My father is turning ninety this fall. Despite his age and mine, I must admit I still find it hard at times to accept him for who he is. But, since today is Father’s Day, it seems fitting to focus on his strengths. Since my blog is about the autism spectrum, I will focus on [...]
I actually think it is trickier to get a good diagnosis for an adult than for a child. So many adults are uncovering that their differences might be well described by an autism spectrum diagnosis but my experience has been that fewer providers in adult mental health are familiar with the autism spectrum than in [...]
When a parent is on the autism spectrum, their children may notice differences in conversational skills when compared to “neurotypicals.” They may see that their ASD parent talks too much about a certain topic and doesn’t give them a turn to talk, or conversely, their parent may not talk as much as they would like [...]
People with ASDs often do not use a large number of facial expressions and gestures. They may not use much eye contact, recognize others’ need for personal space, or notice the meaning from someone’s posture. Additionally, they may not be skilled in recognizing the meaning of body language that is used by others. When neurotypical [...]
ASD parents may not be very expressive about their own feelings, and may find it more natural and comfortable to talk about the facts of a situation. They may not have a full understanding of others’ feelings. That is, they may be seen as lacking in empathy. They also may have difficulty with seeing things [...]
When a parent is on the autism spectrum, one of the differences their children may run into is the intensity of their parents’ special interests compared to others. Although people who are neurotypical frequently discuss their interests, those who are on the autism spectrum can be distinguished by the intensity of the interests. One way [...]
Social events can be difficult for individuals on the autism spectrum. They may prefer to go to social events only if the events are focused on one of their special interests, or they may not like to go to social events at all. Many ASD adults do not like “small talk” while others just don’t [...]
Another issue to consider when speaking to others about the diagnosis of a parent is whether that individual considers being on the autism spectrum to be a “disorder” or “disability” or just part of the normal range of differences in human thinking and behavior. One’s understanding of this will then lead to different kinds of [...]
When a child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, it is not uncommon for parents to realize that they themselves have some autism spectrum traits. They may just unofficially acknowledge that they share some characteristics with their child, or they may choose to see a professional for a diagnostic work up. Either way, in [...]