| Children with Aspergers Syndrome have | | | | expand your AS child's emotional vocabulary. |
| difficulty managing their emotions, | | | | Children usually begin with three basic |
| particularly with recognizing and | | | | emotions - happy, sad, and angry. Work at |
| understanding feelings and expressing their | | | | increasing your Asperger child's emotional |
| emotions appropriately. AS children usually | | | | vocabulary to include excited, surprised, |
| have intense feelings that often overwhelm | | | | worried, proud, embarrassed, content, |
| them - this is caused by their lack of | | | | peaceful and a feeling of anticipation etc. |
| emotional aptitude. Neurotypicals enjoy | | | | Use magazines to find pictures and label |
| 'emotional competence', which allows them to | | | | them. Ensure you explain that emotions look |
| manage their interactions with others more | | | | 'different' on different people, and find as |
| effectively - they find ways to cope and | | | | many different examples of an emotion as you |
| adjust their behavior to better suit the | | | | can to highlight this. Concentrate your |
| current situation. Aspergers Syndrome | | | | efforts to expand your AS child's emotional |
| children are usually impulsive, which | | | | vocabulary on members of your family first- |
| deprives them of the ability to think things | | | | Mum, Dad and siblings, as these relationships |
| through and see the consequences of their | | | | are the most important in your child's life, |
| actions. They do not recognize the physical | | | | and understanding each other's emotions more |
| reactions of emotions such as fear or | | | | accurately will help to create a calmer |
| excitement, as being signs of emotion, and so | | | | environment for all of you. You may like to |
| they miss vital clues that would enable them | | | | take photos of each other displaying emotions |
| to regulate their feelings. Children with | | | | and label them. Show variations of facial |
| Aspergers Syndrome use mimicry in situations | | | | expression for each emotion and note their |
| as a coping strategy, so they may utter | | | | body language as well. You may like to make a |
| phrases they've heard on TV or repeat | | | | game, using a mirror to capture facial |
| something you've said. They develop a | | | | expressions. Once you've practised |
| "script" to use in a variety of situations - | | | | recognising emotions from facial expressions, |
| mostly when dealing with conflict or | | | | enhance this knowledge by linking emotions to |
| confrontation. This is why sometimes what | | | | situations. E.g. "What would embarrass you?", |
| they say doesn't seem to "fit" the situation. | | | | "What would make you proud?" etc. Complex |
| Children with Aspergers Syndrome are not able | | | | emotional concepts, such as conflicting |
| to generalize any emotional competence skills | | | | emotions, are more difficult to understand |
| they do have, and adapt them to new | | | | and explain to children with Aspergers |
| circumstances. This means their judgment of | | | | Syndrome. After focussing on simple emotions |
| certain situations is incorrect - they can | | | | for a month or two you should introduce a |
| appear to lack common sense. Neurotypicals | | | | scenario containing conflicting emotions and |
| use feelings to help them interpret rules and | | | | discuss at length, once a week. However, the |
| make exceptions, whereas children with | | | | black and white thinking of children with |
| Aspergers Syndrome are black and white in | | | | Aspergers Syndrome may never allow the |
| their thinking. Being fact driven, children | | | | dexterity to deal with emotionally complex |
| with Aspergers Syndrome tend to focus on | | | | situations such as this, on their own. |
| facts and overlook their feelings, because | | | | Working to maintain and increase your |
| this makes better sense to them. Emotions | | | | Asperger child's emotional competence is |
| help neurotypicals shape their morals and | | | | perhaps the most rewarding and worthwhile |
| value systems; therefore not interpreting | | | | task you will undertake, in your journey on |
| emotions correctly can negatively influence | | | | his/her path to an independent, happy life. |
| the principles your AS child develops. It's | | | | After all, the key to successful |
| important to take the time to "debrief" your | | | | relationships of all kinds lies in emotional |
| Aspergers child after any major emotional | | | | competence. ©Nelle Frances offers |
| 'incident' to ensure they've drawn the | | | | resources, strategies and articles on |
| correct conclusions. It's important to aim to | | | | Aspergers Syndrome for parents and teachers. |