Autism: Parenting an Autistic Teenage Girl, Teenagers With Autism Spectrum Disorders

by Lance Childs

Teenagers on the autism spectrum present an entirely new set of challenges for their parents, peers, and teachers. Teenage years are often hard for most kids, especially when these teenagers struggle with the social expectations that they might not be able to adapt to because of their autism. Just think about how difficult it was to be in middle school or high school. This is when a teen girls body changes, friends change, and the unwritten social rules also change. What’s hard to readjust is that kids with autism like predictability and consistency, so they are placed at an even bigger disadvantage than their peers. As parents, it is your role to understand the disorder and know the right strategies that will help prepare them for the world while living up to their potential.

Lance Childs, the author, writes in such a way that you won’t be wasting your time sifting through a bunch of useless content. You are going to get straightforward helpful tips to help you guide your daughter through her adolescent years.

Here Are A Few Things From The Book: Teens With Autism Spectrum Disorders


Children on the autism spectrum, even a teenage girl like yours, will show difficult behavior. You’d understand why they would react this way if you also see the world as a confusing, isolating, and scary place for them, in addition to their lacking social and communication skills.


But there are several other reasons why children with ASD often act out, such as the following:
- Communication difficulties. It is often difficult for them to communicate using expressive language, understand what others are saying, or interpreting body language and facial expressions. Since they can’t communicate with others, they end up frustrated and anxious, which might be expressed in difficult behavior.

- Lack of structure. Children with ASD love routine and logic. Otherwise, they would end up confused with tantrums or other. Notice how they tend to act out more during break times in school.

- Confusing social situations. They don’t understand social rules, about respecting other people’s personal space, taking turns in a conversation, and more. To avoid social situations, they might act out.

- Sensory processing difficulties. Your child may find it hard to deal with background noise or with the visual information overload that they are experiencing. She might grow extremely sensitive to even the slightest changes in her environment and react negatively because of it.

More From Parenting Teens With Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome

What Parents Will Learn From This Book:
How To Help Your Daughter Adapt To Puberty and Hormonal Changes
The Importance Of Social Interaction With Other Kids Their Age
How To Help Your Teen Deal With Emotions: Loneliness, Depression, Anger and Anxiety
How To Set Boundaries and Stick To a Routine
How To Help Her Deal With Bullying
How To Prepare Her For Attraction To Boys
Strategies to Nurture Her Special Gifts and Deal With Learning Disabilities

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[MJ James · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beyond being very basic, this book is written with a very limited perspective. Autism is a spectrum disorder, and teenage girls on the spectrum will be on various levels of this spectrum. Even girls with autism who are similar in functioning levels will have different triggers, and different ways of best responding to situations. The entire book is formatted like this: Your autistic daughter (not even the more PC terminology of your daughter with autism) will be a visual learner most likely (makes a statement and then there is always a word that says even though I am making a broad statement I am not really talking about everyone) will need to have a visual schedule in order to understand transitions (which leaves one solution for a very broad and diverse issue). There are other times that the information in the book is just wrong. The entire section on IEPs and 504s is concerning. It basically says to let your child's teacher advocate for what your child needs - and they are required to pick them up and drop them off at school. Since teachers are employed by the school district, and the school district wants to save money, having even the best teacher be the advocate is concerning. An IEP group should be a team - but the parent should be a major table at the table. That and school districts are not required to provide transportation just because a child has an IEP.

[Sheila Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can't read enough about parenting your child with Autism.