Socializing a young HFA child.

[Guest guest]

I'm the dad to a 7 year old HFA boy and I, like many of you, are worried about

his social development. Today was one of those days I had hopes for but it just

didn't work out. I went to a Father's Day picnic with others and their kids. The

problem was that my son really didn't seem that interested in playing with them.

When I talk to him about playing with other kids he sounds excited, but when the

time comes, he just doesn't do it. His favorite " group " play is to play games,

ball, board games, etc with his stuffed animals. That worries me. I'm hoping

that he'll grow out of it, but he may not without some kind of prompting or

help.

>

> I do realize that his best opportunities for socialization won't come from

" free and open play " because he won't engage the other kids. It has to be more

structured, but there isn't much like that. I have him in Tae Kwon Do and he

talks a little to the kids there. I hope that, as he gets older, he'll become

more interested in socializing outside of the dojo with them.

>

> I'd like to look at other options, but his mother is worried about

" overscheduling him. "

>

> What do the rest of you think or do to socialize your kids?