My ASD Child

"What therapy (or therapies) are recommended for struggling teenagers on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum?" Not all teenagers enjoy the "happy-go-lucky" days of adolescence. Unfortunately, there are those who suffer from development disorders such as Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). When things start to go wrong (e.g., behavioral problems, meltdowns, poor academic performance, etc.), parents often despair of not being able to effectively help their child. Arguments are waged as to the management of “special needs” teens who act-out aggressively at home or school, commit crimes, or even attempt suicide. Sadly, our society has impoverished resources to address such issues, and while some hospitals are available, all too often the answer is jail. However, research has demonstrated that “troubled” young people on the autism spectrum do not need to be hospitalized or incarcerated to get the help they need. A home-based mo

Pragmatic speech is language used to communicate and socialize (e.g., knowing what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and generally how to “act” around others during conversation). Many children with Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism have difficulty using language in various social situations – even though they may have large vocabularies and are able to speak in full sentences that are clearly articulated. These “special needs” kids may say words clearly and use long, complex sentences with correct grammar, but still have a communication problem if they haven’t mastered the rules for social language known as pragmatics. Click here for the full article...