The obsessive-compulsive approach to life results in the narrow range of interests and insistence on set routines typical of an HFA or Asperger's youngster. However, it usually starts as a cognitive (thinking) issue before it becomes a behavioral one. Cognitive issues, such as the inability to take someone else's perspective (mindblindness) and the lack of cognitive flexibility (black-and-white thinking), cause many of the behaviors we see. We know there is a cognitive element by looking at the youngster's behaviors. There is always some distress, anxiety, or obsession manifested in every inappropriate behavior.
Your child's cognitive difficulties may lead to inaccurate interpretations and understanding of the world. How someone interprets a situation determines how he will respond to it. Many times the interpretation of an event is either not an accurate one or not one that leads to positive or prosocial actions. If the event can be reinterpreted for him, it might lead to a more productive outcome. In doing this, you must first try to understand how the child interprets a situation. All of the child's behaviors are filtered through his perception of the way the world works.....
When are you coming to Brisbane? Would love to attend a workshop to find out specific strategies to use. My child sees himself as "broken", as he is 14 years old and has seen a wide array of paediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists. None of whom are able to give us long-term solutions that work. We feel our son has got to "want to change his controlling behaviours". If he won't help us help him, we get nowhere....
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