ASD - getting more rigid in behaviour

[jb1964]

Hi,

 

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/dear-miriam/2009...l-peo.html#more

 

Part of the article read.

If as many as one in 100 adults really do have some traits of autism, it would follow that many were not diagnosed during childhood.

As well as a past lack of understanding about the condition, this is likely to be because the individuals have simply taught themselves to adapt.

People with Asperger's syndrome, for example, have some traits of autism but find it easier to cope with life and work. And, although Asperger's is a lifelong condition, symptoms often improve over time - yet another reason why I'm against labelling a child too quickly unless the symptoms are clear.

 

Following reading this article last week by Miriam Stoppard (which really infuriated me) it’s started me thinking about what she’d written in a different way.

 

In relation to Aspergers/HFA – do you think routine and other things such as giving specific instructions, reducing anxieties by removing certain things i.e. noise/activities etc could make them less likely to cope.

 

I’m asking this because as my daughter is getting older I think she’s becoming more rigid in her thinking and behaviour – she is finding it harder to cope with change and gets more frustrated at what she cannot do or understand. I know she's 16 and we have the teenage/hormonal things going on as well but I really am concerned about my daughters ASD getting worse as she’s getting older rather than getting better.

 

It mentions that people used to be just classed as eccentric/socially awkward etc and that the individuals taught themselves to adapt.

 

I know there are quite a few ‘older’ aspies (hope that doesn’t offend anyone) on this site and wondered if they had any of the sensory issues/school refusal issues/self-harming/aggression/depression etc that many of the teens/young adults seem to be going through at the moment when they were younger and if yes how did they cope without CAMHS or any support from their GP/School etc.

 

I’m thinking back to when I was in school and yes I can think of quite a few children who struggled to make friends, who were bullied and were ‘different’ in many many ways – and could possibly fall into an ASD category but they coped in their own way – but then again when I was younger kids were just pretty much left to get on with it – the teachers had no tolerance to anything and you were put in the remedial class if you showed any sign of a problem (which I suppose eliminated the stress of exams/homework etc - they were given no expectations) and someone staying in to read or going to the library etc wasn't odd as kids seemed to either be outside players or inside bookworms and it was just accepted.

 

I hope this question doesn’t offend anyone – it is just I've read lots of posts from older adults who say they always thought they were different, social problems etc but wondered what they were like when they were younger.

 

Take care,

Jb x

 

 

 

 

[Sally44]

There was a study carried out recently to try to identify adults who had never been diagnosed. This was related to the MMR question as to whether it had increased the diagnosis rates. The study found that approximately the same proportion of the population was probably on the spectrum pre and post MMR. So yes they found alot of adults who were possibily on the spectrum or with traits of an ASD who had never been diagnosed.

Maybe other undiagnosed adults will post about how they coped.

I suspect as you say, that children at that time would either have automatically been considered low IQ if they were not academically achieving and gone along that route; or those that were academically inclined they probably fit into the eccentric category.

In later adult hood some will have learnt to cope in society and will be living independently and holding down a job, whilst at the other extreme I presume some might have developed mental illness or not been independent and would have gone into homes or sheltered accommodation or stayed living with family members.

I think that in our society today, one of the bigger problems for anyone who has not done well through the educational system is that there are no longer so many jobs available that those on the spectrum might have been able to do. We had the same problem with my sister who has learning difficulties. The jobs she might have been able to do have been taken over by machines.

[jb1964]

Hi,

 

Thinking even more on this - does anyone think society today makes it more difficult for those with Aspergers etc. In particular I've been thinking about how the children that were different in school when I was young lived as opposed to living today, i.e.

 

Hobbies/interests - there was little TV (only childrens hour) and no console games, going along the lines that tv/screens can cause over stimulation/frustration - so lego/puzzles/reading/drawing/collecting things were all quieter.

 

Education - our secondary school was small in our town - about 350 kids whereas my daughter had to travel 6miles out of town to a comprehensive with over 1000 children. Teachers treated children differently - whereas today they treat them like mini-adults - when I was in school they were in charge/control they took no messing. Rules were rules and if you broke them you were punished (lines/detention/cane) - whereas my daughter would get extremely upset with teacher constantly extending homework deadlines because children wouldn't bring it in on time - and she would get distracted by children constantly interrupting class by talking and the teacher not saying anything.

 

Crime/Bullying etc - years ago a PC could clip you round your ear and everyone knew everyone if you were naughty or causing a nusiance it would get back to your parents and your parents would punish you. Today there is very little police can do and as a parent today you'd be wary of knocking on someone's door to tell them that their child had done something wrong or was making your childs life hell.

 

Shopping - no superstores (with big strip-lighting, booming intercoms and hundreds of people/trolleys everywhere) or big shopping trips out - local corner shop or the supermarket in town that delivered on a Fri/Sat - I never went food shopping etc with my parents - and if I went to the corner store for them they would check your list and make sure everything was there.

 

Fashion/peer pressure - school uniform was strict, no make-up - the biggest fashion difference was whether you were lucky enough to have a satchel rather than a carrier bag to take your books in - and if you had the summer checked dress. There was no big designer/trend that singled you out as being different. Whereas my daughter even struggles to look/converse with anyone who has lots of face make-up especially around the eyes (which seems the norm for teenage girls these days).

 

Families/support - lots of close family visiting/staying over when I was young and holidays with my family included grandparents, aunties/uncles, cousins so lots of help. Whereas today families might not live close to each other etc.

 

It really makes me think that the way society is progressing with everything getting bigger, faster, brighter, louder, more materialistic, more politically correct, more everything that it's making it more and more difficult for those with Aspergers etc - and whether this is the reason why perhaps years ago children adapted slightly better.

 

Take care,

Jb x

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Paul234]

Hi JB

very interesting post,

I'm in my mid forties but going for diagnosis soon, as a child I would get out and about in the fresh air , no computers in the past, I managed to cope but finding it harder theses days.

 

Paul.