My ASD Child

"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of some strategies to curb our son's destructive behaviors, which usually vacillates between periods of being quiet and withdrawn to periods of full out tantrumming (yelling, throwing things)."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