**Child Autism/ADHD & Shooting**

[junbug7]

I have a 9 year old daughter who has Autism & ADHD. She's on the higher end of the spectrum with her Autism, and her Rx for ADHD is pretty effective. Since I bought my first handgun in 2013, I've sooo wanted her to become familiar with firearms and learn to shoot. When I have a firearm out to clean & such, I casually show it to her. She listens for the most part, not overly interested or curious to "play" with it.

I'm not the most patient person, and I don't want her to have any anxious or uncomfortable feelings when learning. Besides I'd rather a more advanced/experienced individual teach her. Does anybody know of any Instructors, ranges, classes that would be suitable for her?? Any info would be appreciated, thanks!! =)
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[Calico1404]

Tough subject OP, my initial response is your are on the right track by casually introducing firearms. Safety is key here, a controlled environment , 1 round loaded at a time.

A bolt .22 would be fantastic.

The reason I mentioned single shots is to control any accidents from a fully loaded firearm. 1 shot and the rifle is free and clear for inspection, reset etc

[Red-Osier]

Classes for children dosen't seem to be a topic that comes up to often here. Others might know of some classes. I would suggest this topic in general guns as it would be seen by more members. Good on you Junbug wanting to teach her regardless.

[junbug7]

Tough subject OP, my initial response is your are on the right track by casually introducing firearms. Safety is key here, a controlled environment , 1 round loaded at a time.
A bolt .22 would be fantastic.
The reason I mentioned single shots is to control any accidents from a fully loaded firearm. 1 shot and the rifle is free and clear for inspection, reset etc

It IS tough. It wouldn't cross my mind if her issues were on the severe side. As it is, it's not really new to her. She sees my dad & I with our firearms and she has been with me while desert shooting... She sat in the car about 20 feet away but she watched some.

You didn't even need to explain, that's a great idea!! I think im going to get her the Pink Daisy BB gun for Xmas. Let her learn with that & my .22 handgun.

I need to research childrens/youth classes and maybe in a younger age group, hopefully a bit slower paced. Thanks for the info!! =)

[junbug7]

Classes for children dosen't seem to be a topic that comes up to often here. Others might know of some classes. I would suggest this topic in general guns as it would be seen by more members. Good on you Junbug wanting to teach her regardless.

I thought about that but wasn't sure if I could do repeat posts on multiple sub threads, I will though good idea.

Thank you!! I have niece with similiar issues as my daughter, at 25 yrs old she was sexually assaulted. It wasn't realized until a day or so later when she was talking to her mom... un-phased!! Im assuming due to the slower neurologically relay in the brain, which is what Autism is.

Just 1 of my daily worries.

[Red-Osier]

I understand about worries.

[Win231]

Personally, I wouldn't introduce firearms to anyone with Autism (or any mental disorder), especially since, as you say, she's not interested. I don't think it's worth the risk. There are other more-suitable hobbies that don't involve deadly weapons. I've witnessed scary behavior with firearms by individuals with mild mental issues. Perhaps you could discuss this with her doctors?

You might consider the fact that Adam Lanza had Autism. Of course, I'm not saying your daughter would commit mass murder, but much is not known about Autism. Adam's mother saw nothing wrong with allowing him to have guns. As I said, there are safer, more-appropriate hobbies; why does it have to be shooting?

[junbug7]

Personally, I wouldn't introduce firearms to anyone with Autism (or any mental disorder), especially since, as you say, she's not interested. I don't think it's worth the risk. There are other more-suitable hobbies that don't involve deadly weapons. I've witnessed scary behavior with firearms by individuals with mild mental issues. Perhaps you could discuss this with her doctors?
You might consider the fact that Adam Lanza had Autism. Of course, I'm not saying your daughter would commit mass murder, but much is not known about Autism. Adam's mother saw nothing wrong with allowing him to have guns. As I said, there are safer, more-appropriate hobbies; why does it have to be shooting?

I didn't say that she wasn't interested, I said she isn't overly interested. She takes notice of the smallest things/actions/behaviors. Due to the ADHD, she may not hold interest for extended periods of time, but in the several moments she can memorize about 90% of whatever it happens to be & is accurate. Autism is not a mental disorder, it's a neurological issue.

Yes, I think putting my daughter into a hypothetical adult situation when she's only 9 is premature. And there's a whole bucket full of details I could pick apart with that example, too involved... There's nothing to consider about that situation. That situation is not MY situation. I don't put my kids into situations that are unrealistic for them. I wouldn't consider activities for them just because I have an interest in them.

Of course, I am well aware of activities & hobbies that are suitable for my daughter. She is and has been involved with extracurriculars. While ballet, dance, soccer, etc are activities to participate in, Firearm safehandling is a skill. (For productive reasons that are nobodys concern, stimulating brain activity helps the brain function within itself. That's not my main or top reason but it's better to think & focus, than run around & just do)

But other hobbies aren't my intent, and I didn't say it had to be shooting, but that's the only thing Im inquiring about here. I wouldn't post here to find out about a karate class. I appreciate you taking the time to reply, thanks.

[ENTHUSIAST]

Perhaps you could discuss this with her doctors?

This is horrible advice there have been numerous threads here on Calguns about doctors questioning parents about firearm ownership in the home as part of a "routine medical questionnaire". They are trained in the medical profession to have an Anti-Gun bias and to treat guns as a danger. They are not going to give the OP any helpful advice regarding taking his daughter shooting.

OP you know your daughter best I think you are right take it slow with a Daisy BB gun then gradually move up to a single shot .22LR. Ingrain in her all the rules about safety while teaching her the finer points about marksmanship no need to be in a hurry to move up in terms of caliber. Let her become confident around guns and allow her to learn firearms at a pace that is comfortable for her while developing a strong father daughter bond.

[junbug7]

This is horrible advice there have been numerous threads here on Calguns about doctors questioning parents about firearm ownership in the home as part of a "routine medical questionnaire". They are trained in the medical profession to have an Anti-Gun bias and to treat guns as a danger. They are not going to give the OP any helpful advice regarding taking his daughter shooting.

OP you know your daughter best I think you are right take it slow with a Daisy BB gun then gradually move up to a single shot .22LR. Ingrain in her all the rules about safety while teaching her the finer points about marksmanship no need to be in a hurry to move up in terms of caliber. Let her become confident around guns and allow her to learn firearms at a pace that is comfortable for her while developing a strong father daughter bond.

I didn't even respond to that because I wouldn't ask her Dr about that. That's a parental decision. If you don't know or can't tell what your child is capable & able to do than that would be a "No" answer in my opinion.

I think she'd enjoy the pink BB gun!!

[darkwater]

Personally, I wouldn't introduce firearms to anyone with Autism (or any mental disorder), especially since, as you say, she's not interested. I don't think it's worth the risk. There are other more-suitable hobbies that don't involve deadly weapons. I've witnessed scary behavior with firearms by individuals with mild mental issues. Perhaps you could discuss this with her doctors?

You might consider the fact that Adam Lanza had Autism. Of course, I'm not saying your daughter would commit mass murder, but much is not known about Autism. Adam's mother saw nothing wrong with allowing him to have guns. As I said, there are safer, more-appropriate hobbies; why does it have to be shooting?

http://www.mdedge.com/currentpsychiatry/article/77690/neurology/violent-behavior-autism-spectrum-disorder-it-fact-or/page/0/2

"Most people who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not commit violent crime. When violent crime occurs at the hands of a person with ASD, it is almost always precipitated by a comorbid psychiatric disorder, such as severe depression or psychosis. "

https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/no-link-between-autism-and-violence

“As a spectrum disorder, autism is quite variable,” Dr. Veenstra-VanderWeele says. “But planned violence overall is less common, not more common, in people with autism. When stories like this emerge, it’s sometimes tempting to link a single person's actions to a larger group of people who share something in common.”

I have a son on the spectrum, too. He was on the trap team last year and did very well with safe gun handling.

[Win231]

http://www.mdedge.com/currentpsychia...ct-or/page/0/2

"Most people who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not commit violent crime. When violent crime occurs at the hands of a person with ASD, it is almost always precipitated by a comorbid psychiatric disorder, such as severe depression or psychosis. "

https://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/no-link-between-autism-and-violence

There are 40 mothers & fathers of young children who likely wouldn't be comforted by the theories of psychiatrists. These are the same "Qualified Medical Professionals" who get it wrong so frequently...declaring inmates up for parole hearings to be "not a threat to society" and sending abused children back into their parents' homes where they are then murdered by those "non-threatening," parents, & declaring sex offenders "rehabilitated."

[darkwater]

Ok, so again...you're going to blame all ASD people for the act of a few...and you wonder why the anti-gun crowd is winning?

[zvardan]

The autism spectrum is always being updated. In fact, ADHD is now being lumped under autism (and Dyslexia), something I take medication to treat. But of course, who knows how much of this is related to medical conditions (what we want to believe) and what can effectively be chalked up to personality differences within an individual.

Comparing Adam Lanza to someone who is, for example, socially shy and "weird", is effectively ignoring all other aspects of an individuals life experience as an input to their overall behavior and character. Nature versus nurture...

Ergo, as we say here, correlation does not always equal causation.

[A-J]

I have a 9 year old daughter who has Autism & ADHD. She's on the higher end of the spectrum with her Autism, and her Rx for ADHD is pretty effective. Since I bought my first handgun in 2013, I've sooo wanted her to become familiar with firearms and learn to shoot. When I have a firearm out to clean & such, I casually show it to her. She listens for the most part, not overly interested or curious to "play" with it.

I'm not the most patient person, and I don't want her to have any anxious or uncomfortable feelings when learning. Besides I'd rather a more advanced/experienced individual teach her. Does anybody know of any Instructors, ranges, classes that would be suitable for her?? Any info would be appreciated, thanks!! =)
.

I had the same issue with my son who is also high functioning autistic. We would sit and talk about guns, and I would show him how they operate while cleaning. We also went over the 4 rules repeatedly. Then we were at the range and my wife caught a hot case down the shirt. In his mind, she "got shot" and that was it for years.

Then he decides he wanted to shoot. We go over everything and finally are at the range, 1 round loaded into the Mosquito, he raises the gun and his hand is shaking so bad he couldn't do it. No go.

A couple years later, and you have what this post here describes:

http://calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1124082

There is nothing more satisfying than shooting with my kid, and he's been bugging me constantly ever since that day to go again.

My advice - take your time, do it slow, and she'll let you know when she's ready. Try not to be disappointed if it takes longer than you'd like.