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Anger-Control Problems in Asperger's and HFA Teens

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"I need help FAST with what to do about my teenage son with autism - high functioning, and his out of control rage!!! Please I need advice." Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) may be prone to anger, which can be made worse by difficulty in communicating feelings of disturbance, anxiety or distress. Anger may be a common reaction experienced when coming to terms with problems in employment, relationships, friendships and other areas in life affected by the disorder. There can be an ‘on-off’ quality to this anger, where the teenager may be calm minutes later after an angry outburst, while those around are stunned and may feel hurt or shocked for hours, if not days, afterward. Parents often struggle to understand these angry outbursts, with resentment and bitterness often building up over time. Once they understand that their teen has trouble controlling his anger or understanding its effects on others, they can often begin to respond i...

Teaching Your Autistic Child Alternatives to Temper Tantrums

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“My 5 y.o. son Noah (with high functioning autism) will tantrum over all things big and small. If he is the least bit frustrated over something – well look out, because ‘it’s on’!  Not uncommon for him to have a dozen tantrums in a day. I would be happy to just get that cut in half. Any tips for the chronic ‘tantrum-thrower’ would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.” The best time to teach your son alternatives to throwing a tantrum is immediately after he has one. Once Noah has settled down, you and he should have a talk while the memories of the episode are still fresh in his mind. Your son threw the tantrum because he was frustrated or mad. Don't get into the issue of why he was “out of control.” Focus on the tantrum itself, explaining to Noah that the behavior isn't appropriate. Then teach him what he should do instead when he feels upset. Here’s a simple method that often works when done the right way: 1. First describe the behavior. For exa...

Sensory Sensitivities and Problems in the Classroom

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==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management: Help for Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

Parenting Tips FROM Parents of High-Functioning Autistic Kids

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More resources for parents of children and teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: ==> Preventing Meltdowns and Tantrums in Asperger's and HFA Children ==> Discipline for Defiant Asperger's and HFA Teens ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management ==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism ==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

Students on the Autism Spectrum: Crucial Tips for Teachers

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Tips for Teachers with Students on the Autism Spectrum Social Aspects— Students with ASD level 1, or High Functioning Autism (HFA) may fall anywhere in the continuum between withdrawn and active but odd . These children want to communicate with their peers - but may lack the ability to do so. They do not understand what people are feeling or thinking and have difficulty empathizing with them. When asked to imagine themselves in a particular situation, they experience great difficulty and may not be able to role-play. There is a lack of understanding of body language and social conventions, and they have great difficulty in making and sustaining friendships. Because of this, HFA children miss out on many aspects of teenage culture. For example, they may have no knowledge of pop music, football, fashion etc. Therefore, when such topics are used to stimulate interest in examination questions, they can be at a disadvantage. These children have little apprec...

Is it Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD), an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or Both?!

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==> Click here for more information on comorbid conditions associated with ASD... More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's : ==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's ==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism ==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management to Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism ==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook ==> Unraveling The Mystery Behind Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book ==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

Executive Function Deficit in Children on the Autism Spectrum

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Children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS) often face challenges related to their ability to interpret certain social cues. A term relating to these challenges is “executive functioning,” which includes skills such as inhibiting inappropriate responses, organizing, planning, and sustaining attention. Difficulties with executive functioning can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Some HFA and AS children have difficulty maintaining their attention or organizing their thoughts and actions. Some have difficulty with complex thinking that requires holding more than one train of thought simultaneously. Others pay attention to minor details - but fail to see how these details fit into a bigger picture. Problems with executive functioning can also be associated with poor impulse-control. Executive function is a set of mental qualities that help the child execute certain skills, specifically (a) regulation (i.e., taking stock of the surroundings and changing ...

The Social Traits of Students with Asperger's and HFA: Tips for Teachers

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==> More information on the specific traits associated with AS and HFA can be found here... More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's : ==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's ==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism ==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management to Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism ==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook ==> Unraveling The Mystery Behind Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book ==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

Support and Education for Parents of Children with Asperger's and HFA

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How to Make a Dentist Trip Less Stressful for Kids on the Spectrum

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  ==> More parenting strategies for dealing with your child's stress and anxiety can be found here...   Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum:   ==>  How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Launching Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance ==>  Teaching Social-Skills and Emotion-Management to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Parents' Comprehensive Handbook ==>  Unraveling the Mystery Behind High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book ==>  Crucial  Research-Based  Parenting Strategies for Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism ==>  Videos for Parents of Children and Teens with ASD   ---------- ...

The Family Contract: How to Set Effective Boundaries for Kids on the Autism Spectrum

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“How do I set clear boundaries that I can enforce - and my child with high functioning autism will obey?” The key to setting effective boundaries is to involve the entire family in the process. Get everyone on the same page. This is accomplished by implementing a “family contract” in which the house rules - and the consequences for violating those rules - are clearly explained and written on an actual contract. In a family contract, parents agree to do certain things, for example: encourage the child to achieve in all areas of life hold the child accountable for the choices he makes, and ensure that he experiences privileges and unfortunate consequences that go with each choice listen, and not overreact or judge the child for things that don't make sense to her love the child for who she is make themselves available to the child whenever he or she needs them – even when they are “busy” never view the child as a failure, even when she makes mistakes provide a comforta...

Poor Sportsmanship in Kids on the Autism Spectrum

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==> More parenting advice for behavioral problems in kids on the spectrum can be found here... Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum:   ==>  How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Launching Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance ==>  Teaching Social-Skills and Emotion-Management to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Parents' Comprehensive Handbook ==>  Unraveling the Mystery Behind High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book ==>  Crucial  Research-Based  Parenting Strategies for Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism ==>  Videos for Parents of Children and Teens with ASD   ----------   Resources for...

The Newly Diagnosed Child: Stages that Parents May Go Through

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==> Click here for more self-care methods for stressed-out parents of kids on the autism spectrum... More resources for parents of children and teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: ==> Preventing Meltdowns and Tantrums in Asperger's and HFA Children ==> Discipline for Defiant Asperger's and HFA Teens ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management ==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and HFA: How to Promote Self-Reliance ==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Your Child with ASD Thinks in Pictures

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==> More information on how your child with ASD thinks and processes the world... More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's : ==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's ==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism ==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management to Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism ==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook ==> Unraveling The Mystery Behind Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book ==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

Help for the Easily Agitated Child on the Autism Spectrum: Tips for Parents

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“My son with high functioning autism will get so upset and frustrated to the point of meltdown. He becomes very aggressive and there is no calming him down or discussing things with him once he has crossed this line. And to make matters worse, there is no rhyme or reason to his explosions. What upsets him to no end one day doesn’t seem to bother him on another day. This makes it very hard to predict what’s coming. Help!” Due to the associated symptoms, kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS) are more likely to become agitated than “typical” kids. There are numerous issues related to the disorder that may contribute to your son’s distress, for example: Difficulty handling changes to the daily routine Fatigue Impaired communicating skills Strong reliance on fixed routines Over-sensitivity to stimuli through the five senses  Stress in the environment Tendency to be clumsy Difficulty identifying, understanding, and describing his emotions Tendency to...