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Teaching Social Skills to Teens on the Spectrum: Tips for Parents

"How should I deal with my 13-year-old son now? Should I simply accept him as he is now, or should I actively try to teach him ways to socialize in order to ‘fit in’ better (e.g., look in a person’s eyes when talking, how to be a friend, conversations should be two way instead of him delivering a monologue, etc.). Are these skills even teachable?" Click here for the answer...

Tics in Your Teen on the Spectrum

"I'm 16 years old and I have ASD [level 1]. My parents and my friends tell me that I'm always blinking my eyes. Does everybody with autism have tics? What causes it? What can I do to stop it?" CLICK HERE for the full article...

What is the best way to teach social stories?

"What is the best way to teach social stories? Should this be done by parents, a therapist, or in a peer-group setting? And are social stories good resources for the home-schooler?" CLICK HERE for the full article...

Helping Siblings Cope with Aspergers and HFA

"My autistic son (high functioning) is 11 and my youngest son is 4. My 11-year-old verbally attacks my 4-year-old and my 4-year-old just stands there looking dazed and confused. How can I get my 11-year-old to stop doing this and how can I protect my 4-year-old from it? It is really starting to take a toll on my relationship with my husband. (The 11-year-old is his stepson and the 4-year-old is ours together.) Not to mention the toll it is taking on my 4-year-old. He loves his brother so much and wants nothing more than to spend time with him. His feelings get so hurt when his brother yells, screams, calls names, and tells him he hates him. I have tried sending 11-year-old to his room, talking to him, taking things away, watching the situation and trying to stop it before it happens, but it happens so quickly, it’s hard to see it coming. What can I do?" Click here for the answer...

Aspergers/HFA Kids and Lack of Cooperation

"Any tricks for getting a very stubborn 4 year old high functioning autistic child to do what he is told. He truly has a mind of his own. For example, if our requests don't make sense to him, he refuses to do what we ask, which usually results in a mother-son tug of war." Click here for the answer...

Helping Your Aspergers or HFA Child Succeed In School

"My daughter is 10 years old, high functioning and now in middle school. Her teachers are constantly sending me notes saying she isn’t working up to her ability and they can’t get her to stay on task or ask for help. When she’s home, I can get her to do well with homework. I obviously can’t go to school with her everyday. What are some ways the teachers can get her to stay on task without making her stand out to the rest of the class? She is also legally blind and doesn’t want to appear different in any other way." Click here for the answer...

Asperger's: Common Questions & Quick Answers

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What are some of the traits of Asperger's (AS)? A child with AS wants to fit in and make friends, he just does not know how to do it. AS usually affects a child's social skills, communication skills, and behavior. AS is a problem of child development. The child usually functions well in every day life, but he has problems interacting with others. AS causes a wide range of developmental problems in children. AS is a brain disorder. It is one of the pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Other PDD's include Autism, Rett's syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). AS is sometimes called High-Functioning Autism. Unlike an autistic child, a child with AS has fewer problems with language, and usually has average to above average intelligence. What causes AS? The cause is unknown. It may have something to do with genetics, or how the brain works. Parents do not cause AS. Who can get AS? Anyone can g