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Aspergers/HFA and ADD

"My 12 year old was recently diagnosed with having asperger's. He doesn't fit the typical mold that I read about, and the neuro-psychologist agreed that he is an unusual case. He is extremely likable, has a good many friends, very polite and well mannered. He does however have the obsessive personality and hyper-focusing that is typical with asperger's as well as fascination with collecting things, bottle caps, shark teeth...which he can look for hours at a time for. He is very smart and has always made great grades and has never had behavior issues at home or at school, which is probably why he flew under the radar until now. Our struggles have to do with his attention...as if he is ADD (tested negative three times). He literally cannot stay on task and is so easily distracted. After a "pep" talk stating that he "owns" his brain and he can control the urges if he puts his mind to it...he can produce. I know its short term but he doesn’t and he feels great when he knocks out something. Remember, we just found out...so we've always treated him as "normal" as the others, why wouldn't we? And again, he's always risen to the challenge of most anything...with a great attitude. I'm desperately looking for ways to help him stay on task with schoolwork and staying on task? Is there anyone there that might know of something, tips, tricks, etc.? Please let me know."

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Karen Gomez Vega my son is like that too. he is atypical but the symptoms he does have are very strong of an aspie. that is why autism as a whole is called a spectrum. if you need to talk with someone that has an atypical aspie, i am here : ) my son is 7.
3 hours ago · Like
Rebecca Komlofske my son is 13 and very much what you described... he is a crystal child...
3 hours ago · Like
Bridget Stull
Could he be PDD-NOS? My daughter was labeled autistic and then dropped down to Aspie, and then after pushing for another eval she is considered PDD-NOS. She is 8, very social with ADULTS but doesnt understand kids. I personally think its because she spent her first 2.5 yrs in the hospital, and then her interaction remained limited to other kids because of her low immune system/heart complications. she really does try latley to play with other kids, but they dont get her, esp when she stems out of the blue.
3 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Trista Yordy Cline I know what you mean. My son is 10 and atypical. Very complex disorder.
3 hours ago · Like
Danielle Clute my son is the same way,but his sensory issues and anxiety have now been determined due to aspergers.He doesn't fit much else of the symptoms other than no eye contact and socially isolates.I agree there is such differences with the spectrum.
2 hours ago · Like
Joe Whitehead M Ed ‎9 times out of 10 it all stems from being bullied. The social skills playhouse in Texas has helped my Dtr overcome this and the bullies are now her buddies.

Anonymous said...

Wendy Hanlon My daughters diagnosis of autism has been questioned and they said that it's more like PDD-NOS as she is popular, is able to maintain friends and loves to interact (although mainly on her terms) she is also able to be extremely sarcastic and uses autism to her advantage to excuse her from not doing things!
21 hours ago · Like
Karen Williams I have an atypical AS 12 y/o also...it is such a spectrum, no 2 are alike, as no 2 kids regardless of whether they have any dx are alike.
20 hours ago · Like
Karen Gomez Vega joe-neither of my boys are bullied and are both on the spectrum so i disagree. as i have stated before, this is a spectrum and all children are going to be diagnosed for different reasons. i taught my boys to look me in the eye, not to let others bully them, etc. they are certainly not the most popular boys in class and others DO know they are different but we work through like everything else in their lives. it is not easy and we have our good days and bad days but i am not ready to put it all on other kids bullying.
18 hours ago · Like

My child has been rejected by his peers, ridiculed and bullied !!!

Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages self-esteem and often causes anxiety and depression. As the child feels worse about himself and becomes more anxious and depressed – he performs worse, socially and intellectually.

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How to Prevent Meltdowns in Children on the Spectrum

Meltdowns are not a pretty sight. They are somewhat like overblown temper tantrums, but unlike tantrums, meltdowns can last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. When it starts, the Asperger's or HFA child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and your child are totally exhausted. But... don’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. At the least provocation, for the remainder of that day -- and sometimes into the next - the meltdown can return in full force.

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Parenting Defiant Teens on the Spectrum

Although Aspergers [high-functioning autism] is at the milder end of the autism spectrum, the challenges parents face when disciplining a teenager on the spectrum are more difficult than they would be with an average teen. Complicated by defiant behavior, the teen is at risk for even greater difficulties on multiple levels – unless the parents’ disciplinary techniques are tailored to their child's special needs.

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Older Teens and Young Adult Children with ASD Still Living At Home

Your older teenager or young “adult child” isn’t sure what to do, and he is asking you for money every few days. How do you cut the purse strings and teach him to be independent? Parents of teens with ASD face many problems that other parents do not. Time is running out for teaching their adolescent how to become an independent adult. As one mother put it, "There's so little time, yet so much left to do."

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Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Two traits often found in kids with High-Functioning Autism are “mind-blindness” (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and “alexithymia” (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in others). These two traits reduce the youngster’s ability to empathize with peers. As a result, he or she may be perceived by adults and other children as selfish, insensitive and uncaring.

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to read the full article...

Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and HFA

Become an expert in helping your child cope with his or her “out-of-control” emotions, inability to make and keep friends, stress, anger, thinking errors, and resistance to change.

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