Reply to Friendship between Aspergers/non-Aspergers kids

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Reply to "Friendship between Aspergers/non-Aspergers kids"

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[quote=Anonymous]Reposting with fewer identifying details. (Thank you to Jeff, and also to the people who pointed the issue out to me. It seemed highly unlikely to me that anyone would connect the dots, but the criticism was valid and I appreciate it. I should have thought it through more carefully instead of just puking out words in what I assumed was  relatively anonymous forum.)

My child has a long friendship (since preschool) with another child who shows many signs of Aspergers/HFA. Characteristics: Intense focus on very few topics. Play involves a lot of repetion of the same scenarios/storylines. Not much back-and-forth in conversation. Social isolation. Awkward attempts to join groups. Very poor motor skills -- walks and moves sort of jerkily. EXCEPTIONALLY intelligent and highly verbal, but speech/prosody/conversation skills are unusual. I feel pretty sure that my observation about the child is correct.

I'm trying to help my typically developing child navigate this relationship, which is very difficult for her at times.  They are classmates in a small school.

My question is directed to parents of HFA/Aspergers kids. How can typically developing kids engage with kids on the spectrum? I try to coach my child on finding common topics of interest and drawing her friend out. I've also urged her to do simple things like walk into school beside her friend instead of speeding off and leaving her in the dust. I know my child is conflicted about this friendship. On the one hand, she has happy memories of a long friendship. On the other hand, it is REALLY hard to find common ground because her friend steers conversations toward her narrow interests and has a lot of difficulty joining in games.

Any tips on how to help kids cherish their friendships even as they change? (And especially in the awkward tween years.)

Thank you. [/quote]

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