My ASD Child

“Dustin, my son with high functioning autism, recently turned 13. He started back to school this week (8th grade) and we are already having some issues. He still has a hard time engaging with other classmates, his personal hygiene is lacking (e.g. hates to shower or comb his hair), and he’s simply not interested in the current fads or topics of conversation among his peer-group. Now he tells us that he’s being teased by a few kids in his class. Last school year, he 'failed' socially and became completely ostracized from his peer-group and felt a sense of general isolation from everybody. It appears that we are going to have a repeat performance of these issues again this time around. He mostly just stays to himself (playing his digital piano and video games in his room). How can I help my son in this situation? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.” Due to the fact that the adolescent with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) tends to be a loner, develops odd mannerisms, and

Aspergers is a developmental disorder on the Autism spectrum. It affects verbal and non-verbal communication (body language) social interaction, a dislike of change, an aversion to noise, inflexibility of thought and, quite often, an obsession with a certain interest. Kids with Aspergers (Aspies) usually have excellent memories, especially in the area of facts, figures, dates, times and statistics. Math and science are subjects of interest and kids usually excel in these areas. There is a large range of severity of symptoms with Aspergers. Kids who have very mild symptoms often go undiagnosed for years. It is not unusual for kids with medium severity to go undiagnosed until they start school, at which time the disorder is seen in behavior problems and lack of social skills. Although females do sometimes suffer from the disorder, it is far more prevalent in males. Aspergers Traits— Kids who have Aspergers have trouble interacting with their peers, but can carry on an i

"I need some ideas on how to handle behavior problems in my students who have autism spectrum disorder. Thanks in advance!" Managing children with High Functioning Autism (HFA), or Asperger’s, will present you with some unique and distinctive challenges. Not only will these children demand more of your time and patience, many will require specialized instructional techniques in a structured environment that supports and enhances their learning potential. It is important to remember that HFA children are not “disabled” or inept – they simply need differentiated instruction tailored to their unique learning abilities. Preschool— Currently, there is no single, uniform presenting picture of HFA in the first 3-4 years of life. The early picture may be difficult to distinguish from typical Autism, suggesting that when evaluating any autistic youngster with apparently normal intelligence, there is a strong possibility that he may eventually have a picture more compatible wit

"Is it possible to have a child diagnosed with ADHD, but later discover that he really has ASD? Our son currently has a diagnosis of ADHD, but the more we research, the more we think he has ASD instead. Also, is it possible to have both disorders at the same time?" Yes, and yes. Even though doctors have clear diagnostic guidelines for children with ASD (High-Functioning Autism), some children get misdiagnosed with other disorders. ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) are two diagnoses that children with autism often get diagnosed with. Both diagnoses have features similar to ASD, particularly ADHD. ADHD is a genetic disorder as is ASD. Both situations involve children with difficulty learning and difficulty with interacting with other children. There can be hyperactivity with both disorders as well. Because of the similarities of the two disorders, the doctor must look at the checklists for both disorders to see which of the two disorders matches the best.

“Are most children on the autism spectrum basically the same with respect to symptoms and level of functioning, or are there significant differences from one child to the next?” Active  -  Aloof  -  Passive Kids with Aspergers (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) demonstrate widely differing levels of skills and severity of symptoms. These children demonstrate impairments in relationships to peers, the use of nonverbal communicative behaviors within their social exchanges, the use of imitation, and symbolic or dramatic play. Social interactions are characterized by low rates of both initiation and response. This is most marked in interactions for the purpose of sharing experiences and establishing interpersonal connection. The use of nonverbal communication (e.g., gestures, emotional expressions) is affected in AS/HFA kids, both expressively and receptively. These children use fewer nonverbal gestures and a more limited range of facial expressions in their communications