A mom I follow on Twitter posted a tweet the other day asking God if her 11-year old son could please have a day off from his life with Asperger’s Syndrome, and while He was at it, could she too. It got me wondering how many other moms would love a day off; a day off from being a mom of a child with a special need. Or for that matter, a day off from being a mom.  Parenting is stressful. I don’t think there’s anyone who would say it isn’t. We all could use some time to just be ourselves, to not have someone else dependent on us, to not be needed, to have the freedom to complete a task without being interrupted. I could go on and on but I think you get the idea.  When a family has a child with autism, there are even more unique stressors. Research indicates that parents of children with autism experience greater stress than parents of children with intellectual disabilities or other special needs. A child with autism may not even be able to express their basic needs, leaving parents with the need to guess why their child may be crying. Is he thirsty? Hungry? Does something hurt? When parents cannot determine their child’s needs, both parent and child are left feeling frustrated. A child’s frustration can then lead to behavior problems and then we’ve entered a vicious cycle, adding even more stress to the parent. Other reasons for increased stress for families with a child with autism can include feelings of isolation, fear of reactions from society, feelings of grief or inadequacy, concerns over finances and what the future holds. While unfortunately we can’t give our children a day off from their disorder, we can give them an environment where they can feel community and a sense of belonging by attending events such as Wellspring’s organized playdates for children with autism and their families. These events are not only good for the child, but they are a wonderful experience for parents. It provides comfort to know that you are not the only ones experiencing a particularly stressful situation. In addition, parents can get the most useful advice from others facing similar challenges and using similar services and supports. You can read more about our playdates here or see pictures here. Become our fan on Facebook to be kept up to date about future playdates.

For years, scientists, parents, and doctors have debated the causes of autism. According to certain studies, there is a higher rate of autism among identical twins and although not as high, fraternal twins. Twin studies may seemingly point to a genetic cause for the autism spectrum disorder; however, the increased risk amongst fraternal twins seems to indicate that environmental factors also play a role.

While there is still much to be studied on this topic, documentation of twins development where one twin suffers from autism and the other is typically developing can help researchers tremendously.

In honor or National Autism Awareness Month, Rethink Autism recently released a short four-part video series to help raise awareness of autism among parents. Through the powerful story of Trina McField, a mother who recognized early signs of autism in one of her twin boys, these videos educate viewers on how to spot the early signs of autism, highlighting the contrast in behavior between a child with autism and his typically developing twin brother. The videos also suggest evidenced-based treatment options available to parents and show the dramatic improvement in a two-year-old boy with autism after just five months of treatment at home. Behind the video footage is an incredible story of a mother who perseveres through doubt and uncertainty to bring hope to and create a future for her son with autism. The story inspires and empowers parents to start early intervention treatment using an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)-based curriculum.

Recommended by the US Surgeon General and the American Academy of Pediatrics, ABA is the only treatment for autism that has been consistently validated by independent scientific research.

Click here to view video.

Those of us who work with children with special needs hate to use labels. But unfortunately, when giving a diagnosis, even if it is not intentional, we end up labeling. In a recent blog, we discussed how the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced plans to erase the Asperger’s diagnosis and include it in the broader category of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  From the standpoint of Behavior Analysts, this doesn’t change much. Treatment standards using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) remain the same regardless of the diagnosis. But what we didn’t discuss in that blog was the perspective of a parent or individual with Asperger Syndrome.  Chris Woolston enlightened our perspective in his article in the LA Times. A writer and parent of two boys, one Autistic and one with Asperger’s, Chris eloquently shared his thoughts on the problems with dropping that label and why for many “Aspies”, Asperger’s is definitely a label worth keeping. The LA Times article is worth a read. We’ve shared some excerpts below but if you’d like to read the full article you’ll find it here.

“If current plans hold, my 16-year-old son will turn autistic about the time he’s old enough to vote. To my mind — and to his — his newfound autism won’t be a big deal. He’ll still be the same smart, spacey, aggravating person he’s always been, someone who can make a deep philosophical comment while wearing his shirt backward and inside out, someone who can navigate video game universes but get lost in his own neighborhood. His particular brand of off-center goofiness will simply have a new label.”

“Funny, I’m no expert, but I can see a sharp difference between Asperger’s and autism in my own house. My other son, an 8-year-old second-grader, is autistic by just about any definition. He truly seems to live in a different world from everyone else, his brother included.”

“Aspies aren’t necessarily happy with the label change, either. Many embrace their diagnosis as part of their identity. Some even look down on “neurotypical” people and their boringly normal brains. Call them autistic and the sense of pride could vanish. My oldest son has told many teachers and classmates over the years about his Asperger’s syndrome. But if he had been diagnosed as autistic, he would have likely kept the news to himself. “You don’t want to tell people that you have autism,” he says. “Asperger’s at least sugarcoats it.”