My ASD Child

"What are some of the better treatment options for children on the autism spectrum?" While there is no cure for Aspergers or High Functioning Autism (HFA), treating it early with proper school-based programs and medical care can (a) greatly reduce symptoms and (b) increase your youngster's ability to grow and learn new skills. Early Intervention— Research has shown that intensive behavioral therapy during the toddler or preschool years can significantly improve cognitive and language skills in young kids with Aspergers and HFA. There is no single best treatment for all kids, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recently noted common features of effective early intervention programs. These include: Encouraging activities that include typically developing kids, as long as such activities help meet a specific learning goal Guiding the youngster in adapting learned skills to new situations and settings and maintaining learned skills Having small classes to al

"We have a son who we believe may have asperger syndrome and we were wondering how this disorder is diagnosed." An Aspergers diagnosis is often a two-stage process. The first stage involves general developmental screening during the child’s checkups with a doctor or an early childhood health care provider. Kids who show some developmental problems are referred for additional evaluation. The second stage involves a thorough evaluation by a team of doctors and other health professionals with a wide range of specialties. At this stage, a youngster may be diagnosed as having some form of autism. Kids with an autism spectrum disorder can usually be reliably diagnosed by age 2, though research suggests that some screening tests can be helpful at 18 months or even younger. Many individuals (e.g., family doctors, teachers, and moms/dads) may minimize signs of Aspergers at first, believing that kids will "catch up" with their friends. While you may be concerned about