My ASD Child

Why is this disorder referred to as “high functioning”? High Functioning Autism (HFA), previously referred to as Asperger’s, is a term applied to children on the autism spectrum who are deemed to be functioning at a higher cognitive level (IQ>70) than other children on the spectrum. Is there a difference between High Functioning Autism and Asperger’s? The amount of overlap between HFA and Asperger’s is disputed. While some researchers agree that the two are distinct diagnoses, others argue that they are identical. On the other hand, the term HFA may be used by some researchers to refer to all autism spectrum disorders deemed to be cognitively higher functioning, including Asperger’s, especially in light of the removal of Asperger’s as a separate diagnostic from the DSM-5. HFA is characterized by traits very similar to those of Asperger’s. The defining characteristic most widely recognized by professionals is a significant delay in the development of early speech and la

Question We have a diagnosis of ASD from our pediatrician, but our counselor is telling me that she does not agree with the diagnosis because my son is very social with her and he always makes eye contact. He has ASD traits, and then some that are not: He has problems keeping friends. No boys, just has friends that are girls. Everything is black or white, there is no in between. Everything is taken in the literal sense. He does not understand that benefit him. Refuses to do school/homework statements like "I shouldnt have to make up that school work, it wasnt my fault that I broke my shoulder at school!" Dominates all conversations Targets music (very talented) and will hound relentlessly for you to hear him play at inappropriate times (mom on a business call) Doesnt understand jokes - gets offended because he thinks that they are directed at him in a negative way Does not try to fit in with others (has his own style - not intentially, but because he has no in

1. Cognitive Issues— Mindblindness, or the inability to make inferences about what another person is thinking, is a core disability for those with Aspergers. Because of this, they have difficulty empathizing with others, and will often say what they think without considering another's feelings. The youngster will often assume that everyone is thinking the same thing he is. For him, the world exists not in shades of gray, but only in black and white. This rigidity in thought (lack of cognitive flexibility) interferes with problem solving, mental planning, impulse control, flexibility in thoughts and actions, and the ability to stay focused on a task until completion. The rigidity also makes it difficult for an Asperger youngster to engage in imaginative play. His interest in play materials, themes, and choices will be narrow, and he will attempt to control the play situation. 2. Difficulty with Reciprocal Social Interactions— Those with Aspergers display varying diffic

Instead of delaying language development, AS and HFA impairs the subtleties of social communication. These boys and girls have difficulty understanding nuances (e.g., irony, sarcasm, fanciful or metaphoric language, etc.), and many of them take language literally (e.g., expressions like “watching paint dry” or “smart as a tack” leave these kids very confused). These kids also have difficulty interpreting and displaying non-verbal communication. Body language, facial expressions, the use of personal space, gestures and postures are often mysteries to boys and girls on the autism spectrum. This inability to instinctively comprehend unspoken communication has led some experts to suggest Asperger’s is actually a non-verbal communication disorder. In this post, we will discuss the following: Characteristic Checklist for Asperger’s and HFA  Language Disorder  Parenting Tips for Helping with Language-skills Acquisition  Click here for the full article...

"What is the real difference between Asperger's Syndrome and Autism? When I tell people that my daughter has Asperger's, they usually ask me, 'What is Asperger's exactly?' And I say, 'It's a form of Autism.' But that doesn't really help them to understand Asperger's since there is supposedly a big difference between the two disorders." There is a great deal of confusion when it comes to the differences between Aspergers (high functioning autism) and Autistic Disorder. It seems that even medical professionals have difficulty determining a clear line between the two disorders. Often, it boils down to simply categorizing children according to the specific traits they exhibit, such as how they use language. However, there are some professionals who assert that Aspergers and Autism are actually the same disorder and should both fall under the heading of Autism. Click here for more information on the new criteria for Autism as desc

"Do children with ASD Level 1 have speech or language problems, or is this purely an issue in ASD Level 3?" Although kids with ASD level 1, or High-Functioning Autism (HFA), acquire language skills without significant general delay - and their speech typically lacks significant abnormalities - language acquisition and use is often atypical. Abnormalities include: abrupt transitions auditory perception deficits literal interpretations miscomprehension of nuance oddities in loudness, pitch, intonation, prosody, and rhythm  unusually pedantic, formal or idiosyncratic speech use of metaphor meaningful only to the speaker verbosity Three aspects of communication patterns are of clinical interest: marked verbosity poor prosody tangential and circumstantial speech Although inflection and intonation may be less rigid or monotonic than in ASD level 3, young people with HFA often have a limited range of intonation (e.g., speech may be unusually fast, jerky or

"How can you tell if a child has ASD Level-1 (high-functioning autism)? And should we take him to a specialist to have him formally diagnosed?" I'll answer the second question first: Yes, if you suspect High-Functioning Autism (HFA), then by all means seek a diagnosis so you will know for sure. It's better to know than not to know. If your child has the disorder and doesn’t know, it affects him anyway. If he does know, he can minimize the negative impact - and leverage the positive. Without the knowledge that you have it, you will often fill that void with other, more damaging explanations (e.g., I'm a failure, weird, a disappointment, not living up to my potential , etc.). Here are some of the traits of High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's. If these characterize your son, then strongly consider consulting a professional: 1. Cognitive Issues-- Mindblindness, or the inability to make inferences about what another person is thinking, is a core issu

Aspergers is a form of pervasive developmental disorder characterized by persistent impairment in social interactions, repetitive behavior patterns, and restricted interests. Unlike autistic disorder, no significant aberrations or delays occur in language development or cognitive development. Aspergers is generally evident in kids older than 3 years and occurs more often in boys. Kids with this disorder often exhibit a limited capacity for spontaneous social interactions, a failure to develop friendships, and a limited number of intense and highly focused interests. Although some individuals with Aspergers may have certain communication problems, including poor nonverbal communication and pedantic speech, many have good cognitive and verbal skills. Although individuals with Aspergers have fewer memories, the experiences of remembering are qualitatively similar in people with Aspergers compared with healthy control subjects. Physical symptoms may include early childhood motor d

Question #1: Can you give us just a basic summary of Aspergers for those of us who are not familiar with the disorder? Generally, Aspergers is understood to involve problems with social skills and relationships, nonverbal communication difficulties, restricted, repetitive behaviors, narrow areas of interest, and adequate development of language skills and intelligence. Since 1944 when Hans Asperger first wrote of the symptoms he observed, professionals have included different groupings of the following symptoms in their definitions of the condition: • compulsive adherence to nonfunctional routines • delayed motor skills • lack of delay in speech or language comprehension skills • motor clumsiness • narrow interest • nonverbal communication problems • normal intellectual development • odd speech • preference for solitary activities • preoccupation with parts of objects or nonfunctional aspects of toys, tools, machines, etc. • problematic peer relationshi