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