Personal hygiene is an aspect of daily life that comes natural to most people. Throw in a few sensory issues, though, and it becomes a daily struggle between parents and children with Asperger Syndrome.

We have always had to work with our Aspie on hygiene issues. His sensory issues led to different ways normal things like water, soap, and toothbrushes affected him. When he was very young, he had problems feeling water become hot so that was a safety issue even more than a hygiene issue. We purposefully did not allow him to take showers and we always prepared his bath for him. He still likes extra hot showers but he has grown and adapted in such a way that he now comprehends that water which is too hot can hurt you.

Another issue we dealt with on a daily basis was brushing teeth. Our sons teeth came in late -- he didn't get his first tooth until almost a year old, they were widely spaced apart, and they were tiny. He did not like the feel of a toothbrush in his mouth at all. We were able to get around this buy using very soft toothbrushes, and eventually with buying an electric toothbrush. It turned out the vibrations were comforting to him and his sensitive mouth was less bothered by this type of brush. We did not start flossing until the past few years and we only use the small floss pics. They seem to work best for him.

However, good personal hygiene isn't just getting wet in a bath and brushing your teeth. Soap, deodorant, and a comb are also good essentials for helping with your daily appearance, and smell.

We knew that we would not always be around to check our son immediately after he came out of the bathroom every morning and evening. We needed to teach him how to use a checklist. When he was very young, it was very simple and we laminated it so that it would last longer. Now that he is older, and he could care less about a cutesy picture chart, we simply have a checklist that he can run down.

Did you take a shower using soap and wash your hair with shampoo?

Did you put on a clean clothes, especially clean underwear and socks?

Did you put on deodorant?

Did you comb your hair?

Did you brush your teeth?

Did you floss?

Did you clean up the bathroom before you walked out of it?

Eventually he needs to be able to go over the list in his head, rather than marking off tics in a box. I truly believe our son is as high functioning as he is because we make him learn these things so that they come naturally to him (ie checking off boxes in his head rather than on a list taped to the mirror) just like we teach our other children. Children with Aspergers grow up to be adults. They will still have Asperger Syndrome (AS) but that doesn't mean they can't learn to adapt. Teaching basic life skills takes time but it is do-able.

We received the diagnosis of AS in December of 2002. We knew something was different way before then. We've had a decade and a half of trial and error in our parenting processes to learn what works with our special needs children. We feel truly blessed by God and know that He trusted us so that we could share with others what has worked for us. Having a child diagnosed with autism is NOT a death sentence. It's a blessing that only God could give!!

Do you have a child diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome or another Autism Spectrum Disorder? What questions do you have for a seasoned mom? Feel free to post those questions here, or email me at salmander_son@yahoo.com

In Christ,

Sallie