My ASD Child

"I have a partner and many family members with Asperger’s, but the worst affected is 19. He has very limited social skills, his eating pattern is poor, and so is his sleeping pattern. But he is addicted to a game on his computer. How do we as parents encourage him to spend less time on the computer, eat better, and sleep more?" Playing electronic games provides repetition, consistency, and security in his life. Also, electronic games are predictable. He can count on the same actions and results every time he plays the games. People with Asperger’s Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism want to feel safe and secure in their activities. The electronic games allow him to follow predetermined rules that result in predictable outcomes. It sounds like your son is concentrating on electronic games at the expense of his health. He spends time in front of a video screen that could be better spent learning new eating habits and practicing better sleeping patterns. Che

Question I have a 5 year old son that has high functioning autism and he doesn't like to sleep in his own bed. We have tried everything. It's frustrating because he will continue to come into my bed and that is very difficult to deal with. If we try to put him in his bed it will trigger an outburst and it will last well into the night. Which makes us very tired and emotionally drain. How do I transition him back into his bed and help him understand he has to stay there and he can't sleep in my bed. Now that he is getting older and bigger it's very difficult. Answer Routine is key backed up by social story/Pecs or some kind of visual cue. For example the routine could be story - bath - hot drink - bed. The social story could feature his favorite cartoon character, animal or something like that. Then it's down to good old fashioned perseverance with the routine rigidly every night - and you should see change.   ==>  How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantru

"Are there any connections between ADHD children and those with high functioning autism? My child is diagnosed with ADHD, but he seems to cross over a bit with weak social skills and emotional behavior. How do you determine what is ADHD-related behavior versus autism-related behavior?"   Click here for the answer...

Check out these wonderful parenting tips from parents of Aspergers kids who have "been there and done that": Parenting Tip 1 – Visual charts I found that creating a chart for my 8 yr. old with aspergers, helps him to stay on task. It may seem facetious to most but I really believe he responds well to having some sort of written regime. Mornings before school used to be a nightmare, but now he has each task written out with a particular window/timeframe. He seems to be responding very well with this.mNo more frustrated mornings, running out the door to catch the bus. He actually even likes to challenge the timeframes on the chart to show that he can beat them. Now we’re out for the bus with time to spare. Hope this advice can help someone else Ray Parenting Tip 2 – Gentle and consistent learning Our eight year old son has Asperger’s and OCD. He was very speak and motor delayed and a major behavior problem for everyone but me. We’ve since learned th

"I would like some tips on how to teach a younger sibling (age 3, not in school yet due to rural location) not to pick up unwanted behaviours from his Aspie brother." You might be concerned that your 3-year-old will pick up unwanted behaviours because he might have Asperger’s Syndrome, also. Asperger’s does, indeed, have a genetic component. New research in the area of Asperger’s has shown that toddler siblings of autistic children are more likely to exhibit the same atypical behaviours as their brothers and sisters with autism, even when they don’t eventually develop the disorder. Andy Shih, PhD, of the Baby Sibling Research Consortium, states that this increases the importance of careful monitoring of high-risk siblings of children with autism (or Asperger’s) for any signs of a disorder. If one should occur, you are well-situated for early intervention. If atypical behaviours occur, but there is no Asperger’s, you will feel relief at knowing that your second ch

"How can I break through the rigid thinking that prevents my child from making a connection between his misbehavior and negative consequences? Once he gets an idea in his head, no amount of evidence to the contrary will persuade him." Click here for the answer...

"My 7-year-old daughter was recently diagnosed with high functioning autism. This is all so new to me. How can I understand the way she thinks? We are definitely not on the same page much of the time!" Click here for the answer...