My ASD Child

Question My 10-year-old son with Aspergers has a variety of stereotypical behaviors (e.g., he flaps his arms, hops, makes some odd writhing movements). They get worse when he is excited or over-stimulated. At age 10, these behaviors are really sticking-out and can be quite annoying and embarrassing to the rest of the family when we are out with him, in particular his older sister. Do you have any suggestions of what to do about it? Answer Almost all kids with any form of autism tend to repeat behaviors, an action referred to as stereotypic behaviors or perseveration. Your youngster may stare at objects or repeat behaviors that seem to have no purpose for hours at a time. This can be seen in the “flapping” of your child’s hands or other circumscribed, repeated movements, even those that are self-injurious or destructive to others or property. In kids with Aspergers (high-functioning autism), these stereotypic behaviors may diminish and give way to obsessive interests, ...

Like other conditions on the autism spectrum, Aspergers (high functioning autism) is believed to be caused primarily by errant genes, and it is not typically associated with low IQ. Although there's no consensus on prevalence, a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry pins it at 1 in 400 among 8-year-olds, more often in boys than girls. Though professionals use the same diagnostic criteria, interpretations make for wide disparities in diagnosis. Some people may have family members with autism-spectrum disorders and exhibit features of Aspergers, such as "social deficits and a great deal of rigidities," but these traits are not tantamount to the diagnosable condition. A person with Aspergers often has trouble understanding the emotions of other people, and the subtle messages that are sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. Research suggests that the divorce rate for people with Aspergers ...

Delays and atypical behaviors related to Aspergers (high functioning autism) are observable in the first 2 years of life. Some babies with Aspergers show less-than-expected interest and pleasure in other people. Infants with Aspergers may share interests and activities less and may even babble less than other infants. Your baby may seem less interested in communicating through sounds or physical gestures, and his speech may be delayed to some extent or robotically copied from books or TV shows. Kids with Aspergers tend to display better attachment to parents than kids with more severe forms of classical autism. However, you may notice that despite your youngster’s bonding with you, he still has difficulty connecting with her peers. Later in childhood, he may be more likely to engage in conversation (although this often is one-way conversation) with you and other adults than with his peers. One mother of an Aspergers child recalls: “My daughter was very much in her own w...

There is significant data to suggest that many kids with Aspergers  and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) frequently show a very exaggerated response to loud noises such as thunder or unexpected sounds. In addition, your youngster may show hyper-responsiveness to unexpected experiences in general, because a core attribute of Aspergers and HFA is sensory-motor dysfunction. Motor clumsiness is often significant. Very few highly athletic kids are found in the Aspergers population. They may display some exquisitely developed skills such as mastery of a musical instrument, but rarely do they display general gross motor precocity. They are often awkward in tasks requiring balance and coordination. They are often late to handle a pencil comfortably, catch a ball, ride a bike, or use playground equipment effectively. They often display hypotonia, a generalized muscular weakness that affects posture, movement, strength, and coordination. Kids with Aspergers also may display tactile ...

Behavior problems are often observed in kids with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism. Negative behavioral outbursts are most frequently related to frustration, being thwarted, or difficulties in compliance when a particularly rigid response pattern has been challenged or interrupted. Oppositional behavior is sometimes found when areas of rigidity are challenged. First, attempt to analyze the “communicative intent” of the negative behavior. A harsh, punitive approach to negative behavior is especially ill-advised when the child’s negative behavior was his attempt to communicate his feelings. Example Positive Behavior Support Plan 1. Issues impacting behavior are: aggression   attention-seeking   excessive “dawdling” whenever parent requests a task to be completed   no internal regulatory “sensors” to move forward while experiencing tasks too demanding or difficult   non-compliance   possible abusive verbal outbursts   unable/unwilli...