Does your child or family member with Autism or Asperger's appreciate reminders? Does he like repetition of social cues, like "make eye contact"? My brother has a list of things he likes to be reminded of in particular situations. For example, when he's at the airport, he likes to be reminded, repeatedly, not to make jokes about hijacking. He gets very worried that he might say something inappropriate.
My parents and I have always acted as his reminder system. We all know the scripts. When he asks about an imponderable, like why he gets upset by barking dogs, he wants the answer "Why does Scott hit?" (Scott was a classmate who, much to Nathan's distress, could not seem to control his hitting.)
Unfortunately for Nathan, we are not always with him. This must be one of the reasons he is unwilling to be in stressful situations without family present.
The Boston Globe has written an article on a new technology that helps people with Asperger's and Autism to remember the social cues and scripts using a hand-held PDA. I think it can be applied to all sorts of reminders. To read the story, Click Here . To check out the technology company's website, go to Symtrend.
