mother of a 7 year old with AS with questions

Post Reply New Topic

I'm of the opposite opinion. Socializing is a skill that is learned through practise. If you always allow your kid to stay in his room then he will NEVER learn to be social, and that will be more of a handicap than any particular aspie trait. By being social you learn to work around your deficiencies.

When I was a child my mother enrolled me in every youth activity she could find, starting at about age 6: YMCA, acting, Parks & Rec, church choir (I hated church but liked to sing), summer camps, etc. In the early years I was classically withdrawn and didn't even notice there were other kids around me. As I gained awareness I was moved to more social groups like Cub Scouts and eventually Air Cadets (where I thrived on the structure and predictability).

Yes, socializing is hard. It's often confusing and frustrating, and inevitably there will be bullies and teasing. There were days when I *really* found it hard to be around other people, but those are probably the days I grew the most because I was forced to deal with it.

As an adult there are still things that really drive me crazy, but I think my ability to function well in the adult world is very much a result of forced socialization in the early years.