The Boy has been impatient lately.  I don’t know if this is a new thing,or if this has coincided with puberty, but I’ve only recently begun to be annoyed by it notice it.  Sometimes, when I wonder if something is a tween thing or an ASD thing, I go to Wrongplanet.net to see what they say.  Wrongplanet is a discussion forum for those with autism and Asperger’s, and since they are the experts, it’s an excellent resource for those of us who can’t simply ask our own children on the spectrum WHAT IS UP WITH YOU??

Unknown watch by Allo002

Most of the respondents to “Is Impatience an AS trait?” thought that maybe yes, there could be a correlation.  Some cited problems with executive function as a possible cause.  That means those individuals on the spectrum who have issues with planning would have difficulty with vague estimations of time.  For example, “When will we go to dinner?” and a vague response of “Soon” would agitate someone with executive function problems, which would look like impatience to we neurotypical types.

If I can remember to be as specific as possible when giving time estimations to The Boy, I think his “impatience” will be reduced.  I know it won’t go away completely, because waiting can be very difficult for those on the spectrum.  But specificity and help with planning for something that is anticipated can go a long way.