Hi all, I am a licensed professional counselor who has an 11 year old son recently diagnosed with Asperger's/ high functioning ASD. He has been treated for years for ADHD, and extreme anxiety. We only learned this year it was ASD when he just became overwhelmed and shut down, then acting out (physically smacking himself in front of class if he was called out on making a mistake or doing something like a game on his computer when he was bored at school. When he became suicidal with a plan, we had to face that this was all just too much for him. Being a counselor with kids and teens feeling the same way, and having treated them for years...it really has been eye opening to cope with it as a parent. I am so glad to find the course and this community. I am taking an ASD certification for my counseling skills, but I am learning so much from parents here and those with ASD as well. My most recent passion is learning about PDA, pathological Demand avoidance, which is a UK diagnosis. I know my husband and I both are somewhat on the spectrum, and we have a lot of the symptoms of PDA. Here is an article about it: https://emilywilding.com/neuropsychology/neurodiversity/pathological-demand-avoidance/ I cry so much as a parent, because helplessness in the face of our children's lives, feelings, and functioning is a horrible feeling. I hope I can learn enough to help him. I run the only ASD high school group I know of in my area...and I can only help 6 kids at a time. I just don't know how to get more counselors involved in learning the better ways of addressing the needs of their clients, and helping parents as well. I am referring my parents and clients here as a resource. Thanks to those who are running this wonderful place of learning and community. Mary K.

Posted by fiennesite at 2023-02-07 13:49:29 UTC