My (11-year-old autistic) son is asking lots of questions, and I answer them with straightforward information, but how do I explain the nuances of relationships, sexuality, sensuality, etc... to someone who has very little understanding of social skills. Geez.How do you explain ';the birds and the bees'; to an autistic child with no social skills?
I think I'd skip the nuances for now. As you say, he would probably not understand. Just answer questions as they come up. Don't worry, you'll both do fine.How do you explain ';the birds and the bees'; to an autistic child with no social skills?
';Just because'; is always a great answer. My kids aren't autistic but they are always asking questions where the answers are way above their understanding right now. I say alot of ';just because';s. LOL. Try to as honest as possible when you think he will understand but try to keep it simple. Since we don't know his level of understanding or the specific questions he's asking, it's a little hard to give you a more exact answer.
Try asking for this kind of advice from someone who knows your son and can offer you some better advice.
Right now, stick to the how it works. Then, in simple turns, make it clear that sex only happens between two adults who both agree to do it. I am sure he has heard and/or worked on recognizing people's personal space, so you can put the lesson in that context. There are several books out there that discuss adolesence in kids on the autistic spectrum. They cover sexuality...both how it effects the child and how it can effect his realationships with others. My son is 11 as well and we are facing the same issues. The books really helped. If you would like the titles, please feel to email me and I can get them to you. Good luck!
welllll.....how do u know u'r 11-yr. old isnt reading this ques?
Straightfoward information is always the best way to go. If he keeps asking questions contact the school about social stories to help with this situation.
Here is a link where they have some social stories:
http://portal.esc20.net/portal/page/port鈥?/a>
you can request stories about masturbation and other topics that are going to be interesting to cover with your son (and any child for that matter).
If you can figure that out, you should write a book. I'm sure you would make lots of money on it.
The only way to explain the nuances of relationships to a child with no social skills is to teach him social skills first. Otherwise, he will not understand what you are trying to explain. If he is not capable of learning social skills, he may not be capable of learning the nuances of relationships.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment