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

Reward systems …do they work? We are trying to come up with some kind of reward system and what works??? Stickers? When he completes an assignment, he does not want to work at all, only on his terms. Click here for the answer...

My 7-year-old and soon-to-be step son never (never) stops talking and says everything he thinks. It is SO bad - (as is his severe interrupting) - that it is seriously affecting me and my boyfriends 3 year relationship. When we met he only had bi-weekly visitations. Now he was given full custody as his biological mother and her new husband cannot handle it. I am exhausted and cannot get a word in edgewise. BF says he is "used to it" and I just need to be more patient. Does the one-sided verbiage get better or worse with age? How can we teach him? How can I get it through to BF that his son is only going to stand out even MORE as he gets older if this isn't worked on? Click here for the answer...