Why does anxiety limit my child’s life and learning when they can excel in other areas?
Children with this diagnosis often have anxiety and social interaction issues as a major element of their difficulties. However, each child is an individual.
Children who have a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome are considered to be on the Autistic Spectrum. Asperger’s is a label for a group of behaviours shown by a child with average, or above average intelligence.
Many children in this group have high achievement in academic areas, but commonly struggle with social interaction and friendships. Some have physical limitations. They may have other sensory, and coping issues. They are often severely limited by anxiety. Their patchy profile of excellence and struggle is typical of a child with developmental delay in some areas that limits their overall maturation. It can be very frustrating and confusing for the child and also their family. In essence, their neurodevelopment needs a second chance.
Although children with an Asperger’s diagnosis are famous for not really understanding jokes, they certainly can have a sense of humour. We find working with them can be a challenge, but also a delight!
Anxiety – what does it look like?
Anxiety can show in many different ways. Often it limits the child’s life experiences and restricts family choices. Your child may be:
- Worrying about what might happen.
- Replaying negative past experiences.
- Trying to control their environment including people and routines
- Dominated by fears – often irrational and lifestyle limiting.
- Withdrawing from social situations and interaction.
- In refusal mode. Often due to an underlying fear of failure.
- Having difficulty with change, transitions and choosing.
- Driven to the comfort received from repetitive behaviours.
- Prone to meltdowns, sometimes aggressive or hostile or turned on themselves.
- Feeling different and excluded.
- Confused about reading the intentions and emotions of others and non-literal interpretation.
- Frustrated by their limitations and the many challenges of their environment.
How can we help?
We assess your child and identify the neurodevelopmental issues. This goes back to the development of infant reflexes in your child before birth. Most of them should fade into the background (integrate) in the first year of life. So your child’s profile of persisting infant reflexes tells us what we need to do. We devise a physical and hands-on program specific to your child and teach you what to practice.
Many parents report that the biggest changes come towards the end of the program as it takes effect and starts to release the brain to mature. We help your family to adjust to the changes continuing after the program is completed.
You may like to read about some of our children and their successes.
Look I can do it! – Asperger’s Syndrome (Boy Aged 7)
Released to learn – Aspergers Syndrome son (12 years old)
Drop in anxiety levels – Aspergers
Self awareness – Dyslexia, Dyscalcula, Asperger’s Syndrome
Social development – Teenage Asperger’s Syndrome (achieving well in school, particularly science.)
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