Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi all, I just wanted to introduce myself to the community - it is a daunting new world for me (and no doubt many others!).
My child has just been accepted on the assessment pathway for a formal diagnosis, but its pretty clear what the conclusion will be. However, I wanted to post the question:
Does he behave in the way he does (often pushing my buttons) becuase he is likely to have Aspergers, or just becuase he is a 9 year old child? Does anyone else have this query mulling around in their heads? I try not to label him, but I can't always tell which it is.
I'm often told I am too lenient on him, discipline wise, becuase I believe he has a condition...I'm not so sure...more often this is said by my husband (who is not my child's father).
I would welcome any feedback on any of the above - my head it is a spin!
Hi, without further info on what he does to "push your buttons", I don't feel able to comment specifically. However, his autism will affect how he is as a person. He may well not realise he is "pushing buttons". He won't be able to "read" non-verbal communications well. This can sometimes apply to verbal communication as well, depending on his abilities. There are lots of posts on here from mothers who say their partners/spouses don't understand about their autistic child, so do a search. Our children are not the same as non-autistic children so we cannot "discipline" them as if they were not autistic. Doing that is likely to cause even more distress. However, all children still need to know right from wrong - it's how it's done that's important. Can I suggest that you + your husband spend time learning about autism via this site? You may already be doing so....apologies in advance if that's the case. He is an autistic child with his own personality, so play to his strengths