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31.8.10

Autistic Traits In Adults: Online Test

The Autism-Spectrum Quotient, or AQ, is a measure of the extent of autistic traits in adults. 
 



Definitely agree Slightly agree Slightly disagree Definitely disagree
1 I prefer to do things with others rather than on my own.
2 I prefer to do things the same way over and over again.
3 If I try to imagine something, I find it very easy to create a picture in my mind.
4 I frequently get so strongly absorbed in one thing that I lose sight of other things.
5 I often notice small sounds when others do not.
6 I usually notice car number plates or similar strings of information.
7 Other people frequently tell me that what I've said is impolite, even though I think it is polite.
8 When I'm reading a story, I can easily imagine what the characters might look like.
9 I am fascinated by dates.
10 In a social group, I can easily keep track of several different people's conversations.
11 I find social situations easy.
12 I tend to notice details that others do not.
13 I would rather go to a library than to a party.
14 I find making up stories easy.
15 I find myself drawn more strongly to people than to things.
16 I tend to have very strong interests, which I get upset about if I can't pursue.
17 I enjoy social chitchat.
18 When I talk, it isn't always easy for others to get a word in edgewise.
19 I am fascinated by numbers.
20 When I'm reading a story, I find it difficult to work out the characters' intentions.
21 I don't particularly enjoy reading fiction.
22 I find it hard to make new friends.
23 I notice patterns in things all the time.
24 I would rather go to the theater than to a museum.
25 It does not upset me if my daily routine is disturbed.
26 I frequently find that I don't know how to keep a conversation going.
27 I find it easy to 'read between the lines' when someone is talking to me.
28 I usually concentrate more on the whole picture, rather than on the small details.
29 I am not very good at remembering phone numbers.
30 I don't usually notice small changes in a situation or a person's appearance.
31 I know how to tell if someone listening to me is getting bored.
32 I find it easy to do more than one thing at once.
33 When I talk on the phone, I'm not sure when it's my turn to speak.
34 I enjoy doing things spontaneously.
35 I am often the last to understand the point of a joke.
36 I find it easy to work out what someone is thinking or feeling just by looking at their face.
37 If there is an interruption, I can switch back to what I was doing very quickly.
38 I am good at social chitchat.
39 People often tell me that I keep going on and on about the same thing.
40 When I was young, I used to enjoy playing games involving pretending with other children.
41 I like to collect information about categories of things (e.g., types of cars, birds, trains, plants).
42 I find it difficult to imagine what it would be like to be someone else.
43 I like to carefully plan any activities I participate in.
44 I enjoy social occasions.
45 I find it difficult to work out people's intentions.
46 New situations make me anxious.
47 I enjoy meeting new people.
48 I am a good diplomat.
49 I am not very good at remembering people's date of birth.
50 I find it very easy to play games with children that involve pretending.



How to score: 

"Definitely agree" or "Slightly agree" responses to questions 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 33, 35, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46 score 1 point

"Definitely disagree" or "Slightly disagree" responses to questions 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50 score 1 point

In the first major trial using the test, the average score in the control group was 16.4. Eighty percent of those diagnosed with autism or a related disorder scored 32 or higher. The test is not a means for making a diagnosis, however, and many who score above 32 and even meet the diagnostic criteria for mild autism or Asperger's report no difficulty functioning in their everyday lives. 

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How to Prevent Meltdowns in Aspergers Children

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 child is totally out-of-control. When it ends, both you and the Asperger’s 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.

If your child suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, expect him to experience both minor and major meltdowns over incidents that are part of daily life. He may have a major meltdown over a very small incident, or may experience a minor meltdown over something that is major. There is no way of telling how he is going to react about certain situations. However, there are many ways to help your child learn to control his emotions.

Click here for the full article...

Parenting Defiant Aspergers Teens

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

The standard disciplinary techniques that are recommended for “typical” teenagers do not take into account the many issues facing a child with a neurological disorder. Violent rages, self-injury, isolation-seeking tendencies and communication problems that arise due to auditory and sensory issues are just some of the behaviors that parents of teens with Aspergers will have to learn to control.

Parents need to come up with a consistent disciplinary plan ahead of time, and then present a united front and continually review their strategies for potential changes and improvements as the Aspergers teen develops and matures.

Click here to read the full article…

Aspergers Children “Block-Out” Their Emotions

Parenting children with Aspergers can be a daunting task. In layman’s terms, Aspergers is a developmental disability that affects the way children develop and understand the world around them, and is directly linked to their senses and sensory processing. This means they often use certain behaviors to block out their emotions or response to pain.

Although they may vary slightly from person to person, children with Aspergers tend to have similar symptoms, the main ones being:

=> A need to know when everything is happening in order not to feel completely overwhelmed
=> A rigid insistence on routine (where any change can cause an emotional and physiological meltdown)
=> Difficulties with social functioning, particularly in the rough and tumble of a school environment
=> Obsessive interests, with a focus on one subject to the exclusion of all others
=> Sensory issues, where they are oversensitive to bright light, loud sounds and unpleasant smells
=> Social isolation and struggles to make friends due to a lack of empathy, and an inability to pick up on or understand social graces and cues (such as stopping talking and allowing others to speak)

Click here to read the full article…

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Research reveals that the divorce rate for people with Aspergers is around 80%. Why so high!? The answer may be found in how the symptoms of Aspergers affect intimate relationships.

People with Aspergers often find it difficult to understand others and express themselves. They may seem to lose interest in people over time, appear aloof, and are often mistaken as self-centered, vain individuals.

A person with Aspergers may have trouble understanding the emotions of their partner, and the subtle messages that are sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. Because of this, a person with Aspergers might be seen as egotistical, selfish or uncaring.

These are unfair labels, because the affected individuals are neurologically unable to understand other people's emotional states, and they are usually shocked, upset and remorseful when told their actions were hurtful or inappropriate!

Click here to read the full article…

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