Counting To Three and Anxiety in AS

Because the three-second rule may create considerable stress and anxiety for children with Asperger’s Syndrome, his or her response may be less than desirable, which can be frustrating for both the children and their parents. Giving children with AS more time to respond will ensure that physiological issues related to their condition do not impede their ability to meet their parents’ expectations.

Stress placed on the child may be paralyzing. Asperger’s children placed under stress will respond in a myriad of ways. Counting to three may increase the child’s stress and make it even more difficult for them to respond. In addition, three seconds may create so much stress that the situation results in the onset of anxiety and over stimulation.

When anxiety and over stimulation occur, the child may simply not be able to recover. In this situation, an activity that was actually designed to make behavior more efficient may actually result in the development of adverse behaviors that are unintended and actually more difficult to address. Counting to three, therefore, can have significant implications on behavioral outcomes.

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