Re: Becoming an 'adult' (was: Autism Registry)

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message -----

>

>> That's bunk

>

> It's scientifically proven bunk :-)

I have my doubts about it, too. Like they claim that teens' sleep patterns

change so they're unable to fall asleep before midnight or later, so forcing

them to get up very early for school causes them to be sleep-deprived. I'm

not buying this. They stay up late, because they're watching TV, are on the

computer and/or are yakking away on the phone. I saw this in my son, and I'm

seeing this in my daughter now. She comes home from school and takes a

three- or four-hour nap, just so she can stay up late. On days she's unable

to nap, she's in bed by 9:00 pm. In the olden days most people had farms,

and I'm sure the farmer's kids had to get up very early, too, to help feed

the animals, etc.

> I think they are confused because in some ways they are expected to be

> adults and in other ways they are restricted like children. And

> puberty makes everything worse.

Usually, as soon as they hit puberty, they're considered adults.

> I was very afraid of reaching 18yo and being seen as

> a competent adult when I knew I wouldn't be.

I wasn't; I couldn't wait. I always knew though, that I would never be able

to drive a car.

> In some ways I'm still

> not, and I find it difficult to take some " grown up " things seriously.

Same here.

D.

[Guest guest]

> I have my doubts about it, too. Like they claim that teens' sleep

> patterns

> change so they're unable to fall asleep before midnight or later, so

> forcing

> them to get up very early for school causes them to be sleep-

> deprived. I'm

> not buying this. They stay up late, because they're watching TV, are

> on the

> computer and/or are yakking away on the phone. I saw this in my son,

> and I'm

> seeing this in my daughter now. She comes home from school and takes a

> three- or four-hour nap, just so she can stay up late. On days she's

> unable

> to nap, she's in bed by 9:00 pm. In the olden days most people had

> farms,

> and I'm sure the farmer's kids had to get up very early, too, to

> help feed

> the animals, etc.

As someone who went through narcoleptic-like episodes almost everyday

between ages 14 and 17, I have to believe this about teenage brains,

if not all, then some go through this. I didn't have any choice but

to take a nap after school, I was so tired (and usually fell asleep on

the bus on the way home, missing my stop). I'd put a record on loud

and fall asleep to it. When it was over, it was like an alarm clock.

They were not usually long naps. But in school, I'd be fighting sleep

all day, often losing the battle in morning classes. Thank God those

days are over, I hated it.

a

[Guest guest]

I'm intellectually adult and emotionally a child.  It's kind of interesting,

when it doesn't make life difficult.  

Carolyn