How to Care for a Child With Asperger's

Asperger's is a neurological disorder that causes social isolation, eccentric behavior and difficulty with non-verbal communication. Parents of children with Asperger's may struggle to come to terms with the situation they face, or they may be relieved to finally understand why their child behaves the way he does. Either way, parents can help their child navigate the difficult passages through school and into the world.

Instructions

Children With Asperger's

• 1

  Build a network. Caring for a child with Asperger's disorder can be an exhausting task. You will need friends and family members to lean on.

• 2

  Join a support group. Many urban areas have support groups for parents of children with Asperger's disorder. Such groups are a great way to stay involved with other parents who are facing the same issues as you.

• 3

  Teach your child social skills. You will have to teach her things, like how to use slang and when to make eye contact. She will also need to learn how to respect personal space, identify others' emotions and how to show empathy appropriately.

• 4

  Develop routines. Children with Asperger's respond well to repetition-- they like to do the same things at the same time every day. Create routines for cooking, cleaning and social activities.

Students With Asperger's

• 5

  Arm your school administrator and your child's teachers with information. They need to know that a child with Asperger's may not speak clearly, may avoid direct eye contact and must know in advance if there will be changes in the day's normal routine.

• 6

  Provide a safe place. Your child must have a safe haven at school, a place that he can escape to, if he gets overwhelmed or overstimulated. Again, talk to the teachers and staff members to make sure he can escape difficult situations when they arise.

• 7

  Write to-do lists. Help your child get her schoolwork done by writing lists and checking off her work when she is finished. This will help her stay on track long enough to do her work.

Teens With Asperger's

• 8

  Allow your teen to grieve. Often adolescence is the time when children with Asperger's start to realize they are different from others. They need to deal with this like any other loss and may well go through the five stages of grief: anger, denial, depression, acceptance and adaptation.

• 9

  Ask for help. See a counselor about how your teen is handling the grieving process. Encourage your teen to talk to a counselor also.

• 10

  Watch for signs of social anxiety. During adolescence, your teen's interest in others may increase, but may be hampered by social anxiety. Ask your doctor about anti-anxiety medication, if you see this happening.

• 11

  Talk to your teen about sex. Teenagers with Asperger's disorder develop sexually at the same pace as other teens. Talk to her about this important topic. Give her the information she needs to make wise choices and set firm limits for her. Leave the topic open for more discussion later.