Off we go......Another School Year Begins!

Every school year offers new beginnings. For the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) child it also means fear. Fear of new people (teachers, classmates, supervisors etc.). Fear of new rules. Fear of what to do, how to fit in and how not to be discovered. It usually starts right around the time that the "Back to School" commercials begin. Those little subtle comments that let you know we're thinking about the new school year. We are worrying about who our teacher will be. What the other children will think of me. Will I have friends? Who will I eat with and who will play with me at recess? These are actually the same things that most kids worry about. The difference is the child with ASD will perseverate on this, obsess and worry over and over again. You may even see OCD behavior. I know in our house the OCD monster had been fairly quiet all summer long. The minute the school supplies hit the aisles at the local Walmart, the resurgence of the monster appeared. The repeating of certain rituals began. The constant repeating of questions and need for reassurance. My child with ASD worries every year that her classmates will discover she has Autism. She worries that once they find out, they won't like her anymore. I'd tell her not to worry, but it has happened. The kids she trusted her secret with eventually decide they don't want to be her friend anymore. She has been lucky to have one friend who just accepts her and seems to really like her. Others became tired of the OCD and distant themselves from her. Or they just rolled their eyes and let her know she was bothering them. Unfortunately, she doesn't understand some of these social cues and gets caught up in the behavior and makes it worse. Every year we try to meet the teacher and check out the classroom ahead of time. This seems to help with the anxiety. She is at a point where I can try to teach her to back off and try to view it as the other child's loss. "If you act like you don't care they may come around." Those with ASD have trouble seeing things half way. They view the world in black and white and those gray areas are very difficult for them. If we don't keep the OCD under control, that is what becomes the main focus of the child. Any other learning may be sacrificed because the child is caught in a OCD ritual which takes over all of their focus. This year she is starting the school year with the help of an anti-anxiety medication. So far so good. Good luck to all starting the new school year. All children are special gifts from God and need to know their importance in this world.