My ASD Child

"What can I do as a parent to help my Asperger's child to be less anxious about his upcoming trip to the zoo? His 5th grade class will be going on this field trip next week, and he is very nervous about it." Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and anxiety go hand-in-hand. It affects a child’s ability to communicate with others or to understand the world around him, and that’s bound to cause anxiety and panic sometimes. Anxiety becomes even worse when there is a change in the ASD child’s routine. Even positive and “fun” changes, like a school field trip or a visit to the zoo, can increase anxiety and aggressive behaviors. The renowned autism expert Tony Atwood is fond of putting it this way: “Autism is anxiety looking for a target.” For parents, the best course of action is to anticipate upcoming changes and help your child prepare for them. Many parents find it helpful to use stories and pictures to prepare children for impending disruptions. If it’s a field trip to the

"I would like ideas on how to deal with my Aspergers son’s frustrations. He will either dig his heels in and refuse to do what he is supposed to do, or he shuts down and then we have a time away so he can get himself together to discuss the problem. It seems he works himself up over things that are not that big a deal." Click here for the answer...

Asperger’s Syndrome is: a complex brain disorder that falls within the Autism spectrum a developmental condition in which people have difficulties understanding how to interact socially  a mild variation of autism; however, individuals with Asperger's Syndrome have normal intelligence and language development a neurological disorder with symptoms similar to those of “classic” autism a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by persistent impairments in social interaction, restricted development and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities an autistic spectrum disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction, motor delays, adherence to routines, average to above-average intelligence, and preoccupation with a particular subject of interest called a syndrome because the cause is not known, but it does describes how a person thinks, feels, and acts as a human being characterized as being at the mildest and highest functioning end of the s