My ASD Child

The diagnostic criteria for Aspergers as outlined in DSM IV TR [1] includes in “criterion A” a description of some of the qualitative impairments in social interaction. The list of characteristics includes: • Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level • Lack of social or emotional reciprocity • Marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction Clinical experience and autobiographies confirm that such people have considerable difficulty with the understanding and expression of nonverbal behaviors and social reciprocity. Regarding peer relationships, when we observe and assess the social play and friendship skills of kids with Aspergers, we recognize a delay in the conceptualization of friendship. The youngster may have an overall intellectual ability within the normal range, but their understanding of friendship skills resembles a

1. Are individuals with Aspergers more likely to be involved in criminal activities? 2. Can Aspergers occur with another disorder? 3. Can Aspergers occur with Attention Deficit Disorder? 4. Can the person develop normal relationships? 5. Could a difficult pregnancy or birth have been a cause? 6. Could Aspergers be a form of schizophrenia? 7. Could Aspergers be inherited? 8. Could the pattern be secondary to a language disorder? 9. Could we have caused the condition? 10. Do girls have a different expression of the syndrome? 11. How can you reduce the person's level of anxiety? 12. How do you share the news? 13. Is the person likely to become depressed? 14. Is there a specific area of the brain that is Dysfunctional? 15. What are the advantages of using the term Aspergers? 16. What are the changes we can expect during adolescence? 17. What is the difference between High Functioning Autism and Aspergers? 18. What is the differ

If you have recently received a diagnosis of Aspergers (or high-functioning autism) for one of your children, you may be asking yourself, “How could this be?” You are probably experiencing a lot of emotions right now, but your brain has also kicked into high gear as you search for an explanation. You want to know “Why?” Where did it come from? Isn’t Aspergers an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Is it genetic? Is it due to a poor diet or childhood immunizations? Could our toxic environment be a contributor? While there are many contributing factors (e.g., environmental toxins, dietary sensitivities, etc.) and scientists are still uncovering the mystery of ASDs, one often overlooked factor is that one or both parents probably have an Autism Spectrum Disorder - or at least some of the traits. Since we did not start diagnosing Aspergers until 1994 here in the United States, there are many parents with the disorder who were not diagnosed as children. Now when one of their own chil