Rewards and Discipline for Children with HFA and AS

By Mark Hutten, M.A.
One of the most difficult challenges in dealing with Aspergers (High-Functioning Autism) children is determining how to reward them when they’ve done a good job and how to discipline them when they exhibit an undesirable behavior. Parents of Aspergers children are often reluctant to use any form of discipline, and the usual reward systems don’t often work for these kids.

Many Aspergers children don’t respond as well to praise or hugs as other children do. Instead, they might respond to things like a favorite treat, a favorite toy or preferred music as a way of showing them they’ve done something good.

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