1 / 34

Male Puberty in ASD

Male Puberty in ASD. Jeffrey T. White, MD, PhD. What is ADOLESCENCE ?. Newborn Infant Toddler Child ADOLESCENT Young Adult Adult. What is PUBERTY ?. The process of your body changing from a child to an adult. Puberty Precedes Adolescence in ASD.

ziemer
Download Presentation

Male Puberty in ASD

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Male Puberty in ASD Jeffrey T. White, MD, PhD

  2. What is ADOLESCENCE? Newborn Infant Toddler Child ADOLESCENT Young Adult Adult

  3. What is PUBERTY? The process of your body changing from a child to an adult

  4. Puberty Precedes Adolescence in ASD • Puberty is a biological process • Adolescence is an emotional and social transition into adulthood • May be delayed into late teens and 20s • Experience the physical changes without the social, emotional and psychological maturity to understand what is happening

  5. https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/Puberty%20and%20Adolescence%20Resource.pdfhttps://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/Puberty%20and%20Adolescence%20Resource.pdf https://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/healthybodies/files/HealthyBodies-Boys-web.pdf

  6. Why talk about it? • A lot going on • Avoid confusion • Know what to expect • Realize you’re not alone • Appreciate what others are experiencing

  7. What Changes? • Mental changes • Social changes • Physical changes • Emotional changes

  8. Caused by HORMONES

  9. Male Hormone TESTOSTERONE

  10. Fe/Male Hormone ESTROGEN

  11. It all begins in your brain!

  12. What Changes? • Mental changes • Social changes • Physical changes • Emotional changes

  13. MENTAL Changes • Think new thoughts, consider new ideas • Self-conscious about body changes • Decisions that could affect the rest of your life • Hard not to compare, but everyone goes through differently

  14. School • Advancing through grades becomes difficult • Less memorization, more abstract concepts • Harm self-esteem • Build self-esteem not focused on grades • Strategies for breaking down information

  15. SOCIAL Changes • Act differently around others, more like an adult • Expected to take more responsibility… at home, school, hobbies/sports, jobs • PEER PRESSURE, trying to fit in – need to make good decisions • Respect others – everyone going through things differently

  16. SOCIAL Changes • Girls go through their own puberty Show respect by how you treat, act around, and speak to girls and others

  17. “MOM RULE” Treat and talk about girls the way you would want someone to treat and talk about your MOM

  18. PHYSICAL Changes • Occurs at different speeds and ages • 9-16 yoa • Girls usually start before boys • Happens to everyone eventually • Different shapes and sizes • Respect yourself • “Privates” • Dress, groom, and act to earn respect • Be a role model Be careful. Bodies will do things without permission!

  19. PHYSICAL Changes • Voicebox enlarges - Voice cracks and deepens • Sex organs develop • Erections • Nocturnal emissions • Muscles grow - Strength - Broad shoulders - body develops • Growth spurt - weight - height • Need to wash more often - Skin oily - Pimples/acne - Hair growth -Lips/face -Chest, arms, back -Genitalia -Sweating increases -Underarms and feet • Breast changes - Enlargement - Nipples enlarge and darken

  20. Male Genitalia VAS DEFERENS BLADDER PROSTATE GLAND - Delivers sperm -stores urine -makes whitish fluid to to urethra help make semen SEMINAL VESICLE FORESKIN - Combines sperm - located at end of penis, with semen flap of skin often removed at birth (circumcision) TESTICLES - Produce sperm and testosterone SCROTUM - Holds testicles SEMEN PENIS URETHRA - sperm from testes and fluids - Delivers semen - carries semen and or passes urine urine through penis

  21. Puberty Surprises • Hair • Smell • Nocturnal emissions • Erections

  22. Abuse • Private parts are private • Appropriate versus inappropriate touching • Role playing • Saying “NO”

  23. Experimentation • Healthy and normal part of development • Important to teach social awareness • When and where experimentation is OK • “Privates are private” • When privacy occurs • How to achieve privacy • Keep hands busy in public places

  24. Physical Activity • Sedentary lifestyle is dangerous • Weight • Mood • Self-esteem • Transition from playtime to exercise • Schedule active play (hiking, bike riding, sports) • Reward exercise (no food)

  25. EMOTIONAL Changes • Happier and sadder than ever • Care about OTHERS in new ways (old friends, new friends, family, girls) • Care about what others think of you • Want to be accepted and liked

  26. EMOTIONAL Changes • Jealousy • Hurt feelings • Attraction

  27. Managing Emotionial Reactions • Stress translates into behaviors • Improper reactions • Coping mechanisms • Soothing activities available • Distracting activities to help • Safety during aggression

  28. SUICIDE is a permanent solution to a temporary problem

  29. TALK about your FEELINGS • Parent • Teacher, Counselor, Coach • School Nurse • Family friend, relative • Religious Leader • Community Center Worker • Health-care Provider

  30. Take Advantage of • “Teachable/Learnable” moments • Quiet and alone time • Car, bedtime, walks, commercials • Leave reading material out

  31. You are not alone: All of us go through this process! • Feel good about yourself and the decisions you make • Like yourself as you are! • Respect others as they are. • How you treat someone now may come back and bite you later

  32. Summary • When and how privacy occurs • Model appropriate behavior • Hygiene • Exercise • Use correct language for body parts and functions • Start practicing early

  33. QUESTIONS?

More Related