My ASD Child

Aspergers (high functioning autism) is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characterized by symptoms such as very focused or obsessive interests, deficits in social skills, and some language differences. Since two of my sons were diagnosed with Aspergers and I've written a little on the subject, I've been asked many questions about this confusing and misunderstood disorder. What exactly is Aspergers, anyway? As I said before, it's an autism spectrum disorder. Picture something like a number line in your mind; this is the "spectrum". At one end, you will have children who are completely non-verbal, have virtually no social skills or ability to interact with others, and are diagnosed mentally retarded. OK, before we go any further, make sure you throw out that old idea of "retarded" from your grade-school playground. Mental retardation (MR) is a clinical diagnosis; the textbook definition of "retarded" is slow, and most of us are retarded

Kids and teenagers with pervasive developmental disorders, including Aspergers, often are seen by pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, child psychiatrists, and other professionals as having a variety of behavioral and emotional disturbances (1–3). Aggression and self-injury are among the most common problematic behaviors that come to the attention of clinicians. In some of these kids and teenagers, these disturbing behaviors are symptoms of a comorbid psychiatric condition. However, many clinicians continue to view them as part of the underlying developmental disorder. In consideration of the long-term disability associated with the pervasive developmental disorders and the absence of specific pharmacological treatments for the core deficits of this disorder, it is of paramount importance to recognize and treat comorbid psychiatric conditions in these kids, which can substantially improve functioning (2, 3). This report summarizes a clinical case conference presented at McLean Hos