And just to add on a hormone-driven rage that occurred to my boy on Friday the 13th... (No! Jason did not go around with a chainsaw... BUT IT WAS CLOSE !!)
In my boy's school, there is a 12 year old ADHD boy called KP. (whose parents REFUSE to acknowledge and sadly whose doctor REFUSE to pin a diagnosis on an obviously special needs child).
So what happened on Friday the 13th, 2007, was that upon dismissal of school as all students were gingerly making their way home... lo and behold, KP was out in the corridor, barefooted, swinging a recorder(a 1 foot flute-like instrument made of plastic BUT very hard) in his hand.... and eyes FULL of RAGE. [ He had obviously been provoked prior to this ]
And because I inadvertently left my umbrella in the classroom, I had to leave my Daniel in the corridor while I retrieve the umbrella. As I returned to Daniel, KP was about 10 feet away, still RAGING, surrounded by the other students.....
THEN WITHOUT PROVOCATION, HE THREW HIS RECORDER AT DANIEL, HITTING HIM SMACK AT THE SIDE OF HIS FACE. I THANK GOD AND DANIEL'S GUARDIAN ANGEL and also his spectacle frame for preventing any serious injury other than a leaving my poor boy SHIVERING IN SHOCK !!!!
So DANGERs that come when our children reach puberty, whether dangers experienced or inflicted on others IS VERY REAL.... Situations can range from emotional, anger even to sexual...
This the same KP who had been very easily manipulated, sadly, by his schoolmates... to the extent of goading him to KISS his female classmates or even to FONDLE his own genitals.... And these are accounts from teachers themselves....
DANGER of PUBERTY is REAL !!!!!!!!!
Adolescence can be very trying for children and their parents. A diagnosis on the autism spectrum compounds the journey and makes it more complex, to say the least. To think about a future of “surging hormones,” as many parents in the autism community do, can be very scary. I would certainly encourage you to think in a more positive and developmentally oriented way. In our psychology practice, there have been a lot of questions about sexuality and children with autism and other special needs who are reaching puberty. Quickly enough, as parents, we feel a part of ourselves back in that intense and sometimes scary world of our own teens. The other part with our child in the current world who is more vulnerable if that child has special needs. Some of that fear is a worry about regression as well as the fear of sexual abuse which runs deep in the special needs community.
Children and teens with special needs are sexual beings just like the rest of us. Respecting each child’s dignity, teaching healthy attitudes and expression, while maintaining safety is the job of all parents—as well as teachers, and healthcare professionals—whether a child has a disability or not. Finally, on the issue of regression, there is reason for concern, but not panic. A recent longitudinal study on “Autism after Adolescence; Population-based 13- to 22-year Follow-up Study of 120 Individuals with Autism Diagnosed in Childhood” in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (June 2005) reports that 17% of the 108 examined had a clear set-back in puberty and half of these recovered from that regression. In addition this study confirmed previous research indicating that childhood IQ-level was positively correlated with a better outcome in adulthood as well as language development.From this information, it is reasonable to conclude that a child with Asperger’s can learn to cope with the trials and tribulations of puberty and adolescence. Your son will have many questions, it is important for you and his father to be tuned in to what he might be asking for. There are plenty of teachable moments in every day life. Indeed for the conscious and aware parent, more often than not, children teach us as much or more than we teach them. There is no shame in educating or reeducating ourselves to be equal to the task. I would encourage you to consult with your child’s pediatrician for referrals if more specialized help is needed from a child psychiatrist or psychologist.
On a related note, you'll find a list of puberty resources (other online articles, social stories, etc.) under this topic on our forum:
http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16099&am p;KW=puberty+resources