My ASD Child

It is a well documented fact that "having poor social skills" is one of the challenges people with Aspergers (high functioning autism) deal with on a day-to-day basis. But this deficit is never as apparent and potentially awkward as during a job interview. Finding a job when dealing with Aspergers is one of the most difficult tasks an Aspie will ever attempt, and even though some are very successful, others struggle with their problems and fail to land jobs even though they are amply qualified. One Aspie comments, “One of the most nervous things I have EVER done was my first job interview.” This would be true for most people – but especially those with Aspergers. Individuals with Aspergers may have even more problems with such conversations because they (a) have difficulty reading the body language of the interviewer and (b) find it hard to ‘read between the lines’ (i.e., to infer what qualities the interviewer is really looking for in a potential candidate for the jo

Question I am a special education teacher. I have an autistic (high functioning) student that hits impulsively. We have tried behavior modification, social stories, sensory exercises, and music therapy. She will say what she did was wrong and we will role play the correct behavior. She still hits and is getting in a lot of trouble. There is no pattern or functional cause. I want to help her but am running out of ideas. Does you have any suggestions?? Answer There is a great concern about the incidence of violent behavior among kids and teens with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger's (AS). This complex and troubling issue needs to be carefully understood by parents, educators, and other grown-ups. HFA and AS kids as young as preschoolers can show violent behavior. Moms and dads and other adults who witness the behavior may be concerned; however, they often hope that the young child will "grow out of it." Violent behavior in a youngster at any age a