My ASD Child

My 8 year old son was diagnosed with autism at age 4. He displayed many of the symptoms of autism, poor social skills, tantrums, sensory problems. Now with early intervention he has blossomed. At the end of Kindergarten he was assessed again by the School Board and he no longer fit the criteria for Autism. He is now in 2nd grade and doing well. He is very smart with an IQ of 132 and a verbal IQ of 148; I got these results when I had him tested to see if he was gifted. The results were yes he is gifted. I did not tell the Dr. of his prior diagnosis of Autism, I guess I wanted to believe that the earlier diagnosis of Autism was a misdiagnosis. Now I had a staffing at school and according to the onsite psychologist he does not qualify to be in the gifted program. I was upset because I think he would fit in much better with the gifted kids. My son sounds like a walking dictionary. After reading about Asperger wow that is my son! Very high IQ, high vocabulary, obsessive interests! He i

The following food items make limited use of specialty gluten-, casein- and soy-free items like expensive flours and other substitute ingredients. Most everything can be purchased at your local grocery store and these ideas are meant so that everyone in the house can eat it rather than needing to cook two meals. Breakfast: • Bacon Potatoes • Cereal with milk • Cereal, Cream of rice • Donuts/donut holes • Eggs, fried, scrambled, poached • Eggs, Scrambled with avocado • French toast • Fruit • Grits • Hash Brown Casserole • Hash Browns • Hash with poached eggs (corned beef or ham) • Hominy • Meat - ham, bacon, steak, sausage • Muffins, Banana Coconut Flour • Pancakes, Fabulous Banana • Pancakes, Nut Butter • Sausage • Waffles Lunch: • Chicken and rice (arroz con pollo) • Chicken Fries • Chicken Nuggets, Battered • Chicken Nuggets, Pecan-coated • Chicken Salad • Salad, Almost-Cobb • Sandwiches – peanut butter and jelly, lunchmeat, chicken salad, egg salad,

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurobiological condition that cannot be cured. Although medications do not fully alleviate the symptoms, it is common for physicians to prescribe a variety of medications to help improve a child with Autism’s outlook and circumstances. Anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and drugs for hyperactivity are all commonly used to lessen the effects of social anxiety, depression, fear, sensory issues, and additional emotional distresses that can cause problems for children with ASD. With trial and error, the correct medication course and dosage can make all the difference in the life of a child with Autism or ASD. Medication, while not appropriate for all children with Autism, can change the course for some children, allowing for a life of independence. Researchers are working to find medications that can be used to treat the symptoms of ASD in children. Some medications can serve dual purposes, like an anti-seizure medication

Thanks to the recent advances in the areas of research and awareness, children are being diagnosed with ASD at increasingly younger ages. In the past, a child with Aspergers would easily go undiagnosed until the second year of school, or even later. Pediatricians are now using guidelines for developmental milestones, along with parental checklists, to question whether young children need to be tested for ASD. Because of these efforts, children as young as 15-18 months of age are receiving the Autism diagnosis, allowing for early treatment options. Early Intervention programs are state-run government programs that offer testing, evaluation, and treatments to children from birth to age three, with medical needs and/or developmental delays. These programs are funded by state and federal government agencies and are offered to families at no cost beyond health insurance coverage. In most cases, testing is done in the child’s home and therapies are offered within the home if possi

You need to understand what your youngster or adolescent is thinking, how he interprets what is going on, and how his deficits cause problems before you can begin any intervention strategy. Do not rush into action until you have collected enough information and analyzed what is going on. If you do not know the reasons behind the behavior, you may very likely do the wrong thing. If you know what is going on, you can help things go better. Click here for the full article...

Aspergers Child Physical Abuse— The statistics on physical child abuse are alarming. It is estimated hundreds of thousands of kids are physically abused each year by a parent or close relative. Thousands actually die as a result of the abuse. For those who survive, the emotional trauma remains long after the external bruises have healed. Communities and the courts recognize that these emotional “hidden bruises” can be treated. Early recognition and treatment is important to minimize the long term effect of physical abuse. Whenever a youngster says he or she has been abused, it must be taken seriously and immediately evaluated. Aspergers kids who have been abused may display: • a poor self image • aggressive, disruptive, and sometimes illegal behavior • anger and rage • anxiety and fears • drug and alcohol abuse • fear of entering into new relationships or activities • feelings of sadness or other symptoms of depression • flashbacks, nightmares • inability

Kids who have Aspergers (high functioning autism) think and function very differently than other kids. In most cases, they need special help and coaching to function more successfully in their school and home environments. Treatments for Aspergers focus on helping kids manage in these settings. Special education services, behavior therapy, speech therapy, and physical or occupational therapy may help the youngster learn to function more effectively and harmoniously with others. Training and counseling for parents and other family members also may be helpful. There are no specific medications used to treat Aspergers. However, kids who suffer from anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, or obsessive-compulsive disorder as a result of Aspergers may benefit from medication to help with these symptoms. When these medications are prescribed, the youngster will be monitored by his or her health care provider at regular intervals throughout treatment. To treat depression, drugs such

More males than females have Aspergers (high functioning autism). While every man or woman who has the syndrome will experience different symptoms and severity of symptoms, some of the more common characteristics include: Adherence to routines and schedules, and stress if expected routine is disrupted Average or above average intelligence Difficulties in empathizing with others Hampered conversational ability Inability to manage appropriate social conduct Inability to think in abstract ways Problems with controlling feelings such as anger, depression and anxiety Problems with understanding another man or woman's point of view Specialized fields of interest or hobbies The emotions of other individuals— A man or woman with Aspergers may have trouble understanding the emotions of other individuals, and the subtle messages that are sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. Because of this, a man or woman with Aspergers might be seen

A daily schedule benefits Aspergers (high functioning autistic) children by providing the structured environment that is critical to their sense of security and mastery. If you spend any time in a kindergarten or elementary school, you will marvel at the teacher's ability to organize the kid's day. In this post, we will look at the following: Analyzing The Day  Brainstorming What You Want Writing Everything Down  Following the Schedule for a Week  Tweaking the Schedule An in-depth example of a schedule Click here for the full article...

When moms and dads seek help for their youngster, they encounter varied opinions – he'll outgrow it, leave him alone, it's no big deal, he just wants attention, and so on. Many professionals try to work with the Aspergers (high-functioning autistic) youngster as if his disorder is like other developmental disorders, but it is quite different. In most cases, there is a great misunderstanding by many people of the needs of these special individuals. For the inexperienced, recognizing the six defining characteristics of Aspergers as outlined in the introduction can be difficult, and misdiagnoses are quite common. This is further complicated by the fact that an Aspergers youngster or teen has many of the same characteristics found in other disorders. These various characteristics are often misinterpreted, overlooked, under-emphasized, or over-emphasized. As a result, a youngster may receive many different diagnoses over time or from different professionals. For example, i

Question I have a son recently diagnosed with ASD [level 1] and am in denial about my family situation, but I want to start to take some control back ...where should I start? Answer The feelings you are experiencing are completely normal. A diagnosis of ASD level 1 (high functioning autism) brings with it a mourning process in some cases. Every parent faced with a life-changing situation will need time (some more than others) to sort out the emotions. Denial is natural. Even if the diagnosis has been a long time coming, you may still feel like someone ripped the rug from beneath your feet. Your first reaction, "not my child," is not just common but expected. Be aware that there are several steps in the mourning process. Anger and depression are other steps of mourning that can come at any time. The fact that you sense the need to take control shows that you are moving through the process. You are reaching acceptance. Your child needs you and you

Aspergers Teen Shares His Story Hi. My name is Shawn. I’m a teenager with Aspergers. Here’s my story… First of all, unlike autistic people, I did not have trouble learning to speak. However, I do have mild hyperlexia, which basically means a large vocabulary. Moreover, it is common for autistics and aspies to have some trouble lying, recognizing lies, and interpreting metaphors. The result is that most Aspergers teens are seen as literal and humorless. Like many Aspergers teens, my voice can sometimes sound monotonous and emotionless. Similarly, Aspergers teens are known for giving soliloquies about their favorite subjects, or perseverations, not always realizing how much they are boring the individuals they are speaking to. Aspergers teens sometimes also miss facial expressions, body gestures, and implications. While I can often pick up on someone's emotional state from a quick glance at their face (and it has to be quick because, like most Aspergers teens, I h

Aspergers (high functioning autism) is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characterized by symptoms such as very focused or obsessive interests, deficits in social skills, and some language differences. Since two of my sons were diagnosed with Aspergers and I've written a little on the subject, I've been asked many questions about this confusing and misunderstood disorder. What exactly is Aspergers, anyway? As I said before, it's an autism spectrum disorder. Picture something like a number line in your mind; this is the "spectrum". At one end, you will have children who are completely non-verbal, have virtually no social skills or ability to interact with others, and are diagnosed mentally retarded. OK, before we go any further, make sure you throw out that old idea of "retarded" from your grade-school playground. Mental retardation (MR) is a clinical diagnosis; the textbook definition of "retarded" is slow, and most of us are retarded