My ASD Child

"My son with autism (high functioning) has really been floundering during his first year of school. He's in the 1st grade and having all kinds of run-ins with his teacher and is making mostly D's and F's so far. The teacher asserts that the problem is 'his behavior'.  What can I do to control this damage before it's beyond control?" Parents should start by speaking with their high-functioning autistic (HFA) or Aspergers youngster's teachers, school counselors, or the school's student support team to begin an evaluation. Each U.S. state has a Parent Training and Information Center and a Protection and Advocacy Agency that can help parents get an evaluation. A team of professionals conducts the evaluation using a variety of tools and measures. The evaluation will look at all areas related to the youngster's abilities and needs. Once the youngster has been evaluated, she has several options depending on the specific needs. If the you

While there is no cure for Aspergers (High Functioning Autism), treating it early with the proper parenting techniques as well as school-based programs can greatly reduce Aspergers symptoms and increase the youngster's ability to grow and learn new skills. Research has shown that intensive behavioral therapy during the toddler or preschool years can significantly improve cognitive and language skills in younger kids with Aspergers. There is no single best treatment for all “Aspies,” but some of the common features of effective early intervention include: Encouraging activities that include typically developing (i.e., neurotypical) kids, as long as such activities help meet a specific learning goal Guiding the youngster in adapting learned skills to new situations and settings and maintaining learned skills Having small classes to allow each youngster to have one-on-one time with the therapist or teacher and small group learning activities Having special training fo

The truth about medications to treat or cure Asperger's Syndrome: 

“Our son is diagnosed with AS. He has stomach problems, difficulty sleeping, and can’t stand loud noises of any kind. Is this part of AS, or are these totally separate issues?” It’s very likely that these issues are part of the Aspergers (AS) condition. There are a number of concerns that often accompany a child with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism. Here are the primary ones: 1. Fragile X syndrome is a genetic disorder and is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, causing symptoms similar to Aspergers. The name refers to one part of the X chromosome that has a defective piece that appears pinched and fragile when viewed with a microscope. Fragile X syndrome results from a change, called a mutation, on a single gene. This mutation, in effect, turns off the gene. Some people may have only a small mutation and not show any symptoms, while others have a larger mutation and more severe symptoms. Around 1 in 3 kids who have Fragile X syndrome also meet the di

“My husband and I suspect our 7-year-old boy has Asperger’s, but admittedly, we have procrastinated having him diagnosed for fear of labeling him with something that will follow him the rest of his life. Should we pursue a formal diagnosis simply based on our suspicions? And how do children get diagnosed with Asperger’s?” It’s better to know than not to know. If your child has Aspergers and nobody knows it, the disorder affects him anyway. If parents and teachers do know, they can help minimize the negative impact and leverage the positive. Without the knowledge that you have Aspergers, you tend to come to some negative, misguided conclusions (e.g., “I’m a failure” or “I’m strange” or “I’m a disappointment” etc.). Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism diagnosis is often a two-stage process: 1. The first stage involves general developmental screening during well-child checkups with a doctor or an early childhood healthcare provider. Kids who show some developmental probl

“We believe our son has Asperger’s Syndrome and we want to have him tested. What are the symptoms we should be looking for and who should we go to for testing? Also, is it possible that his current symptoms may be reflective of something other than Asperger's, like CDD?" Ideally, you would take your son to a child and adolescent psychiatrist who specializes in autism spectrum disorders. But these doctors are hard to find. Alternatively, you can have your son’s pediatrician make a referral to a specialist. Symptoms of Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism vary from one youngster to the next, but in general, they fall into three areas: Communication difficulties Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors Social impairment Kids with Asperger’s do not follow typical patterns when developing social and communication skills. Moms and dads are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their youngster. Often, certain behaviors become more noticeable when comparing

“I’ve known for some time that something is not quite right with my child, and I’m starting to wonder if he has an autism spectrum disorder. What should I look for?” CLICK HERE for the answer...

“What do you suggest for my 4-year-old boy who has a hard time getting to sleep at bedtime, but can’t take melatonin? He has an allergic reaction to that supplement (gives him headaches). And why does it seem that so many asperger children have trouble going to sleep – even when they are exhausted?” Click here for the answer...

"Our son (high functioning) will memorize a line from a movie that he really was captivated by, and repeat that line over and over all day long. Is this a trait of autism? another one our son does is constantly tell us what's happening in whatever he's watching on the TV, even if we're actually watching it ourselves! We think it's his way of processing what he see's to help him understand it." A common symptom of Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism includes repetition of words and phrases. In many cases, these phrases are related to something the youngster has been exposed to (e.g., a movie, book, song, etc.). The youngster may continue to say the word or phrase throughout the day or even throughout the following week. If you're the mother or father of a verbal youngster diagnosed with Aspergers or HFA, you may have heard him or her repeat bits and pieces from videos or other sources. This type of communication is called "echolalia.&qu

“I want to implement a Token Economy system with my 12 year old Aspie.  Can you give me detailed instructions on how to do this?” Actually, a token (or economy) system is quite easy to set up. Here’s how: 1. Identify the behaviors for which your child can earn credits. An example of a good behavior would be if he took it upon himself to start and complete his homework without having to be asked twice to do so. Then you would award him a token. 2. Decide the "currency" used. Every time your "Aspie" (i.e., high functioning autistic child) does something positive, then he would earn a token (e.g., a sticker, points, poker chips, monopoly money, etc.). You can even offer bonus points for doing certain chores. 3. Determine the value of the currency (i.e., how many tokens your child should receive for each good behavior – and how many he should lose for each bad behavior). For example, he could earn 5 tokens for every time he takes the trash out without

These kids will tell you why they like having Aspergers: