Question

My son has aspergers and cannot sleep at night.  He has night tremors and is aged 5. I have tried everything to get him to sleep but he says there is a man in the bedroom and he’s going to hurt him.  Any suggestions?

Answer

Problems with getting enough sleep are very common in children with Asperger’s.  Sleep is essential to good health and the lack of it can cause difficulties in all areas of a child’s life.  Many children resist bedtime while others go to bed willingly only to awaken numerous times throughout the night.  This can make for a grouchy child in the morning, another common complaint by parents of children with Asperger’s.  Here are some reasons that could be causing your son’s sleep problems.

*    Fear

*    OCD type thoughts and actions

*    Medication side effects

*    Special interest obsessions

Fortunately, there are options for treating your son with Aspergers’ sleep problems.  You might want to try several of the following ideas and form a specific plan for your son’s particular needs.  To help you develop a plan, you can also search for resources that are geared towards parents of children with special needs.  For example,   “Sleep Better!: A Guide to Improving Sleep for Children With Special Needs”, by V. Mark Durand, is a how-to book that addresses a variety of sleep problems.

Here are some suggestions that you can try that may help resolve your son‘s sleep problems.

*    Neurology or psychological checkups may reveal additional conditions like OCD, depression, or anxiety.  Any of these can cause the fear your son is experiencing.  Treatment options include therapy, counseling, and anti-anxiety medications.

*    Medication changes or additions may be needed if your son is already on a medical treatment plan.  Perhaps his medication is not right for him.  A change may make a big difference.

*    Proper exercise is essential for healthy children.  Exercise works off stress and frustration and tires the body, which increases the need for sleep.

*    Watch your child’s diet.  Too much sugar and caffeine, for example, can interfere with sleep.

*    If your child still naps, be sure to control the length of his daytime sleep.  Short naps are fine, but longer naps will interfere with his bedtime.

*    A comfortable bedroom can help a child sleep better.  Remove clutter, add soft bedding, and possibly a weighted blanket.

*    Create a soothing nighttime routine.  Warm bath, a drink of water, a bedtime story, and lights out at the same time every night is a good routine for promoting sound sleep.  Soft music or a sound machine (gentle waves, rain forest, or white noise are common options) can help disguise household noises and make your son feel safe.

By creating a personalized sleep routine and plan, you can better control the Asperger’s sleep problems your son is experiencing.  Remember, a set routine is a step in the right direction.

Thanks for reading,

Dave Angel

PS Have you claimed your 14 Day Trial membership at The Parenting Aspergers Community for just $1? If not then head over NOW to http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/public/639.cfm (because once I get a certain number of trial members in I am going to have to end the offer)

When you have a child with Asperger’s, IEP negotiations are extremely important.  As the parents, you hold a vital position on the IEP team and unfortunately, many parents often feel undermined and in some cases, bullied into accepting the opinions and terms decided by the educational staff.  Your input is not only important, but also necessary in the development of a well-rounded IEP for your child.

In the days and weeks before your child with Aspergers’ IEP meeting, there are several things you can do to make the experience more pleasant and the outcome more positive.  This IEP is imperative to your child’s future.  Here is a list of suggestions for IEP preparation.

*    Schedule private evaluations, if you desire.  Medical evaluations, including medically referred psychological testing, will present a complete diagnostic picture.  Educational evaluations are primarily geared towards diagnostics that affect only the specifics of the education process.  These two diagnoses can be different. Without a medical evaluation and official medical diagnosis, your child may miss vital services.

*    Request access to all updated evaluation reports before the IEP meeting in order to prepare for the meeting.  You should not have to settle on glancing over the reports or hearing the results second-hand during the meeting.

*    Know your child’s strengths and weaknesses so there are no big surprises during the IEP meeting.  If you know your child’s abilities and weaknesses, you will be better prepared to request additional services when needed and not offered.

*    Represent yourself as an equal member of the IEP team.  Dress respectably, speak intelligently, and do not feel inferior.  Yes, the other members are education professionals, but you are an expert in your child.

*    Make notes, ask questions, and request clarification before and during the IEP meeting.  When goals are set, be sure you understand the wording and that your thoughts are taken into consideration.

*    Request time to review the IEP before signing.  There is no reason to rush through this process.  Take the IEP home, read over it, and make changes if necessary.  Do not sign until you are sure your child has the best IEP possible.

When you have a child with Asperger’s, the IEP should be treated as the important document and process that it is.  The IEP is the backbone to your child’s educational assistance.  If you have any questions about appropriate goals or specific questions about the IEP process, there are many great resources available.  This one, “How Well Does Your IEP Measure Up?” by Diane Twachtman-Cullen and Jennifer Twachtman-Reilly, is just one example.

That’s all for this week and thanks for reading,

Dave Angel

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Question

Can you help explain more about Aspergers and sensory issues in the school setting?

Answer

Sensory integration disorder affects most children with Asperger’s.  Sensory systems control every move we make and a faulty sensory system leads to problems that affect many areas of education.  It is important to understand the sensory systems and how they work.  The three main sensory systems are the tactile, vestibular, and the proprioceptive systems.

In the school setting, children with Asperger’s sensory issues can really suffer.  Children may be over sensitive to sensory input, or they may be under sensitive to input.   Most children are a mixture of sensitivity within the sensory systems.  Here are some of the commonly affected areas within each of the three sensory systems.

*    Lights

*    Sounds

*    Smells

*    Touch

*    Stimming-spinning, rocking, hand flapping, or humming

*    Loss of balance

*    Sensory seeking crashing, falling, or bumping into things or people

*    Fine motor/tactile grasp-(poor grasp affects handwriting)

Disruptions caused by the Asperger’s sensory connection interfere with all aspects of the child’s life.  It is imperative that these sensory problems are addressed.  Occupational therapy and sensory integration therapy, both performed by occupational therapists, are the most common treatments for sensory issues.  A good sensory profile plan will look like play and will be fun for the child.  It will include a variety of activities like joint compressions, deep pressure massage, skin or body brushing, swinging, and jumping.  Remember, each child’s sensory profile is unique, so these activities will vary.

In the school setting, a child with Asperger’s sensory issues will need this sensory profile and corresponding activities in order to remain calm and focused.  For example, a sensory-seeking child may jump on a trampoline for a few minutes before tackling his math lesson.  Teachers must be aware of the sensory needs to keep order in the classroom.  This book, “Answers to Questions Teachers Ask About Sensory Integration”, by Stacey Szklut and others, can be a very useful resource for teachers.  Even though this book is geared towards teachers, parents can also benefit from the knowledge on sensory integration found within its pages.
Thanks for reading,

Dave Angel

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Question

Can you help me with behavior management for teenagers with Aspergers in mainstream school ( interrupting, joking, attention seeking )?

Answer

Social boundaries are not always understood by teens with Asperger’s.  Teenagers as a whole may have difficulty with these concepts; however, the teen with Asperger’s may have a tougher time understanding how his behavior is disruptive or unacceptable.  Teens with Asperger’s struggle to understand how to control their feelings.  Anger, stress, anxiety, and frustration can build quickly.  This can cause inappropriate behaviors as the teen strains to maintain control.  Other times the teen may act improperly without realizing what has happened.  Here are some commonly used treatment options.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a time controlled intense therapy that is based on the belief that a person’s individual thoughts are the cause of his behavior.  In other words, the people around you and the situations that occur are not the cause, but an effect.  Since this is the reality, a person should then be able to change the outcome of actions and feelings by changing the way they think about them, and not by changing the situations. 

Individual counseling

Much like Cognitive-behavioral therapy, a trained professional counselor will attempt to develop a relationship with the teen with Asperger’s.  Teenagers can benefit from the one-on-one of basic counseling sessions that deal directly with the whys and hows of emotions and actions.  This type of therapy may last for years.

Without strong support at home, Asperger’s teenagers may not make much progress with dealing with emotions and poor behavior.  Any therapy will include homework.  Some families, either by choice or desire, may choose to handle the teen years without the assistance of private therapy.   In many instances, this can be an acceptable alternative.  There are many resources available to parents of teens with Asperger’s Syndrome.

If you are looking for some guidance to help your Asperger’s teenager at home, here is an example of the types of resources available.  “A 5 is Against the Law!  Social Boundaries:  Straight Up!  An honest guide for teens and young adults”, by Kari Dunn Buron is a book that was built on the 5-point scale of behavior (also developed by Kari Dunn Buron).  This book could also be used without parental input. 

Thanks for reading,

Dave Angel

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Articles and video posted this week at The Parenting Aspergers Community

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How to help a child with Aspergers prepare for college? Is there help provided by colleges/universities for these students?

Upon reaching high school, the time comes to plan the future of the teen with Aspergers. College is an achievable option for many teens with Aspergers Syndrome. It is a good idea to begin planning early so your child has the proper support and the skills he needs in order to be successful. Some parents begin preparations as young as the late middle school age, while others feel it is safe to hold off until the first couple of years of high school…

To read the full article go to: -

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/members/633.cfm

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Is there something I can do to help eliminate my 4-year old grandson’s impulsive reactions; i.e., he sometimes walks up and slaps his dad in the face, and has a smile while doing it.

Children with Aspergers Syndrome often act impulsively. Impulsive acts that we commonly see are those that inflict pain, those that we normally consider mischievous, or those that seem like untrained, bad behavior. Impulsive acts are usually what cause judgment toward the parents of children with Aspergers, as well as judgment of the child himself…

To read the full article go to: -

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/members/632.cfm

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Aspergers Video – Aspergers and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

This is a video of a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome and OCD attempting to explain to his viewers the differences between the obsessions of these two conditions. He explains that the OCD obsessions are fear based and cause anxiety, while the Asperger’s obsessions are pleasure based and increase calm feelings. He also mentions that it is common for people on the spectrum to have both of these conditions. Running Time: 4 minutes, 30 seconds…

To watch the full video go to: -

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/members/631.cfm

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