Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New profile posts
Latest activity
Internet Search
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Forums
Parent Support Forums
General Parenting
Kids on the spectrum--Does yours have a flat affect?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="susiestar" data-source="post: 359610" data-attributes="member: 1233"><p>Wiz varies. While I was preg with him I saw some doctor talking about how our society teaches kids, esp boys, to hide feelings. Esp ones that are unpleasant. So from before he could hold a book I worked with him on what expressions meant what emotions. Starting about a year old I would stand him on a counter in my bathroom and we would look into the mirror and make faces. We would guess what each other was feeling by the face they made. We also looked at people on tv and deciphered what they were feeling by their facial expression. It was esp interesting with the sound off.</p><p></p><p>Later I got some big handheld mirrors to keep in other rooms. When he was upset because we didn't know what he was feeling I would have him tell me what a specific face meant. At one point I posted pics of him making these faces with the emotion written on them. And with husband and I with expressions for those feelings. Sort of a key of expressions for our family.</p><p></p><p>So he can have that flat affect, and before he was on the right medications he only had 3 expressions: Hate, rage, and condescendingly derisive amusement. The amused look was not happy, it was to show you that he thought you were silly to think that whatever you do or said would make a difference to him. Know what I mean??</p><p></p><p>With the right medications now, and now that he "gets" that he has to work as hard as the medications have to work to make a difference in his life, we don't see much of the flat look.</p><p></p><p>When we went to social skills groups for spectrum kids there were a LOT of kids with flat affect. I went to a support group for parents of aspies when we lived back in OH. Over half of the twenty or so families had brought their aspies with them. I was really alarmed and depressed by some of the "kids" there. The older aspies, ranging from teens to mid thirties, almost all had that look. The two families with the over 30 kids seemed to do everything for them. Very little expecting them to fit in or be appropriate. One mom said that she never knew if she was too rough with her daughter's bath until the next time. daughter would scream and cry about the bath if the one the day before had been unpleasant. Mom couldn't tell at the time because her facial expression never really changed unless she was sewing. </p><p></p><p>Most of the parents said that other than crying they saw little emotion out of their kids from infancy on. It was clear that working with the aspies helped. Parents of the older aspies were told to put them in a facility and forget them, that they would never be able to interact or care for themselves or learn anything. Parents of younger kids were told to find supports and therapies and to work with the kids. It makes a HUGE difference.</p><p></p><p>I think that part of Wiz not having it is that he is at the less effected part of the spectrum, but the other things we did also helped. You might consider working with a mirror to help your son learn how to show what he is feeling? It is a pretty important form of communication and while it may not come naturally to him I bet he could learn it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="susiestar, post: 359610, member: 1233"] Wiz varies. While I was preg with him I saw some doctor talking about how our society teaches kids, esp boys, to hide feelings. Esp ones that are unpleasant. So from before he could hold a book I worked with him on what expressions meant what emotions. Starting about a year old I would stand him on a counter in my bathroom and we would look into the mirror and make faces. We would guess what each other was feeling by the face they made. We also looked at people on tv and deciphered what they were feeling by their facial expression. It was esp interesting with the sound off. Later I got some big handheld mirrors to keep in other rooms. When he was upset because we didn't know what he was feeling I would have him tell me what a specific face meant. At one point I posted pics of him making these faces with the emotion written on them. And with husband and I with expressions for those feelings. Sort of a key of expressions for our family. So he can have that flat affect, and before he was on the right medications he only had 3 expressions: Hate, rage, and condescendingly derisive amusement. The amused look was not happy, it was to show you that he thought you were silly to think that whatever you do or said would make a difference to him. Know what I mean?? With the right medications now, and now that he "gets" that he has to work as hard as the medications have to work to make a difference in his life, we don't see much of the flat look. When we went to social skills groups for spectrum kids there were a LOT of kids with flat affect. I went to a support group for parents of aspies when we lived back in OH. Over half of the twenty or so families had brought their aspies with them. I was really alarmed and depressed by some of the "kids" there. The older aspies, ranging from teens to mid thirties, almost all had that look. The two families with the over 30 kids seemed to do everything for them. Very little expecting them to fit in or be appropriate. One mom said that she never knew if she was too rough with her daughter's bath until the next time. daughter would scream and cry about the bath if the one the day before had been unpleasant. Mom couldn't tell at the time because her facial expression never really changed unless she was sewing. Most of the parents said that other than crying they saw little emotion out of their kids from infancy on. It was clear that working with the aspies helped. Parents of the older aspies were told to put them in a facility and forget them, that they would never be able to interact or care for themselves or learn anything. Parents of younger kids were told to find supports and therapies and to work with the kids. It makes a HUGE difference. I think that part of Wiz not having it is that he is at the less effected part of the spectrum, but the other things we did also helped. You might consider working with a mirror to help your son learn how to show what he is feeling? It is a pretty important form of communication and while it may not come naturally to him I bet he could learn it. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Parent Support Forums
General Parenting
Kids on the spectrum--Does yours have a flat affect?
Top