My ASD Child

Difficulty with social skills is not isolated to kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s. Many of these young people exhibit difficulties with a variety of social skills for numerous reasons. However, a social skills program developed to address general social impairments doesn’t adequately address the social skills deficits specific to HFA and Asperger’s. When selecting social goals for intervention, it’s crucial that parents prioritize and address the skill deficits that are most relevant to their child (e.g., eye contact may be a greater priority than negotiation skills, given its significance in social interaction, such as monitoring other’s reactions to indicate interest or engagement). In addition, it’s important that all instructional activities have an underlying social purpose. Make clear to your child how and why the goals selected are relevant for him or her. The five broad skills that are particularly relevant to HFA and Asperger’s are: social pro

Many children on the autism spectrum don’t understand abstract concepts. They have trouble reading between the lines. If a person says, “I’m so angry I could spit,” they may wait and watch for the person to spit. Social competence requires an ability to think abstractly. If the child has difficulty in this area, he or she may fail to understand facial expressions, have difficulty keeping emotions in check, have problems taking turns, interrupt others while they are speaking, prefer talking to adults rather than other kids, share information in inappropriate ways, talk too much about their favorite topic, or withdraw from conversations with peers entirely. Similar to teaching many academic skills, teaching social competence involves abstract skills and concepts. Because kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s tend to be concrete and literal, the abstract nature of these interpersonal skills (e.g., kindness, reciprocity, friendships, thoughts, and feelings) mak

To make interventions that will decrease anxiety and increase compliance in children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s, parents need to create an environment in which their youngster feels comfortable and has an understanding of the events taking place around him or her.  The environment needs to provide: Structure Routine Predictability Organization Consistency Logically explained rules Clear rewards and consequences in response to these rules When this is in place, the “special needs” youngster will begin to feel competent. Here are the 4 steps to creating an optimal environment for young people on the autism spectrum: 1. Reinforcers (i.e., things that increase desired behavior) will need to be very individualized, because kids and teens with HFA and Asperger’s often don’t respond to typical reinforcers. Parents must be well aware of what their youngster views as a reward. Points to consider: Reinforcers can cause difficulties if they are used too f

“We suspect that our 6 y.o. son has autism (the high functioning end of the spectrum). I know you can’t diagnose a child with an autism spectrum disorder via the internet, but is there an informal quiz or test that will give us a hint as to whether or not we should pursue a formal assessment? And where do we go to have him checked?” Of course, parents will only know for sure if their child has High-Functioning Autism (HFA) by getting a professional diagnosis. Having said that, if you answer “no” to most of the questions below (1 - 21), seeking a formal assessment would be warranted: Are people important to your child?  Can your child easily dress him/herself? Can your child easily tie his/her shoes? Can your child keep a two-way conversation going? Can he/she ride a bicycle (even with stabilizers)? Does your child care about how he/she is perceived by the rest of the group? Does your child enjoy joking around? Does he/she enjoy sports? Does your child find it easy to inte

In an ideal world (which none of us will ever experience), your child’s educational experience would include the strategies listed below, all of which will optimize the potential for academic success – intellectually, emotionally and socially. Strategies that can guarantee the success of kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS) include the following: 1.  In an ideal world, the HFA or AS youngster’s school has an extensive, in-depth knowledge of autism spectrum disorders (e.g., principal, vice principal, dean, teachers, administration staff, etc.). This guarantees that whoever has contact with your youngster in the course of the school day is aware of his or her needs and understands that the disorder is neurobiological in nature – and not a behavioral issue. So, ask what specific training the staff at your youngster’s school has had, and check that this is updated regularly. This is particularly relevant for your child’s classroom teacher. If no specific trai

“Is there a simple method I can implement to teach my son (high functioning) how to be more social in a positive way? Currently, he has problems interacting with peers in a way that does not cause conflict (and resultant rejection from those peers)?” A great technique, the Situation, Options, Consequences, Choices, Strategies, Simulation (SOCCSS) strategy, is relatively simple and is used to help kids who have High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s with social interaction problems, as well as teach them how to put interpersonal relationships into a sequential form. SOCCSS helps these “special needs” children understand problem situations and lets them see that they have to make choices about a given situation, with each choice having a consequence. The steps of SOCCSS are as follows, and can be used by both parents and teachers: 1. Situation : When a social problem arises, the parent or teacher helps the child to understand the situation by first identifying (a)who was invol

Question My son is 13 years old; he has been previously diagnosed with high functioning autism, adhd and obsessive compulsive disorder. My son lived with his father for six months while I recovered from a nervous breakdown. When I got custody of him again he was very aggressive, would hit his 6 year old brother and call him names and put him down. My ex gave him no discipline from what I gather from my son, he told me he had to raise his six year old brother for them six months. He blames me for the divorce between me and his father. I have bipolar and he doesn’t seem to understand that I am different too and that I need him to cooperate and help me as much as possible. He’s too focused on his ocd, his adhd and his autism and he uses all of these things for an excuse for all of the negative behaviors he is having. In the last past year he has changed 3 schools, and moved to a new area, which he says he hates. I’m wondering if he will adjust to the new setting and new rul

“What do you suggest for my 4-year-old boy who has a hard time getting to sleep at bedtime, but can’t take melatonin? He has an allergic reaction to that supplement (gives him headaches). And why does it seem that so many high functioning autistic children have trouble going to sleep – even when they are exhausted?” Researchers don't know for sure why HFA kids have problems with sleep, but they have several theories. Here are the main ones: Anxiety : Stress or anxiety is a possible condition that could adversely affect sleep. HFA kids tend to test higher than other kids for anxiety. Low levels of nighttime melatonin : Melatonin normally helps regulate sleep-wake cycles. To make melatonin, the body needs an amino acid called tryptophan, which research has found to be either higher or lower than normal in kids on the spectrum. Typically, melatonin levels rise in response to darkness and dip during the daylight hours. Studies have shown that some kids with HFA don't releas

"My teenage son with high functioning autism has (in my opinion) the absolute worse eating habits ...honestly, potato chips and soda make up about 75% of his diet. He would rather lose game privileges than eat a vegetable. I've given up! Help!!" We all know that adolescents need to eat well since their bodies are still growing, their brains are still changing, and their hormones may be taking a toll on their moods and energy levels. But we also know that adolescents are prone to eating irregularly, and sometimes quite poorly, particularly as they distance themselves from parental controls and eat more meals away from home. Pizza, cookies, ice cream, and soft drinks may be the most common foods in their diets at this age. But we have more influence and capacity to affect our adolescents' diets positively than we may think we do. The keys to positive change in the arena of diet and nutrition are positive attitude, planning, and preparation. These keys are already