It is important to learn about your child’s various needs. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) pose special challenges that can affect every aspect of a child’s life, parenting, and the family’s well-being.
In one conception, people with ADHD are starved for stimulation. They constantly need new and active input to keep their brains satisfied. They are bored quickly and easily and often, but not in a reassured and calmed way. Instead, when these people become bored, they may become fidgety, disruptive, or even dangerous.
People with Asperger’s Syndrome Disorder (ASD) can have the opposite problem. The world (particularly the social and emotional world) can feel so stimulating that they are constantly on overload. They need holding tight and structure to reduce stimulation, not to the point of boredom but low enough so they are able to function.
Only a qualified health care professional can help you make these diagnoses and recommend how best to modify your parenting practices to meet the child’s needs.
Excerpt from Holding Tight, Letting Go: Raising Healthy Kids in Anxious Times. By Benjamin D. Garber, Ph.D. Unhooked Books, High Conflict Institute Press.
About Lori Denman-Underhill
