My ASD Child

What mom or dad doesn't watch their "tween" become a teenager without a twinge of anxiety? Factor autism into the equation, and you may well wonder how physical and hormonal changes will affect your son or daughter.  What will it be like traversing the social minefield of high school for a young person who has a social disability? How will typical teenage rebellion look in someone who struggles with behavioral control? ==> Here are our "best-of" videos to help parents to assist their "special needs" teens...

"I'm in desperate need of some strategies to deal with my (high-functioning) son's anger. When he starts to stew about something, it's not long before all hell breaks loose. Any suggestions?!" All of us exhibit some "signs" just as we begin to get angry. Identify the anger signs in your high-functioning autistic (HFA) or Asperger’s son. For example, you may detect a certain "look in the eye," the tone of voice or the tightness in the body. Help your youngster to observe these signs right at the onset of anger. Once Young people on the autism spectrum can identify the early signs of their anger, they can also learn to diffuse it by such methods as walking away or taking full and vigorous breaths. Train your youngster to respond to your "signal" like your hand motion to stay calm. Give that signal as soon as your youngster starts "stewing" about something. If your youngster is too young for such self-control

"How can I prepare my son with HFA for adulthood? He seems so immature for his age and we worry about how he's going to cope with life being out of the 'nest'." Very few young adults with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) are ready for “full independent” living. They need ongoing support, social skills training, and encouragement from parents as they learn to negotiate the “adult world.” Adolescents with HFA need extra time to gradually learn and practice adult life skills (e.g., finding a job, managing finances, doing laundry, preparing meals, driving a car, arranging medical appointments, etc.). Many of these individuals may not be ready for adult responsibilities at the same age as their neurotypical peers. They may choose to live at home and attend a local community college rather than go to a university where they would need to live on campus. Many have even experienced sudden drops in their grades as graduation approached, due to fears about