My ASD Child

Many parents who have struggled with a child for several years feel a sense of relief when their child gets a “diagnosis.” The parent may say things like, “It was such a weight off my shoulders to finally understand why my child behaved the way he did. I thought it was my parenting, but now I see it was his disorder instead.” Many adults who have had emotional problems and/or social difficulties over the years find it comforting to one day discover, “Oh, I have Aspergers! No wonder I haven’t been able to hold a job or find a girlfriend/boyfriend.” Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case may be), finding solace in having a “disability” or “disorder” comes with a price – a much bigger price than most realize they have paid. 1. All ‘unwanted’ diagnostic features can be helped with therapy. True, there are some potentially problematic cognitive and behavioral patterns associated with Aspergers that come with the “Aspergers-package” (e.g., insistence on routine, narro

“Is it common for children with an autism spectrum disorder to come off as rude? My son will say and do things that can be inappropriate (especially to his younger sister), which makes him appear as if he has no feelings for others.” It is fairly common. But this isn’t to say that kids with Asperger’s (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA) are heartless. These children have difficulty using non-verbal behaviors in social interaction. Here are some examples: Body postures regulating social interaction may be affected. A very common example of this difficulty is that kids with AS and HFA may not know how to judge social distance and may stand too close. Eye contact may be impaired, meaning that the youngster may not look at others upon greeting or during conversations, and may not respond when others try to catch his eye. It’s easy to see why others might inaccurately perceive the child to be rude for not paying attention. Facial expressions used to communicate may be odd.

"How have some of you dealt with a depressed teenager? My autistic son is 16 (high functioning) and a loner. His self-esteem is shot, and we're worried. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!" Adolescents suffer from depression more often than any number of grown-ups who live their entire lives with it. Moms and dads are generally dismissive of their child’s low moods, because they think that ALL teenagers are simply moody, hormonal, or tired and cranky.    This dismissive attitude generally results in teenagers being even more depressed, because they think their mother or father doesn’t care. Take that in combination with adolescents with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) or Asperger’s (AS) who have very little impulse control as it is, and you have a horrible combination. Depression is a serious medical problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. It affects how your teenage son or daughter thinks, feels and behaves, and it c

"Is it common for a child with an autism spectrum disorder to have a split personality (so to speak)? My daughter is a really good kid at school, but then a complete monster at home. Is this normal?" The disorder is known to manifest itself differently with different children. Also, children on the autism spectrum may react differently to various situations depending on their individual personalities. Your daughter may feel more comfortable with the familiar surroundings at home, and feel freer to act out more at home than in public, where she is surrounded by strangers and in a less familiar environment. The stress of school may be relieved by a “meltdown” or other difficult behavior at home. This is a common occurrence. Quite a few kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger's are saints at school, but they soak up the anguish and then squeeze it out on their family members when they get home. HFA is treated in two ways, and both of them help manage t

Question As I read articles about Aspergers, I have to question if there are different levels of Aspergers? My son does not have extreme behavior however I also have to ask if some of the behavior training I have drilled into him is showing more now as he ages. Some of the stories that I read seem extreme. I can think of extreme behaviors that he has displayed and lack of reasoning skills that he has shown, social issues, but still I wonder if he was dx incorrectly or am I just grasping at straws? Answer Health care providers think of autism as a “spectrum” disorder, a group of disorders with similar features. One person may have mild symptoms, while another may have serious symptoms. But they both have an autism spectrum disorder. Different kids with an autism spectrum disorder can have very different symptoms. Aspergers (high-functioning autism) can range from mild to severe. A child might have a few traits of Aspergers, or might have a large number of traits, and