Tips from the Psychologist

Brodie & I went into Melbourne yesterday to see the Psychologist. Considering how far we had to travel (90 km/55 miles) it was a nice drive really.

I got a few tips/advice from Richard (our psychologist) that should help us out at home.

• to save an argument from occurring apologise even if you are in the right. Aspie kids love to hear you say sorry. For example: In the car after school I didn't ask B all the usual questions like How was your day? He got extremely upset about it. So what I need to do is say Sorry I didn't ask how your day went. My mistake but I thought that you might have needed a break from talk and thinking about your school day & I didn't want to cause you any stress.
  

• Its okay for an Aspie to get distressed a bit. You can't wrap them in cotton wool and protect them forever. For example: Brodie got very distressed last week when someone told him they were dying (they weren't of course they were just having an off day and didn't think before they spoke) and he runs off to his room, let him. He will survive and calm down. Perhaps if we are lucky he may even have a snooze. Its better if Brodie gets distressed than physically violent with me like he has done in the past.

• If he wants his time on the computer or play station let him. Its his way of winding down. Aspie kids need anywhere up to 5 - 6 hours of non-thinking wind down time after a hard day at school. That's why PS2 & computer games are good, they are predictable and kids don't have to think about what happens next. They already know what will happen.
  

• Let them watching the same movies over and over again even if you are sick of them. They don't need to think about what is happening because they know the storyline so well. You can always get another tv and vcr/dvd player for their bedroom.
  

That's pretty much all that I can remember for the moment & some of these tips I knew anyway but its always good to get a fresh reminder.