Welcome to this week’s Aspergers blog post.

Just a quick reminder that I recently extended the current introductory offer at The Parenting Aspergers Community and it now has just 24 hours to run.

So if you want to find out more or join now please head over to:

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/10.cfm

OK let’s get into this week’s article …

Question

Is it common for a child with Asperger’s to have a split personality?  My son is a really good kid at school, but then a complete monster at home. Is this normal?

Answer

Asperger’s Syndrome is known to manifest itself differently with different children.  Also, children with Asperger’s Syndrome may react differently to various situations depending on their individual personalities.  Your child may feel more comfortable with the familiar surroundings at home, and feel freer to act out more at home than in public, where he is surrounded by strangers and in a less familiar environment. The stress of school may be relieved by a “meltdown” or other difficult behaviour at home.  This is a common occurrence.

Dr. Tony Attwood, a clinical psychologist, is a world renowned expert on Asperger’s Syndrome.  Here is what he says about split personality and Asperger’s.  “Quite a few children with Asperger’s Syndrome are Dr. Jeckylls and Mr. Hydes.  They are saints at school, but they soak up the anguish, then squeeze it out on their brothers and sisters when they get home.  We do not know why this happens…”  This quote may be found at:  http://www.awares.org/pkgs_files/librarydoc_134.doc .

Asperger’s is treated in two ways, and both of them help manage the anxiety that accompanies this illness.  The first is cognitive psychology, and the second is prescription medication.  The first thing you need to do in order to help your son is to find a psychiatrist or psychologist who specializes in Asperger’s Syndrome.  This specialist will be able to help your son.  He or she will help you and your son discover the reasons behind his behavioral changes. 

In addition, a specialist will help you do two things:

1. Modify the situation or the environment in which he lives to reduce difficult behaviour;

2. Create interventions for handling your son’s anxiety.

Please don’t be intimidated.  Changes don’t have to be complex or unmanageable.  The changes you need to make might just involve changing lighting to a lower level, adjusting sound levels in your home, or creating a new schedule.

If initial interventions do not help, a psychiatrist can prescribe medications which will provide your son with the help he needs.  It’s important to note that psychotropic (mood-altering) drugs like Zoloft or Prozac can help children, but they can also cause serious problems for children.  If the psychiatrist prescribes medication, ask about dosage levels and, more importantly, side effects.  Just about all drugs have side effects, and it’s important for you to know about them so you know what to expect.  You know your son better than anyone else; ask yourself if he can handle side effects like nausea, hypersensitivity, or prolonged sleepiness.  These are all possible, depending on the medication prescribed.

You can obtain additional information about this subject in the book  A Parent’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism: How to Meet the Challenges and Help Your Child Thrive by Sally Ozonoff, Geraldine Dawson, and James McPartla. 

This book was written to help parents of children with Asperger’s Syndrome or High-Functioning Autism (AS/HFA).  The book contains common terms and strategies for by AS/HFA.  You can use this book as a reference during your child’s developmental years.  The book advocates capitalizing on your son’s strengths and the challenges he will face on a daily basis.  One of the highlights of this book is that it will help you to distinguish between your son’s adolescent issues and the effects of autism/Asperger’s.

That’s it for this article and don’t forget if you want to get in on the current special offer at Parenting Aspergers Community head over now to …

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/10.cfm

Take care

Dave Angel

Hi this is Dave Angel.  Welcome to the twenty-ninth edition of “The Parenting Autism & Asperger’s Newsletter”

Inside this edition you will find:

1. Parenting Aspergers Community – 1 day left on the current special offer and Paypal update

2. Hot Topic of Discussion – Homeschooling a Child with Asperger’s

3. In the News – In Both Art and Life, Working Outside the Lines

4. Prominent People Linked with ASD – Vincent Van Gogh, Artist
Thanks

Dave

————————————————————
1. Parenting Aspergers Community

Just to let you know that there is just 1 day left on the current special offer to join The Parenting Aspergers Community so head on there NOW if you don’t want to miss out – http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/10.cfm

Also to let you know I am likely to be able to take PAYPAL payments next week for thsoe who don’t have credit cards as I have finally worked out the technology to do this!

And American Express cards should also be able to be used next week too!

————————————————————
2. Hot Topic of Discussion –

Homeschooling a Child with Asperger’s

This article is the first in a series about a parent who will begin homeschooling her six-year-old son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome.  She is doing this because her son does not fit into the mainstream in public school.  The school sees her son’s challenges, but not his strengths and she does not want this to destroy his love of learning or self-esteem.  She has also joined a local homeschooling group to provide social activities for her son.  This parent sees great value in having her son meet other children of various ages, as well as having flexibility in scheduling lessons and planning instruction to meet her son’s needs and areas of interest.  She is hoping for gains in academics, improved social skills, more self-confidence, and a continuation of her son’s love of learning.

To read the full article, go to:  http://www.blog.lifewithoutschool.info/2008/02/homeschooling-a.html

People mentioned as having Asperger’s Syndrome may or may not have actually have been diagnosed with it.

————————————————————-
3.  In the News – In Both Art and Life, Working Outside the Lines

In Danvers, Maine, USA, there was an art show held recently that showcased the works of artists who have Asperger’s Syndrome.  The art included a diversity of genres, from charcoal drawings of nature, to psychedelic mindscapes, to a collage of General William Tecumseh Sherman.  People with Asperger’s can often be drawn to art.  Dania Jekel, the executive director of the Asperger’s Association of New England, states, “I don’t know if it’s more than the general population or not.  I think it might be, because some of them are very visual.  Their visual or perceptual sense is heightened in some way, so they do see things in a way that is different from more typical people.”  She goes on, “The main point is, people with Asperger’s Syndrome are extraordinarily different from one another. Some are more detail-oriented, some have more trouble with communication, some are much blinder to faces . . . so it’s not unusual that their art looks very different.” ArcWorks is a program that promotes the work of artists with disabilities.

“For many people with Asperger’s syndrome, the social realm is very difficult; it’s energy-consuming and it’s difficult, the interaction with other people. So doing art and painting is something they can do to express themselves that doesn’t involve interaction with other people,” states Jekel.  “For some people it is therapeutic. It does give them a way to be perhaps a little bit calmer, to sort of express themselves in a way that’s not verbal, it’s visual.”

To read the full article, go to: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/27/in_both_art_and_life_working_outside_the_lines/
People mentioned as having Asperger’s Syndrome may or may not have actually have been diagnosed with it.

————————————————————

4. Prominent People Linked with ASD – Vincent Van Gogh, Artist

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who was posthumously diagnosed by over 150 psychiatrists with many different medical and mental conditions, including temporal lobe epilepsy and, possibly, Asperger’s Syndrome (AS).  Vincent van Gogh committed suicide, possibly caused by depression which occasionally occurs along with Asperger’s and can lead to thoughts, talk of, or suicide attempts.

People with AS may have specific gifts in mathematics, literature, or the arts.  There is strong evidence that Vincent Van Gogh had Asperger’s Syndrome.  There are many adults with AS who are successful teachers, lawyers, doctors, artists, and authors.  For this reason, many consider AS a difference rather than a disability.  The brains of people with AS apparently process information and sensory stimuli differently than the brains of neurotypical (NT) people.  People with AS differ greatly from one other. Everyone with AS has a common set of traits, but the intensity of each varies, creating a continuum. As a result, AS shapes individual lives in many different ways.

To see the full text of the article go to:  http://www.aane.org/about_asperger_syndrome/what_is_asperger_syndrome.html

The person mentioned above may or may not have Asperger’s Syndrome.
————————————————————-

I hope this month’s newsletter captures your interest and encourages you to read more about Asperger’s Syndrome.

The next edition of the newsletter is due in April, 2009.      

And as ever … please send in any inspirational stories that you know of, any questions that you would like our team of experts to answer, any topics that you wish to be discussed, and news stories that you want to share VIA THE BLOG at

http://parentingaspergers.com/blog/parenting-tips-wanted/

We will publish as many as we can.

And don’t forget to get over to http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/10.cfm if you want to get in on the special offer before it’s gone.

Until next month………

Best Wishes

Dave Angel

http://www.parentingaspergers.com.

P.S. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends.

Hi there it’s time for this weeks Aspergers blog post …

But before then I just want to ensure you are updated with the latest news on the Parenting Aspergers Community.

After a brief closure so that I could ensure that all members are being well looked after the site is back open again for new members.

And following a number of email requests … I have agreed to keep the current introductory offer open for another 6 days only.

If you want to learn more or sign up NOW just go to:

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/10.cfm

OK on to this week’s article …

Question

I have a partner and many family members with Asperger’s, but the worst affected is 19.  He has very limited social skills, his eating pattern is poor, and so is his sleeping pattern.  But he is addicted to a game on his computer.  How do we as parents encourage him to spend less time on the computer, eat better, and sleep more?

Answer

Playing electronic games provides repetition, consistency, and security in his life.  Also, electronic games are predictable.  He can count on the same actions and results every time he plays the games.  People with Asperger’s Syndrome want to feel safe and secure in their activities.  The electronic games allow him to follow predetermined rules that result in predictable outcomes.

It sounds like your son is concentrating on electronic games at the expense of his health.  He spends time in front of a video screen that could be better spent learning new eating habits and practicing better sleeping patterns.

Check into Asperger’s support groups for your son; there might be one in your local area.  Support groups give advice on daily living skills and healthy lifestyles.  Encourage your son to join one of these groups; he will meet people who are his age and may be experiencing similar difficulties with Asperger’s Syndrome.  In addition to information, a support group can give your son the opportunity to talk about his feelings about Asperger’s and the help necessary for him to cope with adult responsibilities.

Another resource for your son is an Asperger’s specialist who can inform and teach your son social skills.  A specialist, such as a psychiatrist, might prescribe Melatonin, which will help your son sleep better at night.

Your son is in his late teens, and he is fast approaching adulthood.  You can use reasoning and negotiation instead of rules and orders.  However, if the excessive computer use continues, you might need to move it into a room that restricts his access to it.  Also, the computer can be used as a reward if your son tries new foods and establishes a regular pattern of sleep.  Although your son is getting older, there are rules that are still effective in changing his behaviour; you should establish those rules in your household.

In terms of nutrition, many autistic children suffer from food allergies, overgrowth of intestinal yeast, and sensitivity to sugar and dairy products.  Consult a doctor to see if your son needs to adjust his diet.  Changing your son’s diet to wheat-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free products requires patience because people with Asperger’s can be very strong-willed, and implementing change can be difficult for both of you.  See if other family members will adopt a diet similar to your son’s; this will make him feel integrated into the family.  Also, read diet books, look into websites, and read advice from nutritionists.

Your son’s sleep patterns can be changed with consistent hours.  He needs to establish a time that he will go to bed each evening and get up each morning.  If he complains that he cannot get to sleep or wake up at a given time, tell him that there are parts of our bodies called circadian rhythms, and they help our bodies rest.  If your son can get to bed at a specific time several nights in a row, the circadian rhythms in his body will reset and help him go to sleep and wake up at a given time each evening and morning.  Remove all distractions from his bedroom to help him concentrate on rest and sleep.

That’s all for this week … and don’t forget to take advantage of the extended special offer to join The Parenting Aspergers Community go straight to:

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/10.cfm

Thanks and have a great day

Dave Angel

Welcome to this week’s Aspergers blog post.

To be honest it’s been a hectic 7 days since the launch of www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com – but I’m so glad that I’ve created the new site …

Already I am getting tons of great feedback from people that it is really helping, and I am able to interact with members much more easily than before.

If you are still interested in becoming a member then don’t forget that for the next 5 days you can take advantage of a special offer to join the site at: http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/10.cfm

I am also working on bringing in several expert guests to the new site to add an even greater variety of specialist information to the site … so watch out for that.

But that’s all on the new site for now and here’s this week’s article:

Question

Are there any connections between ADHD children and those with Asperger’s Syndrome?  My child is diagnosed with ADHD, but he seems to cross over a bit with weak social skills and emotional behaviour.  How do you determine what is ADHD and what is Asperger’s?

Answer

The symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Asperger’s Syndrome do mimic one another, and there are some connections between ADHD and Asperger’s.  In fact, there are dual diagnoses of ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome in many cases.  Both of these diagnoses are developmental disorders; they share many of the same behavioural features and both affect children in the areas of behaviour, communication, and social interaction.  As a result, there is often some confusion as to which disorder(s) is present.  Medical, mental health, and educational professionals need to be trained to differentiate between the disorders and diagnose the correct one.

Here is a list of the behaviours seen in Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:

Autism / Asperger’s Syndrome

Difficulty interacting with peers

Fearlessness; feelings of invincibility

Temper tantrums without provocation

Inappropriate laughter

Resistant to intimacy

Physical over-activity or lack of physical activity

Minimal eye contact

Impulsive work effort that results in mistakes

Inconsistent fine motor skills

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Disruptive with others; cannot talk or play quietly

Impatient; does not want to wait

Risk taker; willingly becomes involved in potentially dangerous activities

Exhibits severe temper tantrums

Interrupts others; talks and/or acts inappropriately

Resistant to intimacy during younger years

Constantly active

Inattentive; has difficulty listening or conversing

Avoids attending to details; makes mistakes in work activities.

Both ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome

Problems with gross/fine motor skills

Behavior driven by impulses

Difficulty with appropriate emotional responses.

An ideal reference book for you is The ADHD Autism Connection, A Step Toward More Accurate Diagnosis and Effective Treatment, written by Diane M. Kennedy.  Go to the internet and access this book by clicking the following link – ADHD

Ms. Kennedy’s book answers questions that you and many other parents with Asperger’s children have asked.  In addition, this book contains information on children with Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, and similar conditions.

This book recognizes that Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is now one of the most rapidly growing diagnoses.  Ms. Kennedy states that many people have not found the help that they need for their children, and parents are not aware of what to do as a result.  This book provides knowledge of the similarities and differences between Autism and ADHD.

This book also addresses the fact that a diagnosis of Autism carries a negative connotation.  In light of this diagnosis, parents are afraid to admit that their child is Autistic, and they do not create an atmosphere of open communication.  Ms. Kennedy’s book portrays the connection between Autism and ADHD in a manner that gives parents the courage to candidly discuss these diagnoses with a sense of understanding and optimism.

Knowledge of the diagnostic differences, along with the information provided in The ADHD Autism Connection, A Step Toward More Accurate Diagnosis and Effective Treatment, will help you differentiate between symptoms of ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome.

That’s all for this week … and don’t forget to head over to http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/10.cfm if you want to take advantage of the current special offer to join The Parenting Aspergers Community (only 5 days left …)

Have a great day,

Dave Angel

Hi there – It’s “busy time” at the moment as I am frantically checking through everything on the brand new Aspergers website www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com before it finally opens it’s door tomorrow.

It seems like I have been talking about this site for so long and now it’s finally here!

If you want grab one of the strictly limited Charter Membership slots (there’s only going to be 200) then you need to make sure that you are signed up to the “early bird notification” email list to get a head start.

If you are not already on this list you can sign up now by visiting www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com and completing your details in the box provided.

OK that’s that for the new site and here’s the latest Tuesday blog entry …

Question

I would like some tips on how to teach a younger sibling (age 3, not in school yet due to rural location) not to pick up unwanted behaviours from his brother.

Answer

You might be concerned that your 3-year-old will pick up unwanted behaviours because he might have Asperger’s Syndrome, also.  Asperger’s does, indeed, have a genetic component.

New research in the area of Asperger’s has shown that toddler siblings of autistic children are more likely to exhibit the same atypical behaviours as their brothers and sisters with autism, even when they don’t eventually develop the disorder.  Andy Shih, PhD, of the Baby Sibling Research Consortium, states that this increases the importance of careful monitoring of high-risk siblings of children with autism {or Asperger’s} for any signs of a disorder.  If one should occur, you are well-situated for early intervention.  If atypical behaviours occur, but there is no Asperger’s, you will feel relief at knowing that your second child does not have it.

If you have a child with Asperger’s, the odds are 50 to 100 times greater that your second child will be diagnosed with Asperger’s.  At the age of three, it might be difficult to tell if the child has Asperger’s.  Ask yourself the following:

•    Does your younger son have age-appropriate communication skills?

•    Does he follow his brother’s exact behaviours?

•    Is he overreacting to sensory stimuli (actions, lights, sounds)?  Does he cover his eyes or ears to avoid sensory stimuli?

If you answered “No” to these questions, your son is probably just imitating his older brother, and that is very common with siblings.  He might see his older brother as a role model, or he sees his brother getting a lot of attention for these behaviours, and he is imitating him to get some of the attention.

If you answered “Yes” to the above questions, consider having a professional, such as an Intervention Specialist or special education teacher, observe your three-year- old when he interacts with his brother, and when he is alone.  You might be thinking of waiting to see if your son outgrows these behaviours; however, if he does have Asperger’s Syndrome, you should begin early intervention.  Make sure that the professional you consult is experienced in assessing autism spectrum disorders, and that his experience specifically includes Asperger’s Syndrome.

In addition to obtaining the services of a behavioural professional, read the book Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families By Sandra L. Harris.

This book discusses explaining autism to your children, helping them express their thoughts and feelings, and helping them to play cooperatively.  Ms. Harris includes ways to look at and cope with the many challenges faced by families who are raising an autistic child.  Also this book addresses ways to sustain a marriage while coping with atypical child behaviours.  The book is brief, easy to read, and comprehend.  Also, it provides “case studies,” first-hand accounts of the difficulties faced by parents and siblings.

Your awareness of the sibling relationship, along with the help of a professional, and the book mentioned above will give you information and assistance to help with your three-year-old, if he, too, is diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.  Stay in touch with the professional involved and re-read the book so that you can provide a comprehensive level of care for both your children.

That’s all for today and don’t forget to sign up to the email list at www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com if you want to be in with a chance of grabbing one of the strictly limited Charter Memberships slots (I expect them to go very quickly!)

Take Care

Dave Angel

Hi – There’s just 24 hours to go before www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com finally opens the doors …

Whilst I have been getting the site ready I have had a few parents helping me to test and check through the site …  And a number of them have emailed me and posted their thoughts and comments all about the new website.

I have included several of the comments below so that you can learn all about the site in the words of fellow parents …

——————————————————————————————-

“Dave,

Thank you for the invitation to Parenting Aspergers Community. The new web site will be a valuable resource to both parents of kids with Aspergers as well as to “Aspies” themselves.

I have not read ALL of the many articles, etc., on it as I wanted to get this letter off to you, but it appears to be one of the best, if not THE best, Aspergers web site I have seen.

For example, your articles for parents really get down to the “nitty-gritty” of raising a kid with Aspergers and do not beat around the bushes.

I also am happy that you are including Aspergers for adults as it is uniformly fatal or cured at Age 18 or 21 the way some people seem to act.

Sincerely yours,

Mary Minshall
Nevada, USA”

——————————————————————————————-

“Thank you Dave for letting me get a sneak peek at your new website.  I really enjoyed reading the articles and getting answers to my unspoken questions …

Reading your website/blogs has given me such a new understanding of my son, now 16.

Today, reading your new website, I really was touched by the article about homework.  That has been a constant battle in my house …

Again, I want to thank you for making your knowledge available around the world and am so thankful that you do reach out to help us parents all over.

Jill Yohn
McMinnville, Oregon, USA”

——————————————————————————————-

“Hi Dave

Your new site looks fantastic. It hits all the topics that occur when having a aspergers child. Matthew thinks it is awesome. Its well put together and easy to use. I wish you all the success with this. I will read it and use it all the time.

Great work Dave”

Nansi Readman
USA”
——————————————————————————————-

The website launches tomorrow (Wednesday 10th March) and I will be sending you an “early bird” email at 9pm UK time (4pm EST). This is 1 hour before the rest of my newsletter readers will be notified of the website opening; to say thank you for being interested in the new site and signing up to the notification email list.

Inside this email will be details of how you can grab one of the limited charter memberships that will be available when the site opens. So watch out for that at 9pm UK time (4pm EST).

Have a great day and I’ll speak to you again tomorrow,

Dave Angel

PS – If you missed any of the previous blog posts abut the
new website you can read them all by scrolling down the following web page:

http://parentingaspergers.com/blog/category/new-parenting-aspergers-website-launch/

Hello,  this is Dave Angel again with another free sample article from the new site www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com

And without further ado here it is …

Question

How do I help my child so that she can make friends and be accepted by other teens?

Answer

The years between 12 and 18 can be very difficult for teenagers with Asperger’s Syndrome.  Friends are difficult to find and keep, are judgmental, and Aspie teens often become isolated socially.

Encourage your daughter to develop a special interest.  A special interest may encourage friendships with other teens with the same interest.  This can be especially effective if there is a club she can join or a sport’s team (or a group that enjoys a sport together).  Michelle Winner’s “Social Thinking Program” can help her do this by teaching her how to join a group, become a part of it, how to converse on teenage topics, develop social skills, and make friends by creating “Friend Files.”

Help her by becoming involved; organize and supervise appropriate, structured teen activities.  Perhaps you can assist with a school activity or become one of the sponsors (leaders) of a girls’ group, such as Girl Guides (Girl Scouts).  Invite one of your daughter’s acquaintances to your home to help her make friends.  Perhaps a girl who is a year or so younger will be more “in tune” with your daughter’s maturity level.  Plan a couple of activities (a video, perhaps) in case they have difficulties thinking of what to do.  Encourage your daughter to leave phone or text messages for peers.  Remember, she does not have to tell everyone she has Asperger’s Syndrome.

Consider sending her to a summer camp for Asperger’s teens.  Also, some high schools have support groups for teens with mentors who will help them navigate around school.  She might try volunteering at a preschool, animal shelter, or other organization that encourages teen volunteers.  This may help her make friends, but will also build her self-esteem.

Behavioural Therapy is highly recommended to teach her how to respond in teen social situations.  To some extent, the success of therapy depends on the teenager’s own desire to fit in.  Therapy can be very effective with teenagers, particularly group therapy.  You can work with her, too, by practicing and role-playing various social situations with her.  Teach her appropriate social responses in various situations.  Teach her to make eye contact and smile.

One of the big issues for Asperger’s teens is that they are often unaware of teen fads and topics of conversation.  See if you can get your daughter interested in High School Musical or Hannah Montana, so that she has something to discuss with other girls.  Teach her how to converse about clothes, music, boys, and celebrities.  Also, make sure she is dressed and groomed similarly to other teens.

But I have to say that equally all young people need to be individual and certainly don’t force trends on her that she doesn’t want, just to make her fit in. There are often different social groups and sets within schools, and by working on basic social skills your daughter will have a good chance of joining one of them in lines with her own interests.

Some teens enjoy talking with other Asperger’s teens in internet chat rooms, forums, and on message boards.  There are Asperger’s websites on which she can talk with other teens who have Asperger’s.  Monitor her closely and use parental controls to limit her access to only certain sites.

I hope you enjoyed this article and please add any comments at the bottom as usual.

And remember there’s only 2 days until www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com is officially open – on Wednesday March 11th.

Have a great day,

Dave Angel
PS – If you missed any of the previous blog posts abut the
new website you can read them all by scrolling down the following web page:

http://parentingaspergers.com/blog/category/new-parenting-aspergers-website-launch/

Hi there if you’ve any comments on the recent video that I’ve uploaded about the new Aspergers website www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com then please add them below in the Comments section.

Just to remind you the video can be viewed at the web page below …

*IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS FOR WATCHING THE VIDEO*

1. When you get to the web page for the video click the button towards the top of the screen that says “Full Size” to be able to view the video better (it’s in the middle just below the orange section).
 
2. Then click the big forward-pointing arrow in the middle of the screen to play the video (it will take about 10 seconds to load up).

3. Turn up the volume on your headset or pc speakers as the sound volume on the video is not amazing (making the video has been a bit of an amateur DIY experiment using my rather aging pc and microphone!)

The video link is … http://www.screencast.com/t/raXalw1oWbC

Thanks

Dave Angel

Hello,  This is Dave Angel again with the latest on www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com

Today I am going to tell you a little more about the Department on the site called “More Aspergers Topics” (if you remember from past emails there are 5 main Departments on the new site – Parents Help Corner, Behaviors and Treatments, Helping your Child to Cope with Other People, More Aspergers Topics and Resources).

OK so the “More Aspergers Topics” Department is split down into 7 categories:

Adults with Aspergers

This category gives advice and information for parents of children who are more in their early adulthood stage of life. But is obviously relevant to parents with younger children as they can begin to see issues that may lie ahead in the future. Several examples of articles in this category are:

My daughter is now a parent. The biggest challenge is ensuring that she is reading my grandbaby’s emotions appropriately and that she is interacting with the baby and not with her cell, My Space page, or other object!

How do I get information to help an adult with Asperger’s? My son was diagnosed as an adult, so I am not able to find out much about his problems/treatment due to patient confidentiality on the part of his doctors.

Education

In this category there are lots of articles all related to education and learning for children with Aspergers. Some examples include:

Why is my son’s behavior unacceptable at school sometimes, whilst at home we have very few problems?

I don’t know how to help my daughter retain the information she learns at school and by doing homework.  When exams are due, it’s a nightmare.  I work hard to help her understand a problem, but she forgets it a few days later!  Anxiety is also a problem for both of us now!What can we do?

My child with Asperger’s is having trouble with writing issues and small motor skills. Can you help?

Gaining Independence

Now this is a category that is going to be very important to parents as I get lots of questions about how to support a child with Aspergers to become more independent. Some of the questions that I have already covered in this category are:

How can I help my son have a life outside of home?

My child will not take personal responsibility for her actions; she’s now 18 so what can I do?

What do I do to equip my 15 year old son to cope with real life issues and set aside his fantasy world?

Gluten Free Cooking

This category is devoted to sharing information and recipes for parents for gluten free cooking – as the gluten/casein free diets are beginning to be used more and more to help children with Aspergers. I am currently working with a top published author on helping me with this section – and more will be revealed in due course. But currently there are a number of recipes in this category for:

Gluten Free Apple Bread

Gluten Free Bread Maker Brown Bread

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Share your Recipes/Share your Stories/Inspirational Stories

These 3 categories are much more interactional and will grow and develop as more and more parents get involved. They will offer the opportunity for parents to share and swap information, stories and recipes that will offer hope, support and encouragement to one another. This is definitely an area which I plan to grow and develop further as I firmly believe that parents have so much that they can teach each other.

Well that’s all for this update but be sure to look out of the next one which will explain more in-depth about the “Resources” category.

Take care for now,

Dave Angel

PS – If you missed any of the previous blog posts abut the
new website you can read them all by scrolling down the following web page:

http://parentingaspergers.com/blog/category/new-parenting-aspergers-website-launch/

Hello,  This is Dave Angel again with the next update on www.ParentingAspergersCommunity.com

Today I am going to go more into depth about two more of the Departments on the site:

1. Behavior and Treatments

2. Helping your Child to Cope with Other People

First up is the Behavior and Treatments Department …

This Department is split off into 3 categories; Behavior, Diagnosis, Treatment and Therapies.

——————————————————————————–

Behavior

As you can imagine by the name, the Behavior category offers information and help for parents in dealing with all kinds of difficult and challenging behaviors. Just to give you an idea here are several of the articles in this category:

My son talks incessantly; I don’t want to dent his confidence, but need some peace and quiet — how can I deal with this sensitively?

How do I discipline my Aspie child? Should it be the same way as for my other kids?

My son continuously seeks attention, usually really bad attention, and fights with absolutely everyone — what can I do?

Diagnosis

The Diagnosis category deals with all kinds of issues about diagnosis and related conditions such as these example questions:

What are the variations in aspects of the syndrome from child to child?

How do I find the right people to diagnose him properly and doctors to treat him with the right combination of meds to keep his behavior somewhat under control?

Anger management for Asperger’s Syndrome?

Treatment and Therapies

In this category I will provide information on the different approaches that are out there to help children with Aspergers, look at funding issues and generally offer solid advice on the many options out there. Some example articles already in this category are:

How can I find ways to pay for treatment/therapy?

I would love a checklist that tells parents what to do once a child is diagnosed with Asperger’s, a checklist of what steps to take, such as speech and language therapy, OT.

How can I find competent alternative medicine specialists?

——————————————————————————–

The second department that I want to tell you more about is “Helping your Child to Cope with Other People”

In this department there are 5 separate categories:

1.  Communication

2.  Parents Issues

3.  Sex & Sexuality

4. Siblings Issues

5.  Social Skills

——————————————————————————–

Communication

This category looks at the essential area of communication for parents of children diagnosed with Aspergers. It will provide tools and information to help bridge the gap of communication.

Some of the sample articles in this category are:

How can I understand the way my son thinks?

How can I relate to my daughter in a way which doesn’t cause a flair-up?  She has said to me, “I don’t understand you, mum, it’s like you are talking a foreign language!”

Communication/comprehension is a big problem (understanding what is meant by others in conversation). How can I help my child with this?

Parents Issues

In this category I provide information and advice for parents with particular focus on the parental role. This looks at things like parental relationships and explaining Aspergers to other people/family members. Some sample questions covered in this category are:

How much/what type of help I can expect from my husband in raising the kids, including my son with Asperger’s?

Is there anything I can do to help me remember that his behaviors are not designed to irritate me and that to him they are needful or make sense?

We are divorced and each of us as a parent has our own way of handling the child. He’s confused due to this joint custody, so what do you advise?

Sex and Sexuality

This is a key area that I get more and more questions about – so this whole category is devoted to practical information on supporting children with Aspergers on sex/sexuality issues. Just some of the articles in this section are:

How should I be helping my child as he approaches puberty?

At age 16, sex has been a subject he is fixated on and he is very inappropriate with the opposite sex. What can I do?

My son appears very confused about his sexuality; what should I do?

Siblings Issues

The siblings category offers help and support for those challenges faced by siblings of children with Aspergers Syndrome. Here’s a few of the article titles in this section:

Can you give advice on what to tell the non-Asperger’s kids? When will it be their turn (for attention)? Why does it seem like their needs always come after the needs of the AS kids?

My son has a lot of rage and hatred for his sibling. I am afraid he will seriously hurt his little brother. Why is he like this and what can I do to make things safer?

What is the best way to help other family members understand my daughter’s fears and anxieties?

Social Skills

Social skills are such an essential area when it comes to helping your child with Aspergers. So this category covers a whole host of topics in this area such as:

Are there programs or techniques I could follow to help my boy develop better social skills?

How do I get a child with Asperger’s to gain an understanding of social cues?

How do I help my child so that she can make friends and be accepted by other teens?

That’s all for this update … and don’t worry if all this talk about “departments” and “categories” appears a bit strange at the moment; it will all become crystal clear on the new website.

Take care for now,

Dave Angel