My ASD Child

Some parents grieve for the loss of the youngster they   imagined  they had. Moms and dads have their own particular way of dealing with the situation based on a number of factors (e.g., their personality style, life experiences and support systems, among others). Clearly there are a range of stages and coping techniques, such as denial, depression, anger and rationalization. Most families recognize, at least at some level, that there is something significantly wrong with their "special needs" youngster. To at last be given a name for it (i.e., ASD level 1,  or High-Functioning Autism) can be a relief. Certainly, having a clearer understanding of what is wrong affords the opportunity to obtain appropriate services, as well as to begin to think about the youngster in a different, and hopefully more helpful way. Grief— The grief surrounding the diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is compounded by tremendous confusion and uncertainty. Many moms and dads have little un

A meltdown is a condition where the youngster with ASD level 1, or High Functioning Autism, temporarily loses control due to  emotional responses to environmental factors . It generally appears that the youngster has lost control over a single and specific issue, however this is very rarely the case.  Usually, the problem is the accumulation of a number of irritations which could span a fairly long period of time, particularly given the strong long-term memory abilities of young people on the autism spectrum. Wh y T he Problems Seem Hidden— ASD   kids don't tend to give a lot of clues that they are very irritated: Often ASD child-grievances are aired as part of their normal conversation and may even be interpreted by NTs (i.e., neurotypicals, or people without autism) as part of their standard whining. Some things which annoy ASD kids would not be considered annoying to NTs, and this makes NT's less likely to pick up on a potential problem. Their facial expressions very often w

"My 6-year-old son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5. But now we are seeing signs that he may have 'high functioning' autism. What percentage of ADHD children also have autism? Is a dual diagnosis common?" Most kids with ASD level 1 (high functioning autism) don’t receive that diagnosis until after age 6. Usually, they are diagnosed with ADHD as toddlers. Part of the reason is that physicians routinely screen kids for ADHD but not for autism.    Another reason is that an ASD child's social impairment becomes more evident once he starts school. Finally, physicians are reluctant to label a youngster "autistic." It is okay - and even a badge of honor - to have a hyperactive youngster , but it is another thing entirely to have an autistic youngster . Physicians make their diagnoses based on the youngster’s behaviors. Since kids with ADHD and ASD share similar behaviors, the two can appear to overlap. However, there is a fundamental difference between th

“My ASD son (high functioning) continues to be bullied at school, but nobody there seems to take it seriously. His teach said that ‘he seems to start the arguments by annoying some of the other students.’ O.K. Fine. Maybe this is true, but that doesn’t justify bullying. How can I get the school to take this seriously?” Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, disability harassment is against the law in all schools, school districts, and colleges and universities that receive public funds. “Special needs” kids who are bullied or harassed have legal rights to grievance procedures and due process on the local level. They can also file complaints with the Office of Civil Rights. Nevertheless, in spite of all these laws and policies, the National Education Association estimates that every 7 minutes of every school day, a youngster is a victim of bullying, and 85% of the time there is no intervention by other children or grown-ups. Your youngster's school may have anti-

"Would you have a simple summary, kind of a snapshot, that describes the most relevant aspects of ASD Level 1 that I can give my son's teacher so that she can get a basic understanding of this disorder without having to read a book on it?" Sure! Just copy and paste the quick facts below, and give it to the teacher... ASD Level 1: is a developmental disorder, not a disease or a form of genius affects language less, but does present with difficulties in appropriate speech and communicative development affects the way a child relates to others is a highly functional form of autism leads to difficulties in reading non-verbal cues is characterized by social interaction difficulties and impairments related to a restricted, repetitive, stereotype behavior is not the result of "bad parenting" is often confused with ADD and ADHD is not classified as a learning disability, but it is a disorder that impacts learning   Treatment: can help children

"My grandson has ASD. He is age 7. His diet consists of cheese, eggs, bread, milk, juice, wieners, fish, hamburgers, chicken, mashed or French fried potatoes and, on occasion, chocolate and bananas. He will eat no pasta, vegetables, or any other fruit. Does this eating problem go along with Autism? How can we get him to change his eating habits?"  Your grandson’s disorder may cause unusual reactions to new foods and he may not want to eat them. To him, they may taste bitter, salty, or just plain awful. They may smell bad (to him). He may dislike the textures of new foods. Consequently, he doesn’t want to eat foods that cause these reactions. Compared to some other kids on the spectrum, your grandson’s diet is not that terrible. He gets protein from eggs, milk, cheese, wieners, fish, hamburger, and chicken  ...grains, which provide B vitamins, from bread and hamburger and hot dog buns  ...some vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, from juice, potatoes,