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Autism/School concerned over son's internet use

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Expert: - 4/6/2011


Question
I got a phone-call from one of my son's teachers telling me they were concerned about our son's mental health due to his internet usage in school. He's 15, and has Asperger's syndrome.

They told me about the websites he'd been looking at in break times, and it worried them. He'd been looking at websites on heart attacks, bradycardia, tachycardia and lung cancer (apart from revision sites - his general favourite type of website), but he hadn't broken any school rules as none of the sites were inappropriate.
The IT technician told me they were all academic-level or medical-level papers.

At home he rarely, if ever, shows any interest in computers or the Internet.

They also told us he'd been seeing the school counsellors quite frequently, although obviously confidentiality applies so we can't find out what he talked to them about.

Since he hasn't broken any rules and isn't in the wrong, the school have told us they can't do anything, should we do anything about this?

We asked him calmly if anything was wrong, but he wouldn't talk about it.

What do you suggest?

Answer
Hi Richard,

I'm going to hazard a guess that your son has experienced some heart arrhythmia. The cause could be as simple as anxiety but could also be a drug side effect (if he's on medication) or hormone fluctuations common in puberty.

Another possibility is just that your son finds medicine fascinating. Though, I would think he would be willing to talk about it if he were considering a medical career. Has anyone in the family, a grandparent for instance, been ill or died recently? That could increase his concerns for his own health, or yours.

I would suggest a good check up with his doctor. Choose an adult internist rather than a pediatrician and be sure your son gets some private time with the doctor so he can speak freely. If the doctor thinks there is reason for concern, he/she will run the appropriate tests.

If everything checks out fine, I would just not worry about it unless you see a marked increase in anxiety or behavior problems.

Best wishes,
Catherine  

Autism

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Catherine Ridenour

Expertise

I can answer your questions about parenting your High Functioning Autisic or Asperger`s Syndrome child. In particular, questions about family life, discipline, siblings, finding resources, and working with (sometimes opposing) the educational system are welcome.

Experience

I am the parent of an Asperger's Syndrome child who is now 22 years old. She went undiagnosed for 14 years of her life, so I have done extensive reading and Internet research into the possible cause of her difficulties. Even a short 8 years ago, A.S. was practically unheard of by the public educational system.

We fumbled our way through her childhood and early adolescence without any effective outside support. In some ways, that may have been a blessing as we were focused on her abilities rather than a label for her disability. However, I can think of many times when knowing WHY would have been comforting.

Had we known very early on, some social skills interventions might have made her life in school easier. At this point, I like her for who she is so I do not regret how things have turned out. More importantly, she likes herself.

Education/Credentials
I have a Bachelor of Science in Education.

I have worked to educate myself about Autism in general and HFA/AS in particular.

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