My ASD Child

"I understand that social skills must be taught to children on the autism spectrum, but how can parents actually do this outside of a formal skills training course? Thanks in advance for your response!" The process of teaching social skills to children with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) involves a six-step plan: assessment of existing skills defining what skills will be taught (i.e., setting goals and objectives) planning how the skills will be taught (i.e., teaching strategies) implementing the teaching plan assessing child progress adapting the teaching strategy so that the child acquires the target skill Most social skills programs for kids with Aspergers and HFA fall into one of two theoretical frameworks: (1) behavioral and (2) developmental. 1. In a behavioral approach , the youngster’s behavior is evaluated according to (a) the presence of dysfunctional behavior (e.g., presence of abnormal behaviors, abnormal frequency of certain beh

Presented by parents, teachers, and professionals in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders, this video explains underlying differences in students on the spectrum and suggests strategies for increasing their success in school:  ==> Teaching Students with Aspergers and HFA: Course for Educators

“Are most children on the autism spectrum basically the same with respect to symptoms and level of functioning, or are there significant differences from one child to the next?” Active  -  Aloof  -  Passive Kids with Aspergers (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) demonstrate widely differing levels of skills and severity of symptoms. These children demonstrate impairments in relationships to peers, the use of nonverbal communicative behaviors within their social exchanges, the use of imitation, and symbolic or dramatic play. Social interactions are characterized by low rates of both initiation and response. This is most marked in interactions for the purpose of sharing experiences and establishing interpersonal connection. The use of nonverbal communication (e.g., gestures, emotional expressions) is affected in AS/HFA kids, both expressively and receptively. These children use fewer nonverbal gestures and a more limited range of facial expressions in their communications

The recent school shooting may have raised many questions for your Aspergers youngster. There are no easy answers about this kind of tragedy, but it is important for moms and dads to try to explain what has happened in order to help ease their youngster’s fears and anxieties about his personal safety. If your child will be around other kids or has access to media of any type, it’s important to discuss the shooting. It will be less frightening if she hears about it from you instead of from a classmate or reading about it on the Internet.  To guide you through difficult discussions about school violence, here are a few suggestions: 1. Be patient. Tragic news takes time for children to process. They may express their confusion and fear in unexpected ways. Be there with lots of extra, love, support and reassurance. 2. Create a safety plan with your Aspergers youngster. Help identify which grown-ups (e.g., teacher, school counselor, coach, etc.) your youngster can talk to if he

"Why Did Adam Lanza Murder Innocent Children?" There are two answers to this question: (1) we will never know what triggered Adam to do such a horrific act (i.e., the straw that broke the camel’s back), and (2) there were multiple factors involved. Studies on violent crime committed by young people have increased our understanding of factors that make some populations more vulnerable to perpetration. Risk factors increase the likelihood that a young man (or woman) will become violent. However, risk factors are NOT direct causes of violent crime; rather, risk factors contribute to violent crime. A complex interaction of factors leads to an increased risk of violent behavior in young people.  These factors include: Community Risk Factors— Socially disorganized neighborhoods Low levels of community participation High level of transiency High level of family disruption High concentrations of poor residents Diminished economic opportunities Social

To all parents of children and teens affected by Aspergers and High Functioning Autism: There is someone who spends almost as much time with your child as you do. But, this person may not understand your child’s disorder and related symptoms. Also, this person may not pick up on subtle signs and signals that a particular child is becoming “troubled.” This person is your child’s teacher. Make no mistake: I’m not blaming teachers for what happened on 12/14/12 (i.e., the Adam Lanza tragedy). But I strongly believe that one of the most important resources that we have to see to it that nothing like 12/14 ever happens again is our teachers. Even though there is growing awareness about autism spectrum disorders in the educational system, much misinformation and lack of information still exists. And this is where you, the parent, can help. Please email your child’s teacher(s) with the link to this post… Copy and paste the following URL into an email: https://www.myaspergerschil

"We are in need of some strategies to curb our son's destructive behaviors, which usually vacillates between periods of being quiet and withdrawn to periods of full out tantrumming (yelling, throwing things)." Destructive behavior (e.g., hitting and kicking, throwing objects, damaging property, screaming, etc.) is common in some kids with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). This type of behavior can be disturbing and possibly dangerous, and requires a specific parenting approach as well as additional supervision to ensure the safety of everyone involved.    Since children on the spectrum do not respond well to traditional disciplinary strategies, parents must come up with an approach that doesn't accidentally reward unwanted behavior. While the disorder is incurable, learning and development is possible with the proper treatment and education. Moms and dads should embrace early intervention opportunities whenever possible, as these can help kids develo

Moms and dads with children on the spectrum understandably want to know how their kids will cope in the future. However, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) occur across a wide range of strengths and weaknesses, so making an accurate prognosis is difficult, particularly at a young age. Even though the range of outcomes for kids on the spectrum is so broad, the possibility of relatively normal functioning in adolescence and adulthood offers hope to many moms and dads of kids with ASD. The possibility of permanent “recovery” from ASD (in the sense of eventual attainment of social and cognitive skills) has been raised in association with a number of educational and treatment programs. Studies have revealed that there are some kids who have symptoms of ASD in early preschool years who do not have these symptoms in any obvious form in later years. Whether these improvements reflect (a) developmental pathways of very mildly affected kids, or (b) changes in developmental pathways in respo