My ASD Child

Q & A with a grandmother of an Aspergers granddaughter: If your granddaughter has been newly diagnosed, then welcome to the world of Aspergers (high functioning autism). It is a mysterious and sometimes overwhelming world, but it is not one to be afraid of. Even if you are saddened, disappointed or angry about the diagnosis, keep in mind that it’s for the best. The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier the intervention, and the better the prognosis in the long run. For some grandmothers, the news seems to come right out of the blue. Sure, there were difficulties at school - but then, school isn’t as strict as it used to be. And yes, there were some problems at home, but none of them sounded like anything that “good old-fashioned discipline” couldn’t solve. Why, then, do the mom & dad seem to be clinging to this diagnosis as if it were a life-raft in the high seas? And why are counselors, psychologists, occupational therapists and special education teachers suddenly gett

The youngster with Aspergers may get upset over game rules, sharing, or taking turns. This applies especially when following the rules means that sometimes the child with Aspergers loses the game! Hence, your son’s insistence on playing with his own rules. He does not understand that others want to win a game sometimes, too. And, even if your son does come to understand that, he may not care about their feelings enough to play the game appropriately. While some kids act as “the warden” or keeper of the rules, others find it hard to grasp the give and take of peer relationships, including following rules while playing games with others. Click here for the full article...

Has your child recently been diagnosed with Aspergers or High Functioning Autism (levels 1-2)? Are you shocked, worried, or concerned about what the future holds? Do you have a lot of unanswered questions? Then read on... Aspergers (high functioning autism) is a developmental disorder that is characterized by: clumsy and uncoordinated motor movements limited interests or an unusual preoccupation with a particular subject to the exclusion of other activities peculiarities in speech and language, such as speaking in an overly formal manner or in a monotone, or taking figures of speech literally problems with non-verbal communication, including the restricted use of gestures, limited or inappropriate facial expressions, or a peculiar, stiff gaze repetitive routines or rituals socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and the inability to interact successfully with peers Aspergers is an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), one of a distinct group of neurological condition

"How can I help my autistic child move from one task or event to the next without meltdowns?" Autistic children thrive on routine and structure. As your child begins to recognize structure in his or her life, this may be the time to make a visual schedule to help your child recognize when certain events are happening in his or her day.    A visual schedule works better than a written schedule for obvious reasons as your child may not be able to read and thus may not get the benefit of the visual cue. To make such a visual schedule, you can use a white board on which you put the hours of the day and a space at the top for the day of the week. Purchase strips of Velcro that have a sticky back and place a small square of Velcro in each time slot.    Using thick card, draw the different aspects of your day in visual form. For example, you can draw pictures of food for the times of the day that you eat. You can also draw a picture of a bed for the times your child sleeps