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What You Need To Know About Aspergers Teenagers

By Dave Angel

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 08May2011 Word count: 648 Viewed: 490 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Question

I have a partner and many family members with Aspergers, 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

An Aspergers teenager who likes to play the same game on the computer over and over again is looking for familiarity and comfort. Playing electronic games provides repetition, consistency and security in his life. Electronic games are also predictable. He can expect them to do the same thing every time. Aspergers teenagers want to feel safe and secure in their activities. The electronic game allows him to follow set rules that result in predictable outcomes. However, playing the game at the expense of his health is not good. Your son's time would be better spent learning new eating habits and practicing better sleep patterns.

Support groups for an Aspergers teenager might exist in your local area. Look for a support group. They can provide advice on daily living skills and healthy lifestyles. Encourage your son to join one of these groups. He can meet people his own age and people who might be going through the same challenges as he is. Not only does a support group offer good information, they will give your son the chance to express himself and talk about his feelings. This provides the help he needs to cope with being an adolescent with Aspergers Syndrome.

Another great resource for your son is an Aspergers specialist who can help him with social skills. A specialist, such as a psychiatrist, might prescribe Melatonin to help him sleep better at night. Your son is in his late teens and is fast approaching adulthood. You can use reasoning and negotiation, instead of rules with an Aspergers teenager. However, if the excessive computer use continues, you might have to move it to a room that restricts his access to it. The computer can also be used as a reward if your son tries new foods or establishes a regular pattern of sleep. Your son may be getting older, but rules can still be effective in changing his behavior. You should establish those rules in your household.

Many autistic children suffer from food sensitivities and allergies. Children on the spectrum, including an Aspergers teenager, can also have an overgrowth of intestinal yeast and sensitivity to sugar and dairy products. Consult a doctor to see if your son might need to change his diet. Changing his diet to wheat-free, dairy-free and sugar-free requires a lot of patience. People with Asperger's can be rather strong willed and implementation 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.

Consistent hours can help to change his sleeping pattern. He needs to establish a time that he will go to bed each evening and establish a time to get up in the morning. If he complains he cannot get to sleep, or cannot wake up at certain times, explain to him about circadian rhythms. Tell him that they help to make sure our bodies get enough 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.

I hope that this article has given you some useful tips for parenting Aspergers teenagers.

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