My ASD Child

Question Our foster son was diagnosed with ASD at the age of 3 years. When he was 3 1/2, he was taken into foster care and placed with us because of his mother's physical and mental health issues. She has since passed away. He is now 12 years old. He has come a long way with his autism and is a loving, verbal boy who interacts well with adults and children for the most part. He attends a regular public school with full-time support of an educational assistant in the classroom. Over the past two years approximately, he has developed an issue with diapers and underwear. He will find a diaper (new or used) and urinate in it, sometimes leaving it in the bathroom, other times hiding it somewhere. He does the same thing with underwear - his own or other people's, especially that of younger children. He sometimes puts on 5 or 6 pair of his own undershorts at a time - and sometimes urinates in them, or not - just seems to like the way it feels to wear multiple pairs...

1. All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome - by Kathy Hoopman 2. Ask and Tell: Self-Advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum - by Liane Holliday Willey 3. Asperger Syndrome and Bullying: Strategies and Solutions - by Nick Dubin 4. Asperger Syndrome Employment Workbook: An Employment Workbook for Adults with Asperger Syndrome - by Roger N. Meye 5. Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything - by Kenneth Hall 6. Aspergers Comprehensive Handbook [in eBook form] - by Mark Hutten 7. Asperger's Syndrome and Adults: Is Anyone Listening? Essays and Poems by Partners, Parents and Family Members - by Karen E. Rodman 8. Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals - by Tony Attwood 9. Asperger's: What Does It Mean to Me? - by Gary B. Mesibov 10. Autism-An Inside-Out Approach: An Innovative Look at the Mechanics of 'Autism' and Its Developmental 'Cousins' - by Donna Williams 11. Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger Adv...

1. Before you do anything, make sure you acknowledge the fact that you do some things well. Just because you find school or work hard doesn't mean that everything else is hard, too. 2. Brush your teeth 2-3 times daily, rinse out your mouth and spit. With the remaining toothpaste in your mouth, brush your tongue. Place brush on the back of your tongue and scrape forward. This will significantly reduce bad breath. Flossing also reduces oral bacteria and removes solid food particles to freshen breath. 3. Wash your face every morning and night. If your face is very oily, do it 3 times a day. Make sure to pay attention to the sleep that gathers in the corners of the eyes. 4. Clip and clean your fingernails and toenails at least once every week or once every two weeks, it depends on how much you're nails grow. 5. Consult a psychologist, licensed social worker, occupational therapist, or a psychiatrist to learn more about Aspergers. As therapists, they may develop ...

Aspergers does not only occur in kids and teens, but is also diagnosed in adults. The causes of Aspergers have not yet been fully clarified, although a genetic component is likely. To make the diagnosis, tests are performed to assess social ability, fluctuations in attention, attention to detail, communication, and fantasy. Although Aspergers has often been considered a disorder, it may be better to describe it as a personality style because of the fact that the people who have it tend to be social loners. Adults with Aspergers can have a variety of characteristics, some of the more common ones include: • A-rhythmic speech or abnormal speech rhythm • Average or above-average intelligence • Can sometimes appear to have an inappropriate, immature or delayed understanding of sexual codes of conduct • Clumsy or exaggerated gestures when talking • Difficulty with high-level language skills (reasoning, problem solving, being too literal) • Difficulty with social c...

Question What are some good jobs for a high schooler with Asperger's who can't work with the general public, for example, can't work traditional retail jobs, etc.? Answer If your Aspergers teen cannot function in a fast-paced job like McDonalds or a Movie Theater, then here are some other job options: 1. Babysitter 2. Building maintenance (e.g., painting, replacing light bulbs) in an apartment complex, hotel or office building 3. Corn detasseling 4. Elderly care 5. Finding insects and worms to sell to the local bait shop 6. Game tester (you get paid to play video games) 7. Handcrafts (e.g., wood carving, jewelry making, ceramics, etc.) 8. Janitor jobs (e.g., mopping, sweeping, cleaning) 9. Landscaping work 10. Lawn and garden work 11. Lawnmower repair 12. Life guard 13. Newspaper route delivering the local newspaper 14. Pet sitting/grooming 15. Plant care (e.g., watering plants in a large office building) 16. Pool cleaner 17...

Question My son is 22 and self medicates with marijuana, he has tried prescription medication but doesn’t like the side effects. He is living at home at the moment (has had a few attempts at living away from home). How do I handle this? He says he wants to give up, but will do it his way and wants no involvement from me. However, I cop the brunt of his rage when he hasn’t had his marijuana. Would appreciate any advice… Answer Self-medication is the use or abuse of drugs and/or alcohol in an attempt to relieve physical and/or emotional problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, emotional pain, bipolar disorder, Aspergers, etc.). Self-medication is a temporary fix, because it treats the symptoms of the problem, not the problem itself. When young adults with Aspergers use drugs other than those that health-care providers prescribe, the underlying problem goes untreated – and possibly worsens! Unfortunately, self-medicating is often nothing more than short term gain...

The trouble is this: Aspies (i.e., people with Aspergers) can't lie if asked a direct question – they suffer from complete honesty. In addition, they often take other’s statements very literally. It's often remarked by neurotypicals or NTs (i.e., people without Aspergers) that Aspies respond in an inappropriate manner, but what does that actually look like? Here are some examples of “social mistakes” made by Aspies: NT: Look, here’s a picture of my baby. Aspie: Woo, he looks like Orville the Duck, doesn’t he? NT: Does my butt look big in this dress? Aspie: Yes it does, but no more than usual. NT: So, how would you like your eggs? Aspie: Unfertilized. NT: Did you notice how I've kept my youthful complexion? Aspie: Yeah, so I see ...all spotty. NT: I've changed my mind... Aspie: Excellent, so does the new one work better? NT: Say, haven't we met before? Aspie: Yes, I'm a nurse at the VD clinic. NT: Sweetheart, do you think I'll lose m...