Do People with Autism Lack Empathy and Compassion?

Perhaps we need to ask more questions before accepting the premise that individuals with ASD lack empathy and compassion. 

This picture of Nick, with his best childhood friend Joey, clearly shows that our kids do show compassion and care for each other. I don't remember what was happening with the boys when this picture was taken, but clearly Nick knew something was wrong, and wanted Joey to put his head back up, and go back to being Joey. I agree that our spectrum kiddo's do not always respond with empathy or compassion in the traditional manner, or in ways that socially appropriate or useful in emergencies. However, I think we take a big leap when we decide our kiddo's do not experience empathy. This picture makes me think and I wonder, maybe their experience is not nonexistent, is just not the same as ours? Maybe they are experiencing it but do not comprehend their own emotions. Maybe they lack the language to express them. Maybe the knowledge that sharing their emotions are important.

Response from Joey's mom and hour after this post...Well, we all know that our kids are actually empaths, and that is also part of the reason why they avoid contact sometimes - they get overwhelmed with others' emotions!  Scott said that picture was taken once when he took the boys out for lunch, and Joe was being snippy, and Scott kinda put him in his place.  Joe put his head down in shame, and Nicky wanted him to not cry.  So, so, so sweet.

Mental Disorders in Children from 4-19 are More Common Than You Think - 1st symptoms and how you can discover and treat them early.

When you have a child with autism, it's easy to overlook milder behavior issues in the siblings we've labeled as typical.  It is also easy to think a sibling's challenging behaviors come out of the challenges of being the sibling to a special needs brother or sister.

Looking at an infographic this morning I was reminded how common it is for multiple siblings to be on the spectrum or suffer from other mental disorders, even when they are far less obvious than autism.

Here's the infographic...don't know about you, but it hits home with me.

Young People and Mental Health - The Stat's Will Disturb You

Young People and Mental Health - The Stat's Will Disturb You. The numbers sure disturbed me. At the same time the easy to read warning signs listed here were really helpful. Let's spread this and educate families :)
Donna

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Are the Kids Alright? Young People and Mental Health

Mental illness is often thought of only as an adult concern. But about half of mental illnesses begin to reveal themselves in childhood. What is the state of children’s mental health and how is it different from that of adults?

Children and Mental Health

Almost 15 million American children have some kind of diagnosable mental disorder. (1)

4 million

American children and adolescents with a serious mental disorder (2)

2 in 10

Children 9-17 with any diagnosable mental or addictive disorder that causes at least minimal impairment (2)

1 in 2

Mental disorders that begin by age 14 (2)

In any given year, only 20% of children with mental disorders are identified and treated. (2)

Most common disorders among children 8-15 (percentage in age group with disorder) (3)

ADHD: 8.6%

Mood disorder: 3.7%

Major depression: 2.7%

Conduct disorder: 2.1%

Depression: 1%

Anxiety disorder: 0.7%

Panic disorder: 0.4%

Generalized anxiety disorder: 0.3%

Eating disorder: 0.1%

Ripple Effects

Mental health problems can lead to issues with family and school — and can even lead children to attempt suicide.

Suicide

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for people age 15-24. Suicide kills more Americans in this age group than these causes combined: cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease. (2)

9 in 10

Children and adolescents who commit suicide who have a mental disorder (2)

School problems

1 in 2

Students 14 and older with a mental illness who drop out of high school (2)

Legal trouble

Youths in juvenile detention with at least one mental illness (2)

Boys: 65%

Girls: 75%

Identifying and Treating the Problem

Early identification and adequate treatment can quite literally be the difference between life and death for young people with mental illness.

Signs of mental illness

Signs can vary depending on the disorder and age of the child.

Common signs of mental health trouble, by age group: (4)

Age 4-7, preschool/early elementary years

• Bad behavior at preschool or daycare
• Hyperactivity outside of what other children are doing
• Insomnia
• Persistent nightmares
• Excessive fear, worrying or crying
• Extreme disobedience or aggression
• Lots of temper tantrums all the time

Age 7-11, grade school years

• Inconsistent friend group
• Excessive fear and worrying
• Extreme hyperactivity
• Sudden drop in school performance
• Loss of appetite
• Sudden weight changes
• Obsession over weight
• Sudden change in sleep habits
• Visible and prolonged sadness
• Visual or auditory hallucinations

Age 11-19, tween and teen years

• Other common signs on either list above
• Destructive behavior
• Repeatedly threatening to run away
• Self-harm
• Withdrawal from family or friends
• Troubling writings or art that suggest desire to harm self or others

Treatment

Though children’s brains are still in a state of development, adequate treatment of mental disorders can help put a young person on a path to a healthy future.

Most common treatment options (1, 5)

• Medication
• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Art therapy
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Group therapy