My ASD Child

“Our son is slightly quirky and eccentric. We believe it is high functioning autism or Asperger syndrome. How important is it to get a diagnosis? What things should we look at with regard to past behaviors or symptoms that may confirm he has it?” Getting an accurate diagnosis is important in getting appropriate treatment for your son. Without an official diagnosis, he’s in limbo, legally and financially. With a diagnosis, doors to treatment open. Your physician will be asking you for some information about your son’s past. A careful history should be obtained, including:  medical and family history information related to pregnancy and neonatal period early development and characteristics of development Your physician should review any previous records, including previous evaluations. The information incorporated and the results should be compared in order to obtain a sense of course of development. Also, several other specific areas should be directly examined becau

Dyspraxia is a disorder that affects motor skill development. Most children with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) have a history of delayed acquisition of motor skills (e.g., hand writing, pedaling a bike, tying shoe laces, catching a ball, opening jars, climbing monkey-bars, etc.), which is called “motor clumsiness.” These kids are often visibly awkward, exhibiting rigid gait patterns, odd posture, poor manipulative skills, and significant deficits in visual-motor coordination. Although this presentation contrasts with the pattern of motor development in autistic kids (for whom the area of motor skills is often a relative strength), it is similar in some respects to what is observed in older people with autism. In this post, we will discuss the following: Constructional Dyspraxia   Ideational Dyspraxia   Ideomotor Dyspraxia   Oromotor Dyspraxia Speech and language therapy Perceptual motor training Occupational therapy   Active play   Equine the

"In your practice, what would you say is the most common symptom shared by children with high functioning autism?" I would say the most commonly observed symptom in High Functioning Autism involves preoccupation with restricted patterns of interest. Children with High Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS) are not commonly reported to exhibit ALL of the typical symptoms associated with this disorder… (e.g., encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus; failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level; inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals; lack of social or emotional reciprocity; lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people; marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate