My ASD Child

Research reveals that the divorce rate for people with Aspergers is around 80%. Why so high!? The answer may be found in how the symptoms of Aspergers affect intimate relationships. People with Aspergers often find it difficult to understand others and express themselves. They may seem to lose interest in people over time, appear aloof, and are often mistaken as self-centered, vain individuals. A person with Aspergers may have trouble understanding the emotions of their partner, and the subtle messages that are sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. Because of this, a person with Aspergers might be seen as egotistical, selfish or uncaring. These are unfair labels, because the affected individuals are neurologically unable to understand other people's emotional states, and they are usually shocked, upset and remorseful when told their actions were hurtful or inappropriate! Click here to read the full article…

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