how to explain to my son about my OA

only49

hi has anyone got any ideas how i could go about broach the subject about my OA to my son.

he has special needs ie, he autistic but he is aware sort of that mum sometimes has painful knees and finds it difficult to do some things but i feel it would not be fair as his mum if i did not talk to him about it,

how could i do this ? i know they use social stories and pictures to help them understand.

any advice would help.

thanks

sylvia

helpline_team

Hi Sylvia

I don't know how old your son is but I can only imagine how difficult it is to communicate the pain of your arthritis to him if he is on the autistic scale. As I'm sure you already know it can be difficult if not impossible for people with autism to show or feel empathy. I expect this is very difficult when you need him to understand what is going on for you.

You say that you "know they use social stories and pictures to help them understand" who are "they" and can they help in this case?

Here is a link to a website to help communicate with people with autism: http://www.easyhealth.org.uk/FileAccess.aspx?id=962 It may help to highlight things to remember when you are trying to communicate with him about your arthritis. On the whole it is best to stick to facts in short sentences rather than focusing on feelings. For example when you are in pain and need some space you could give him a direct instruction to go do something rather than explaining what is going on with you and why you need him to do whatever.

For further help on communication you may like to contact the National Autistic Society: http://www.nas.org.uk/ Helpline number: 0845 070 4004.

I hope this is a helpful start, however, if you would like to talk things through please give us a call.

Best Wishes

Simona