Neighbor News
Three Second Rule Causes Stress in Children with AS
Dr. Clatch writes about how the "three second rule" might actually be detrimental to a child with Asperger's.
As any parent knows, getting children to comply with requests is not always easy. When children will not do what they are told, parents may respond with a familiar phrase: “You have to the count of three to...” For most children, this phrase is enough to motivate action. Although counting to three is a good way to demonstrate the importance of an issue to children, for children with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS), counting to three may actually cause more problems than it solves.
Children with AS may not be able to respond in three seconds. Many children with AS have processing difficulties and motor skills deficits. These issues may impact their ability to respond immediately to the request of the parent. If these deficits are present, placing such tight time restrictions on the child may only make the situation worse. Asking children with AS to comply with a request in three seconds simply may not be possible, as these processing and motor skills deficits may make it more difficult for them to respond in such a short timeframe. While this may be stressful to the parent, the toll this stress takes on the child may actually prevent the child from improving in processing and motor skills.
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