The last two emails I sent to you focused on how to deal with irrational fears, and how we usually shouldn’t force our kids to do things they are afraid of doing.

Although this is a good principle to follow a lot of the time, there are almost always exceptions.

As I mentioned in the first message about irrational fears, one exception would be when she fears something to do with a required task, such as brushing teeth.

You would need to find some way of helping her overcome that fear because she obviously needs to brush her teeth for health reasons.

If she fears a required task, it may be helpful to study ABA principles. Many ABA courses and materials are available for parents of children with autism.

Another exception would apply if your child has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the behavior is a compulsion. In such a case, I would recommend seeing a therapist who is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT.

A CBT therapist is specially trained to help people with OCD overcome irrational fears by facing them, beginning with situations they are less fearful about.

But I wouldn’t recommend trying this at home without being under the care of a qualified therapist. Because with OCD, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s possible in some cases to make matters worse.

I’m now in the process of investigating ABA and CBT resources that parents can consult. I’ll let you know when I find materials that I can recommend.

Warm Regards,

Kay Donato

Discover Autism Help, LLC