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bvan
Emu Egg
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Joined: 19 May 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 1

20 May 2011, 1:32 pm

Hello,

I'm new to the site, so I thought I would try and get to know some people. I am the step father to an eight year old mostly non-verbal. I have only been in the picture for a couple of years and am doing everything I can to learn what I need to know to get him out of his shell. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Right now we live in MI and the programs leave a lot to be desired. Anywho I look forward to learning as much as possible.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post,

Ben

TenPencePiece
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Joined: 11 Dec 2009
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Posts: 46,000
Location: Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

20 May 2011, 1:46 pm

Welcome to WrongPlanet

Whilst I would probably not be of any help, there are others who may be able to. You're more likely to get answers in the general or parents' forum.
Hope you enjoy your time here

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AnonymousAnonymous
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Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 72,460
Location: Portland, Oregon

20 May 2011, 1:51 pm

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

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LostAlien
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Joined: 3 Feb 2009
Age: 41
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,577

20 May 2011, 2:10 pm

Welcome

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willem
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Joined: 6 Apr 2007
Age: 59
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20 May 2011, 2:37 pm

Hi Ben,

I have a hypothesis which I've not been able to test, because I don't know any nonverbal autistic kids. I know of myself (autistic adult) that I enjoy subject-oriented but usually not person-oriented interaction. So I wonder if it would help if you engaged in a subject or activity that your stepson enjoys. For instance, if he likes to build things with lego blocks, you could build something with legos yourself and see if he gets interested in what you're making. It could be any activity, something he collects, places he likes to check out, a game he plays, a TV show he likes, anything he spends a lot of time paying attention to. Bottom line: your contact with him has to be indirect (running via a subject/activity) rather than direct, which would be uncomfortable for him.

You speak of your stepson as being in a "shell", but from an autistic point of view it's nonautistics who are in a shell or bubble, intimately in touch with each other but not with the real (natural) world, of which human affairs are only a very small part.

Regardless, you seem like a great stepdad, because you care.

Best wishes,
Willem

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KyleTheGhost
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