My sweet loyal boy

[ilikemysleep]

DS (11) has aspergers.

Today it is a 'party day' on club penguin - which is a social network site for 6-10 year olds where the kids have avatars of penguins they move around, chat to other penguins, play games etc. Party days are a nightmare as my younger boys get up at the crack of dawn to get in to the party. Eldest DS has grown out of club penguin though and hasn't played for almost a year. I said, off the cuff, 'Your poor old penguin hasn't had an outing for a while!'

DS was sobbing quietly all the way to school. I thought it must be a test coming up or something. It turned out that he is now consumed by guilt for leaving his penguin avatar languishing unloved on the computer for the past few months. Bless his heart...but how is this boy going to survive secondary school?!

I think I may use this example to the next person who asks me if autistic kids have feelings!

Any other heartwarming stuff going on? ( i will put aside my secondary school worries while I read about your lovely kids!)

What a sweetie!

I went to a conference with Tony Attwood speaking last week. He said it was rubbish that these children don't have empathy. They are too empathic and withdraw as a result.

My little 9 year old peach can't go past anyone selling the big issue or asking for money without giving the person something. He made calendars and sold them for the Dogs Trust. He always brings me a cup of water and a wet towel when I stub my toe!! I could go on......

DS (6) ALWAYS shares anything good he gets with his sister if she doesn't get one too. Sometimes he asks for another one to give to her if she's not there.

DS still sucks his thumb and I've caught him on ocassion telling the baby when he is screaming 'why don't you suck your thumb? That will make you feel better' and then tries to shove it into his mouth very gently.

Oh dear. I think they may be talking about my lovely boy who really doesn't appear to have any empathy at all, but manages to still be really endearing in his complete egotistical way. He's surviving secondary school, ilike. For example, really cross with DS3 if he's crying about anything. He was very cross with DS3 when he dropped all his sweets and poor old DS3 was already upset at the loss of his sweets! Completely unbothered by anyone else getting hurt, or amused by it. Good at making people laugh who were previously crying, though (except DS3!)

Dd3 used to get herself really upset about only cuddling one of her cuddly toys in bed.

She had a rota for a while,bless

star that is really sweet!!

Yes ellen Dd3's empathy doesnt extend to people yet

OP that rings bells. DS is enormously empathetic to all sorts of things. Passing a dead bird on the walk to school would be an awful start to the day for example.
He can be very upset about random things like that.

I'm very interested to hear that Tony Attwood says they 'overfeel' and so withdraw as they are overwhelmed. That would be my impression of DS. He can't seem to cope at all if I am upset, and would appear unfeeling to an outside observer.

My DD (2.9 with DS) is so incredibly loving.

Every night she put all her toys to bed by covering them up, singing them a good night song & giving each one a big kiss. We even take them to the toilet regularly throughout the day...

It does break my heart some days that she's an only child and will never be able to have any children of her own, as she is so caring

Dd always shares any food or sweets with her little sister cries when she does or if I tell big brother off. She also comes and pulls me if her baby sister is upset. She was even crying the other day because her animagic puppy cried and she couldnt give it the milk right. Dd is very empathic.

porridgeloverthat is totally DS - he seems to find any strong feelings overwhelming and withdraws...I wonder if it's like a hypersensitivity except to emotions rather than, say, sound...

I loved reading about our kids, thanks :)

Thats exactly how I think of DS. That he is hypersensitive to emotion as well as sensory stuff.
For example, he was ticked off by his teacher at collection time yesterday (he was in the wrong). But CT did it in front of class, me and a schoolyard full of parents.
I could see he was mortified but that was so overwhelming a feeling for him, that he got really naughty... it was almost as if a tidal wave of feeling washed over him, and because he was confused and overwhelmed, he looked for help the only way he knew how in that situation. Being naughty.

Yes. I agree. DS is like this and you can see that even a sad song gets him very distressed.

Before we knew DS had AS, we always used to say it was like the world was too much for him sometimes and I think that accurately describes him!