When I started school, I noticed that I did not like certain things around me. For example, the fire alarm for the monthly fire drills unnerved me to no end. The feeling that it could happen at anytime almost drove me insane.
Some other problems I would have would be certain smells in the cafeteria would make me ill or the loud noises in the hallways would make me cover my ears because it was too loud. This is called a sensory overload, where certain everyday aspects of life can be uncomfortable for a child with Aspergers. Now, the main question is “What can I do for my child?”.
Well, my mother got involved with the school. She talked to the school staff about my Aspergers and how some sounds or smells can cause a sensory overload. By doing this, they were able to accommodate me i.e. taking me out before the fire alarm went off.
The first thing you can do is do what my mother did:
Talk to the school staff that knows your child and tell them about Aspergers and sensory. Don’t be afraid to tell them the details! Then, see if they can accommodate your child like they did with me.
by Samuel Allen
After an extensive career broadcast marketing, Jennifer and her husband searched for answers when their oldest son hit the kinder years with great difficultly. After finally learning that their oldest son had Aspergers Syndrome, she left her career in television and became a full time mother to both of her sons. Jennifer elicited the participation of her sons and together they produced several independent programs including a children’s animated series titled Ameriquest Kids (now distributed by Landmark Media) as well as her documentary and book titled, Coping to Excelling: Solutions for school-age children diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism or Aspergers Syndrome.
The need for more information encouraged Jennifer to elicit a team of autism experts to provide weekly, original content to a website free to anyone seeking to live their best under the diagnosis of High-Functioning Autism/Aspergers Syndrome… appropriately titled: Aspergers101.com.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, Samuel! We’d like permission to re-post your information to our 1800 Facebook fans. We use real-world examples of how ASD and related sensory processing challenges in our comics, which are the world’s first to feature a hero with autism. We believe all kids want and need heroes like themselves. I think your experience would resonate well with our fans, and better explain one story about autism/Aspergers. I’m also autistic (and am the script writer), and I appreciate how you crafted these tips for positive advocacy! Thanks in advance!
Hello Dave…we would be honored to have you share Sam’s story! Would you be interested in sharing YOUR story with our readers? If so, please contact Jennifer Allen at jennifer@aspergers101.com.
We think your inspiration would be a great blog in our Autistically Speaking section. We could put a link to your site and work. Thank you and please keep in touch!