My ASD Child

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

1. Does your youngster tend to focus on one subject, to the exclusion of all others? Yes - she latches onto one topic of interest and learns everything there is to know about it. She won't even think about something else! No - she has some favorite topics, but displays a wide range of interests. 2. Does your youngster have difficulty interacting socially, particularly when it comes to nonverbal communication? Yes - she seems unable to pick up cues in people's body language and vocal inflection. No - she seems to be able to read the mood of a room pretty well, and understands what is and isn't appropriate in a conversation. 3. Does your youngster vary her vocal inflections, volume, or pitch? No - she speaks in a monotone, regardless of the subject or the environment. Yes - she shouts, whispers, laughs, whimpers, and more. 4. Does your youngster adhere to rigid, repetitive routines when it comes to everyday tasks? Yes - everything has

What is Aspergers? Aspergers (high functioning autism) is a complex developmental disability marked by impairments in socialization, communication, cognition, and sensation. Like classic autism, Aspergers is a neurological disorder that affects a child’s ability to communicate and relate to others. It is a lifelong disorder that carries with it considerable and long-term behavior problems. Although the characteristics of Aspergers will differ from person to person, common effects of the disorder include: • A persistent preoccupation with objects or narrowly focused topics of interest • An inflexible adherence to a nonfunctional routine or ritual • Difficulties with fine-motor skills and sensory integration • Repetition of movements or words and phrases • Trouble understanding social cues and conversational language styles Aspergers may be diagnosed when a child exhibits atypical repetitive patterns of behavior, interest, and activities, such as the examples listed

As a teacher, you are responsible for helping to shape the lives of young people and preparing them to be successful adults. Your Aspergers (high-functioning autistic) students may come from different family backgrounds and leave your classroom for different futures, but they spend a significant portion of their young lives with you right now. Next to their parents and immediate family, you have the greatest opportunity and the power to positively influence their lives. To do this successfully, you need to understand and be able to meet their needs. You already know that, in addition to intelligence, passion, and enthusiasm, teaching requires patience, sensitivity, and creativity. Having a youngster with Aspergers in your classroom will present unique challenges for you as a teacher, but it also gives you the opportunity to learn new ways to teach young people the academic and social skills that will last them a lifetime. With the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities

Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often perplexed when it comes to picking up social cues. Social stories for kids with ASD help to teach these skills in a simple and direct way that kids better understand. Teachers and moms and dads can write their own or find printable social stories online. What Are Social Stories? Social stories are used to teach kids with ASD more appropriate social skills. Kids with ASD don't just pick up social skills, so social stories can provide a great tool in teaching a skill in a direct way. Social stories for kids with ASD help to give kids a better understanding of other people's thoughts, feelings and views. They also help the student to better predict another person's behavior based on their actions. Social stories present various situations in a structured and direct way so that the youngster can understand a situation without having to "read between the lines". Social stories are written from the youngster&#

Here Are Some Quick Tips for Parents of Teenagers with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism Keep Doing The Things That Work— • Be patient. Remember that kids and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are relatively immature, socially and emotionally, compared to neurotypical kids of the same chronological age. Imagine sending a 10 year old off to high school (even if she has a chronological age of 14), or putting a 14 year old boy behind the wheel of car (even if he has a chronological age of 18)—or sending that 14 year old off to college or the army. We need to adjust our expectations for adolescents with ASD—and make sure they still have appropriate supports. Don’t pull the “ramp” out from under the “wheelchair”! • Go with the flow of your child’s nature. Simplify schedules and routines, streamline possessions and furnishings. If your adolescent only likes plain T shirts without collars or buttons, buy plain T shirts. If your kid likes familiar foods, or

Children with Aspergers (high functioning autism) may develop problems in their abilities to successfully engage in interpersonal relationships. Social impact— Aspergers may lead to problems in social interaction with peers. These problems can be severe or mild depending on the child. Kids with Aspergers are often the target of bullying at school due to their idiosyncratic behavior, precise language, unusual interests, and impaired ability to perceive and respond in socially expected ways to nonverbal cues, particularly in interpersonal conflict. Kids with Aspergers may be overly literal, and may have difficulty interpreting and responding to sarcasm, banter, or metaphorical speech. Difficulties with social interaction may also be manifest in a lack of play with other kids. The above problems can even arise in the family; given an unfavorable family environment, the youngster may be subject to emotional abuse. A youngster or teenager with Aspergers is often puzzled by th