adolesence, hygeine, puberty and AS

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Registered: 03-26-2003
adolesence, hygeine, puberty and AS
2
Mon, 10-10-2005 - 1:30pm

Ugh. This is turning out to be a big hurdle for us.

Everyone knows puberty is a time of big change. Well never realized how much so for a child with ASD until now.

Our latest problem centers around hygeine. There are so many new routines for Cait to learn and so many changes that she has just gotten plain old resistant to all of them. I have made the bathroom checklists and all. We try to gently remind her but we are not at pretty much flat out refusal and meltdowns if she hasn't initiated herself. I bought her special oil of olay facial wipes to wash her face so she wouldn't have to go through the whole wringing things out with poor motor skills. But she still won't do it. I wash her face and put on the cream and pimple ointment admist lots of protest most days.

Deodorant, forget it. She was getting good at it, has a big pic in the bathroom but now if she forgets and we try to remind her, not happening.

The worst is her braces. Now she has a sore on the roof of her mouth I just found out about (very high pain tolerance) but she absolutely broke down when I tried to get her to gargle with salt water. She was not going to taste that because she had never tasted it before and the sore is on the verge of infection. Never mind trying to get her to brush her teeth properly.

FRUSTRATION.

I know it is just too many changes for her at one. Period, pimples, braces, body odor. So many things to take care of at once as well as a totally new overwhelming school environment.

Well I better stop complaining and head back to the orthodontist. She is getting her lower braces on today and having an "A" (autistic) day. I had to come home and get her backpack she forgot and it is a 2 hour appointment. I think they would call me if she broke down. Of course, I had written "AS" on the intake sheet when we started thier and reminded them today, but the ladies in the office have no clue what that means.

UGH.

Wish me luck.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Mon, 10-10-2005 - 3:08pm

Dear Renee,

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

This is a worry of mine, braces, as both my dh and I had 'em and Malcolm has huge teeth and a small mouth, just like both of us, so I am just so certain he will end up with braces. And how, I cannot imagine... He is so OVER-sensitive around the mouth, had to have full-body restraint recently to have 2 cracked cavities replaced (NOT a fun day, but when it was over, he said "that wasn't as bad as I though it was going to be..." which made us all laugh).

Malcolm is a little compulsive about cleaning rules, so I am not as concerned about that part of adolescence. By the by, the sounds of screaming from our ground floor neighbors PDD kids (13 and 19) led us to believe that puberty can suck for boys as well. I am so not looking forward to it and big time crossing my fingers.

Hoping things start coming together more soon for Cait and you,

Sara

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 10-11-2005 - 7:51am

(((((HUGS)))) oh my goodness, I'm hoping you had an ok appt and all!

the whole puberty thing is difficult and throw in the ASD and a new school and it just sucks! (excuse my language! but it's true!) but this too shall pass (not soon enough but it will!)

We're still going through the can't/won't wash body and get hair clean w/ Warren 14 (ADD and SID). He also was supposed to have braces but he couldn't even get through the casting process (to see how the jaws fit together--he cried and gagged and screamed and cried and gagged and begged for the whole thing) and the ortho said, yes he needs braces, but his aren't as bad as some kids and due to his intolerance for having things in the mouth and people working on him-- you'll have to wait until he can handle it. so... no braces for that child (probably ever!).

Amelia! oh my! she's 11 almost 12 and we haven't had a period yet, but man I'm afraid when we do-- and she's a pretty responsible NT kid! I think I'd just throw up my hands and quit if she had other difficulties, because I've said if she and I both make it through puberty alive it'll be a miracle! I have to remind her that she has to take care of her skin every single day, not just when she sees pimples. And I've started washing her hair once a week in the sink myself because she gets such horrible ratties and it's never clean looking! I did threaten to cut it all off (she has beautiful blonde hair 1/2 way down her back) and she went off the deep end-- it's her pride! We've got to do something about her teeth-- she hates to brush too so that should be fun!

Betsy