Warning: Dog lovers may dislike this book!

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopmann could be described in two words: cute and informative.

It references the struggles and strengths of being an Aspie in an adorable picture-book format. It does not go into great depth, but rather skims the surface, and covers the basics of what’s important and true about Asperger’s.

This would be a wonderful book for young children to better understand what it’s like to be an Aspie. It could even be educational for adults and older family members who don’t care to read the more scientific information that’s out there.

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome is quick and easy read to gather some basic facts about Aspergers.  Awesome!

-Emma Kate Wright, Intern
Southeast Psych

- Frank "Dr. G." Gaskill, Ph.D.
Southeast Psych 

5 Ways to Make And Keep a Friend

Being a friend and having a friend can be one of the most rewarding aspects of life. However, friendships aren’t always easy and like any relationship they require some effort. Here are 5 ways to make and keep a friend:

1.     Talk to and try to hang out with people who are in your classes or at work

(You probably see these individuals on a regular basis, so invite them to do something outside of work or class.)

2.     Join a club or group of people who share similar interests to you.

(It will be easier to make friends and converse with people who share similar values and passions.)

3.     Call, e-mail, or text your friends to hang out at least once a week if not more!

(It’s important to stay in touch with a friend so you can be a part of their life. Also, remember that they have other friends, so don’t be disappointed if they can’t always meet.)

4.     Be honest

(When someone asks for your opinion, tell him or her truthfully, but remember to be kind. Also, don’t lie. When you loose an individual’s trust it is very difficult to rebuild.)

5.     Be kind, supportive, and a good listener.

(It’s very important to be a helpful and caring friend. Sometimes it’s hard to understand what others may be going through. Regardless, a good friend listens and tries to understand as best as they can.)

- Emma Kate Wright, Intern
   Southeast Psych

Asperger's and Picky Eating

5 tips for your picky eater 

Aspies often have trouble eating foods of certain textures and flavors. And, a limited diet can leave out important nutrients. It’s believed that picky eating stems from sensory sensitivity.  If you want to start helping your child widen the variety of foods they eat, try these five tips:

1)    Make sure the meal is enjoyable: Aspies need to know that when they sit down, there will be at least one food they like on their plate. You can also use this favorite food as a reinforcer throughout the meal (“try some of this; then try some of that”). Your child should be challenged, but the meal should not be a battle. Another thing that makes meals enjoyable for Aspies is setting up external reinforcers like winning Legos for trying new foods. 

2)    Move slowly: “Behavior Chaining” is an important way to move Aspies from their preferred foods to other foods. For example, if your child only likes one brand of mac and cheese, the first new food will be a different brand of mac and cheese. Then they should try homemade mac and cheese, and then they should try cheese with different shaped noodles, etc. The food becomes slowly more and more different than the original food.

3)    Be patient and encourage your child to patient too: It can take about 20 times to get used to a new food. Continue to remind yourself and your child of this fact. If they don’t love the food at first, it doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy it later. Once they try a food and are able to eat it, make sure to generalize it by trying the food in other environments and meals later on.

4)    Try the “around the bowl” technique: This is for young Aspies. Ideally, if your child is old enough to feed him/herself, they should do so. However, if you are holding the bowl and having them try new foods, you start on one side of the bowl with a familiar food, like yogurt. Next to the yogurt is yogurt with fruit, and then next to the yogurt with fruit is oats. Begin feeding the child yogurt, then try the yogurt with fruit, if they like it continue feeding that a few times. If they don’t like it, go back to the yogurt. Then try going around and mixing in the oats, etc. 

5)    Let them have choices: Listen to your child when they say “no.” Try to figure out the pattern of foods that are difficult for them to eat. Work with them to make a list of “easy” “medium” and “hard” foods.” Start each meal with letting them pick a couple of easy foods and one medium food. Praise them for any progress, even if it is one bite. Next, you move on to trying one easy, one medium, and one hard food.

Dr. Lauren King
SoutheastPsych.com

Movie Review: Ben X

The following is a review of the movie Ben X by a buddy of mine Patrick   O'Connor (doctoral intern and creator of Comicspedia.net).  While the movie is super intense and dark, it is one of the best visual descriptions of what I think living on the far end of the Aspie spectrum might be like...(PG-13 but really closer to R and available on Netflix instant view). 
Thanks Patrick!

- Dr. G

Ben X is a dark, disheartening film about a teenager who is the target of incessant, tragic bullying for most of his life. Many of Ben's classmates tease and insult him during his youth, but later the bullying reaches a new level when classmates post a humiliating video of Ben on the internet. The film uses video games to convey Ben's black and white understanding of the world as well as his role in it as both the victim and the hero. This element, combined with the the humiliating internet video, brings to life the concerns that many of today's parents worry about related to interactive media and social networking. Under the guise of a troubled youth who struggles in his difficult day-to-day life, the film deliberately portrays the benefits and pitfalls today's youth face when using such technologies. On the one hand, Ben finds solace in his online video game's world and even develops a trusting, meaningful relationship with another person through their characters' interactions. On the other hand, Ben's public shaming and the emotional damage it ensues is magnified following its spread across the internet.

As the film progresses, Ben's social missteps are regularly mirrored by those of his parents and teachers as they explain how they either missed the cues of Ben's troubled life or chose not to act because of uncertain consequences. For example, his teachers have good intentions but do not act upon those intentions because they are afraid to firmly hold the line between common teasing and abusive bullying. Therefore, Ben draws the majority of his support and security from 48 minutes of daily online life as he has mastered the game and grown close to another player. This relationship later serves as the catalyst for his determination to master his daily offline life in an effort to feel supported and secure.

The film paints a bleak picture of human nature with very few redeeming moments. However, this effectively draws the viewer into Ben's world of heartache, anger, and despondency. Just as the bullies never let up on Ben, this film never lets up on its viewers. It is an excellent portrayal of the unique struggles of a young man who has spent much of his life being tormented simply because of his character, and how others in his life seemingly sit on their hands and allow it to happen. This film is highly recommended for viewing by anyone who may be the victim of or knows someone who has faced this kind of abuse.

Patrick O'Connor, pre-doctoral intern

Special Interests of Aspies: Strength #347

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO GENERAL 'SHANKS' EVANS IS?!?!"

That was the surprised reaction of Jake, a child with Aspergers, after hearing that I did not know about his 23^rd favorite Civil War leader.  Jake is a living, breathing Wikipedia of Civil War history.  When he is not learning about it, he is talking about it.  This is because the Civil War is one of Jake’s “special interest areas” (SIA). 

SIAs are not uncommon among Aspies, in fact, about 90% have at least one (Attwood, 2003).  Here are the 8 most common Aspie SIAs with typical examples:

                     1)   Transportation (airplanes, trains)

                     2)   Music (composing, drumming)

                     3)   Animals (dinosaurs, frogs)

                4)   Video games (role-playing games, first person shooters)

                5)   TV and movies (Star Wars, anime)

                     6)   History (wars, presidents)

                     7)   Collectibles (Yu-Gi-Oh cards, comic books)

                     8)   Art (anime, drawing)

Unfortunately, SIAs of Aspies can be socially problematic. Aspies may get “fixed” on talking about their SIA with others.  As a result, some parents repentantly become frustrated or embarrassed, teachers may find it distracting in the classroom, and peers may become unfriendly.  BUT, Aspie Nation, do not fear!  Despite these concerns, SIAs provide invaluable strengths!

5 Strengths of SIAs among Aspies

1)   Self-Image – Children with Aspergers define themselves by their SIA.  When asked what is most important to them, they rank SIAs second only to family.  By engaging in these areas, Aspies feel more positively about themselves, find stability and find a way to make sense of the world.  By denying these, we are denying them; instead, we should support them and help them feel comfortable in their interests.

2)   Social Skills  – Research shows that social communication improves when Aspies are engaged in SIAs.  In these moments, they demonstrate better fluidity, fluency, body language, eye contact, attention and sensitivity to certain social cues.  Because of these improvements, SIAs can be used as a social bridge when peers share similar interests.  Video gaming, for instance, is a great way for Aspies to interact positively with other “gamers”.

3)   Emotions and Coping – The more Aspies positively engage in SIAs, the more likely they will have positive emotions (e.g., pride, happiness, enthusiasm).  Additionally, SIAs can help Aspies cope with negative emotions, reduce anxiety and disrupt unwanted behaviors (e.g., tantrums).  For example, when Jake gets upset, he uses Civil War information to calm himself down (e.g., holds a photo, reads an online printing).  This can also be used to help Aspies get to sleep.

4)   Skill Development – Aspies often have trouble with fine-motor and sensory skills (e.g., hand-writing, tying shoes), however, SIAs can help perform related tasks.  Although SIAs may not improve fine-motor skills directly, they have been shown to increase perseverance and task achievement.  Similarly, SIAs help Aspies persist through tasks that challenge sensitivity of senses (e.g., sticky glue and bad smells when building a model plane).

5)   School Performance – Integrating SIAs into schoolwork can increase motivation and academic skill development.  It can also improve academic achievement indirectly when used to manage disruptive classroom behavior.  Notably, research shows that Aspies spend about 50% of their time reading when learning about their SIAs.  This can help with reading performance and achievement.  Lastly, Integrating SIAs into academic settings may assist the future development a career path.  Like Temple Grandin and her interest in livestock, many Aspies pursue successful careers related to their SIA.

Children with Aspergers are fun, smart and unique in their special interest areas.  They are the Star Wars fanatics we love, the amazing Halo gamers we’re afraid to play, and the role models of what it takes to become an expert in a given area.  Although it is important to recognize and manage the negative ways in which their SIAs are expressed, accepting and supporting these interest areas is critical.  In doing so, we are accepting them and just one of the many strengths within them.

 

Reference:

Winter-Messiers, M., (2007).  From tarantulas to toilet brushes: Understanding the special

interest areas of children and youth with Asperger syndrome.  Remedial and Special Education, 28, 140-152.

Ryan Kelly, Doctoral Student in School Psychology
The University of South Carolina

Just Eat It! Asperger’s and Eating

Like Max Gamer who gets upset if his chicken nuggets aren’t cut up, people with Asperger’s can be very picky eaters.  Telling your child with Asperger’s to “just eat it” isn’t likely to work.  These children tend to be limited in what they will eat and may consume extremely small or extremely large quantities of food.  Anxiety, sensory issues, and control issues can make eating even more of a challenge.  Here are 7 helpful tips to help your child with eating.

• Be patient.   Encourage your child to try new things without making it a battle. 
• It’s not personal.  The more negative emotions are associated with eating, the more difficult it will be for them to try new things.
• Keep it simple.  Simple foods may be less scary from a sensory perspective.
• Routine is important.  Have a mealtime routine and plan meals in advance.  This can help reduce arguments about food and creates a more predictable meal for your child.
• Rewards success.  Offer your child an incentive to try a new food or to eat just a little more of the foods they do like.
• Talk to your Pediatrician.  Consult with your pediatrician or a nutritionist about your child’s caloric and nutrient intake.  Supplements are available and they can help you determine what your child needs.  Nutritionists can be invaluable.
• If sensory issues are part of the problem, and they usually are, a good occupational therapist or speech therapist can help specifically with sensory-related eating problems.

Here’s to good eating to the Aspie Nation!

Amanda McGough, PhD

Southeast Psych

The Aspie Apple Doesn’t Fall too Far…

The parents of a newly diagnosed Aspie child have come to my office in order to learn all about Asperger’s and better understand and parent their child.  They are hearing and reading descriptions of common patterns and behaviors and thinking, “Hey! This sounds a lot like someone else I know!” 

The sensitivities and tendencies of their child often are mirrored in one of the parent.  As they contemplate the narrowed interests of their child, they realize their husband or wife may also have only a few select areas of interest and considerable expertise in a particular area.  One of these “special interests” may have led them to a very successful career that occupies much of their focus, even to the exclusion of social and family events.  Learning about their child’s deficit in social skills may remind a parent of their spouse’s awkwardness in social situations.  That awkwardness used to be somewhat charming but now serves to limit how much they go out as a couple.  Invitations from friends dwindle and the negatives of Asperger’s can become a source of great tension in the relationship. 

However, upon learning about Asperger’s, and how that particular brain is wired differently socially and cognitively, a couple may be able to come to a different understanding.  What may have been perceived as arrogance or unwillingness to empathize is now seen for what it is, a difference in how their brain is wired.  A new and enlightened perspective can help.

As a spouse recognizes and learns about Asperger’s, a couple can renegotiate expectations and substantially improve the relationship.  It may be different than other relationships, but different can be good!  Honesty, loyalty, and perseverance are wonderful strengths.  These are a few of the strengths common in Asperger’s. 

Tap into good resources for information and support: 

·        Books like Tony Attwood’s The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome and Solutions for Adults With Asperger Syndrome, by Juanita Lovett may be helpful. 

·        Get support for yourself and possibly your spouse.  There may be support groups in your area that could be a great help. 

·        Counseling with a professional familiar with Asperger’s could prove to be a pivotal part of maximizing your relationship. 

·        Be patient and eager to learn.  You will never regret your efforts.

Jonathan Feather, Psy.D.

Southeast Psych