Coping with an adult with Asperger's (2)by Beth McHugh | More from this Blogger 23 Sep 2006 06:57 PM
When an adult is diagnosed with Asperger's as a result of a child within the extended family being diagnosed, it can come as a "double whammy" to the family. This is particularly the case when a child and a spouse are diagnosed, since the remaining member of the family group is now in the position of dealing with two Asperger's in the one home. Similarly, the diagnosis of a child may make the parent twig that Mom or Dad had the disorder too. This also causes intense personal suffering for the person concerned, since finding out that one's parent has the disorder will open as many wounds as it will explain. The problems in dealing with adult Asperger's sufferers can be numerous, and include:
Next blog, we will look at more clues about living with adult Asperger's. Contact Beth McHugh for further information or assistance with this issue. Learn more about Beth McHugh  Beth McHugh began her career as a geologist and worked both in industry and as a university researcher. Relevantmental health tags marriage | sex | Scrapbooking | family | relationships | Kids | children | christmas | pregnancy | parenting User Comments  Megan Bayliss (3586) 23 Sep 2006 07:45 PMHey Beth, how fortuitious that we both blogged this week on Aspergers. I did one on some groovy resources to use to increase the social skills of kids with Aspergers: http://mental-health.families.com/blog/a-super-duper-resource-site-for-working-with-a-child-who-has-aspergers . Sure seems to be a lot of Aspergers around. The prevalance stats say it's fairly low but that hasn't been my experience - it seems everywhere I go I am now meeting Aspergers.  floridamama (9691) 25 Sep 2006 11:42 AMOur young son has aspergers. I enjoyed reading your blog on it...even if it was about adults with it. Kinda makes me wonder about my dad. fungusgnat (5) 16 Feb 2009 05:02 PMThis thread is very old, but so am I. I finally understand why my DIL is so complex and difficult. This makes me sad, but it helps to know the probably cause. What can a MIL do when the communication is at loggerheads? I have purchased 3 books on the subject, but I so need to be able to communicate w/ someone in a similar situation. Thank you!  Beth McHugh (12962) 16 Feb 2009 05:15 PMHi Fungusgnat, perhaps someone who has already contributed to the comments on other Asperger blogs will talk to you about heir experiences. It is good though that at last you know what you are dealing with, and will explain many of your DIL's behaviors over the years. It is a difficult condition to deal with at times. Read as much as you can about the condition and if necessary you might even consider consulting an expert on autistic spectrum disorders in your local area. Best wishes, Beth terrysmom (5) 27 Feb 2009 05:16 AMMy 23 year old son was diagnosed at age 12 with Aspergers. He was an honors student in high school, graduated with honors from college with a degree in film production. He's living in LA, working full time at Home Depot, and trying unsuccessfully to break into the film industry. The economy is a huge factor in his lack of success, but I also know that networking is a challenge for him. He is doing the due diligence but doesn't really understand that the way he comes across to new people is a barrier. He's somewhat open to my suggestions and I'm looking for tips on how to approach this with him. I'd appreciate anyone's insights. Thanks! terrysmom Beth McHugh (12962) 01 Mar 2009 05:53 PMHi Terrysmom, there are therapists who specialize in social skills training for people with Asperger's. Try contracting a therapist who works with autistic spectrum disorders and they should be able to point you in the right direction. You son sounds amenable to learning so that will help enormously. Best wishes, Beth Beth McHugh (12962) 07 Jun 2009 09:21 PMIn order to further assist readers suffering from or experiencing difficulties in relating to friends and family suffering from Asperger's disorder, I have provided additional resources in order to help break down the loneliness associated with this problem. By accessing my website at http://youronlinecounselor.com you will be able to participate in a new forum. Best wishes, Beth Community Tags asperger's disorder, adult Asperger's Discuss this article
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As we saw in Coping with an adult with Asperger's (1), dealing with a person with this condition can be extremely difficult at times, particularly when the person has yet to be diagnosed with the disorder. When diagnosis of the adult Asperger occurs, it is often as a result of a child or grandchild being assessed with the disorder. It then becomes apparent to other family members that the undiagnosed adult they have struggled for so long to understand or relate to also possesses the disorder.
