People seem to think that video gaming addiction seems to be a heavily rooted problem in video gaming when autistic. Well that is partially true. There is also a deeper problem for them it involves playing and interacting.
I know this because my son along with his bipolar happens to have pervasive development disorder. It is a form of autism. His days can go from good, to bad, to worse in matter of minutes. It comes from other gamers lack of understanding.
For a few days now he has been fighting like mad with his Xbox360 clan. Which is another name for a gamers group. I didn't think this was a good idea. I was right as it brought more fighting.
He has a lot of trouble with kids, and young adults alike understanding his functioning level. Which is somewhere between 8-14.
His educational level is lower. He was passed along and graduated to high school level with the No Child Left Behind Act. Now he is really behind and can't get into any school that can help him due to having a high school diploma. So much for children not being left behind. This is even happening in online schools today.
The bullying and the fighting that occurs in video gaming is downright destructive to an autistic child or young adult. He will explode due to a game. These games help him to release stress but they can also cause a great deal.
Tonight I started a search for groups for Autistic kids and young adults. I told him I would find him something after he cried his eyes out to me on the phone that no one understands him. No one understands how he functions. I apparently have a good search ahead of me. For I only found a few. It may come down to of I build it they will come.
It isn't fair that they have to deal with the lack of understanding. Some can't even understand what is going on with themselves let alone trying to explain themselves to someone else. Someone who they thought is a close friend. Even close friends don't understand him. They think he is either faking or he is exaggerating his illness.
Tonight was another one of those times when I wish he was normal. Just so he didn't feel so much pain and hurt. He can't shrug it off or let it go. He doesn't understand that concept or how to do that. So he just crys and tells me how much he hates his life and how everyone keeps screwing him. I told him (as I have told him before) that he is hanging out with the wrong people. He needs to be with people like him and who understand him. I hope in the next few days I can find this for him. If not I will build a gaming group for children and young adults with disabilities.
They face constant put downs and bullying in their lives. They shouldn't have to when they are playing a video game.
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