[handsfull]

I need to have the chat with my DDs (9) about body changes etc as they are starting to have them. I think maybe in the next year DD1 might get her period and I need to prewarn them.

DD1 has ASD/speech delay and DD2 has receptive language impairment. Therefore we have been careful in what we have said to them in the past as they take things VERY literally...

However they are now getting to be big girls and I need to chat to them about periods etc. PLUS they have a blood phobia and anxiety....so......any suggestions you may have would be great.

They also need to have where did I come from chat. They know they came from my belly but got cut out due to them being in distress. They emphatically do not want to talk about babies coming out from between your legs...see where I am coming from...

I have bought the Secret Girls Business books but not sure that's the best way to begin and was wondering if anyone had some tips.

For the record my mum left it to the schools I went to discuss all this so there was no motherly advice. Personally I thought the schools I went to did a great job (in the US they talk about it from age 7-8 etc about periods) so when I returned to Oz I was very well informed at age 12.

Any help would be appreciated.

This post has been edited by handsfull: 11/12/2012, 02:53 PM

[Sinister Bonnet]

Family Planning in your state may have programs specifically for kids with issues like this--I think the program funding was cut in Q though.

Jessica Kingsley Publishing probably has some resources as well.

[lsolaBella]

http://www.secretgb.com/puberty-and-special-girls

There is a special needs secret girls... Did you get that one?

[ZombieMum]

My DD has Aspergers and can take things literally, at times. She also has anxiety and hates other people's blood.

I bought her a number of books, including:
Secret Girls Business
Puberty Girl
and can't remember the third informational book.

Also bought 'Are you there God', it's me Margaret. My DD wasn't a fictional reader, but did take this book in, and still refers to it years later. I chose to get it for her, as I couldn't see her discussing it with other girls, so at least she could kind of experience it from the point of a young girl via the book.

I went into the bookshops with her, looked at what was available, and chose the ones that I thought would match her comprehensive/sense of humour level. I gave them to her to read and told her she could ask me questions any time she wanted. She learns better by reading as opposed to listening.

They have been an invaluable asset, as my DD has been able to read them any time she had questions. She also then felt comfortable to discuss things with me, I was actually quite shocked with how she handled it all - and I attribute that to the books.

One of the important issues you might come across, is her ability to be discreet about it all - so one of the books I got does cover this - about how to dispose of a pad etc.

Some kids with Aspergers can have issues with hygiene (eg daily baths and regular hair washes, using deodorant etc ) so there is a good book called "Personal Hygiene? What's That Got to Do With Me?" if it does become an issue.


Check your school library if they have any books. I know my school bought some a while ago, but no longer advertise them - but parents are/were allowed to come in and borrow them from the school library if they were needed.
Also check your local library.

I think having your own copy of books is a great resource for kids, so they can look at any time they want, but it's a good idea to check the books out before you buy them in case they won't appeal to your child.

[madmother]

Another is Making Sense of Sex by Sarah Attwood. That and Secret Boy's Business are what our psych recommended and he is affiliated with Minds and Hearts who specialise in children on the spectrum.

[~mummydear~]

Family planning qld had some good stuff on their website last time I looked for stuff for kids at school.

[baddmammajamma]

I second going with the resources that Minds and Hearts recommend.

Books I've found helpful for girls with ASD (that include sections on puberty and then on to sex and dating, etc.) and that I purchased at a Tony Attwood/Michelle Garnett conference include:

Aspergirls - Rudy Simone
Safety Skills For Asperger Women - Liane Holliday Willey
Aspergers & Girls - Tony Attwood, Temple Grandin et al

The above are Aspergers-oriented, but I think they would be helpful to many girls with ASD and their parents!