If you have a family member with Aspergers Syndrome, PA Hypnosis Center can help! Call us today to find out how 724-934-8446.
According to a report in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder’s, Mothers of autistic children,suffer as much stress on a daily basis, as a combat soldier. The constant fear and worry of caring for someone on the autistic spectrum is relentless. They face an ongoing struggle to make society understand their child, even though at times they struggle to cope and understand themselves. Because Autism is ‘invisible’ it is difficult for others to understand. And despite the fast rising numbers of people now being diagnosed (1 in 88 people) there is still much ignorance out there as to how to address this disability and the impact it has on those affected.
Research has not come up with answers to the cause of this dramatic increase in numbers (although a genetic vulnerability seems likely due to environmental factors out there). Families assume they will be given answers and help once a diagnosis is finally given, but this is not the case. Support is non-existent at worst and sporadic at best.
Medical practitioners understand little of this disability; education cannot cope with the demand for specialist units therefore the child has to muddle through. Often missing out on an academic education as their specific needs go unaddressed. Less than 22% of teachers have had basic autism awareness training according to a National Autistic Society study. Further down the line colleges offer ‘life skill’ courses which do little to enable them to find employment. There are only 13% of people with autism in employment compared to 50% of learning disabled. This has nothing to do with their ability to work but in sustaining employment due to lack of understanding of employers, often not getting past the interview stage or due to the many myths surrounding autism that people tend to believe.
For those with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) or High Functioning Autism (HFA) life can be extremely difficult. AS is a communication and socialisation disorder and is not accompanied with a learning disability. Therefore, they are aware of their difficulties which can lead to depression, low self-esteem and lack of confidence as they struggle to make themselves understood in a society that just thinks they are ‘odd’ or assumes they are learning disabled.
How Can Hypnosis Help Aspergers
Hypnosis will be used to purposely alter symptoms through physical relaxation and causing a heightened state of awareness. This will narrow and intensify a focus of concentration and perception while diminishing awareness of peripheral stimuli.
AS find everyday life difficult as they have an overload of senses which others can ‘blank out’ concentrating on only what is immediately important. The AS cannot determine what should take priority which causes the ongoing stress and anxiety to manifest.
Anxiety builds up due to external or internal sensory stimuli in the brain which can lead to temper outbursts, irritability, pacing, agitation etc which then creates tremendous stress. This behaviour is unacceptable in society and can lead to alienation and enforced solitary preoccupation.
By using hypnosis in this way it will also have a beneficial impact on other areas in their lives. It can increase confidence, raise self-esteem, modify inappropriate behaviours, aid insomnia, banish feelings of low self-worth and deal with depression. This list is by no means exhaustive as each individual will present with their own unique set of challenges which will be dealt with on an individual basis.
AS often have a discrepancy in their language skills. They may have adequate language but can lack good conversational skills which impacts on their social – emotional development. This leads to isolation in their home life and school/work life with no practical real life ‘hands on’ experiences. They find it difficult to cope with natural, unplanned occurrences which happen in every day real life. They often don’t know how to articulate through speech what is in their mind and require a great deal of understanding and patience which we can provide using our own personal experiences and skills.
Families of AS too are affected by the challenges of coping with their loved one. They may feel guilt, stress, worry, anger, inadequacy, despair, helplessness – the list is endless and they too can benefit from hypnosis and stress management. They are often overlooked and expected to manage which can have a detrimental effect on their mental well-being. The divorce rate is 60% higher than the national average amongst parents with an autistic child and as many as 1 in 3 become single parent families as the stress of living with autism becomes too much to bear and this invariably results in the carer (normally the mother) being unable to work or can only work part time around their child’s needs. National figures shows 70% of carers are unemployed and only 11% are able to work full time. Having a restricted income just adds to the daily stress of living with autism. Siblings are often overlooked but they too are impacted by autism often foregoing holidays and family days out if their autistic sibling cannot cope. This can lead to resentment then guilt and they too would benefit from the therapies we offer.
Giving parents and carers the tools and techniques to manage their stress will improve their mental well-being and enable them to cope better with the daily challenges of living with autism. The person with AS or HFA too will benefit greatly from these therapies as it will address their individual needs and enable them to lead a more fulfilling life.