the Internet is an excellent source of information for current studies, news, forums, education, laws, etc. School Asperger

3) Be cautious of which support groups you join.

Again, while I agree with her initial warning, I would not discourage any parent from joining a support group. Receiving the diagnosis of autism did leave us shell shocked for a while. At first we walked around not knowing what to think. Then we grieved for a while over the lost dreams. Then we went into research mode and read everything we could get our hands on and talked to other parents. Eventually we settled down into a pattern of advocating for our child and eventually others. There are all kinds of support groups available. Our doctor was concerned we might land in a group which be “stuck in grief. ” She was also concerned about groups that “are militant in their ideas about treatments, cures, advocacy, lobbying, etc. ” Once we had a good handle on what we believed about autism we were in a much better position to find a group that was right for us. I am not making a comment on the various types of groups, just suggesting not jumping into a group right away when you are still in shock. Don’t let your love ones suffer anymore! Lead them out through School Asperger program now!