My ASD Child

Bad language (i.e., cursing, name-calling, rude statements like “I hate you,” etc.) and the Aspergers condition often go hand in hand. Bad language displayed by a youngster with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) can follow him into adulthood if he isn’t shown the proper way to respond to situations. Here are some very simple – yet very effective – tips to prevent bad language in Aspergers and HFA children: 1. Keep control yourself. If you, the parent, over-react to something, then your youngster is going to see justification in the way he behaves. Therefore, you too must limit your use of curse words, as well as “near-curse words” (e.g., freakin, crap, bull, etc.). 2. Positive reinforcement focuses on rewarding your Aspergers youngster for good behavior. In this way, the parent does not have to wait for bad behavior to take place before the youngster is recognized. With positive reinforcement, you may reward the youngster for going an entire day without usi

Question I suspect that my 20-year-old son (still living at home) may have Aspergers. Should he get an official diagnosis – or is it better to not know so he doesn’t get labeled? Answer A lot will depend on how well your son is functioning in daily life. If he is not experiencing any major problems in relationships or employment, it may not be important to get an actual diagnosis of Aspergers (high functioning autism). However, an official diagnosis is necessary if he needs to apply for social benefits at some point (e.g., Social Security Disability, Vocational Rehabilitation). Note that the diagnosis of Aspergers alone will not qualify him for services. He will also need to be diagnosed with some disabling co-morbid condition that affects his ability to function in the work or home environment. Despite the fact that functioning in a “normal” world can be very difficult for Aspies, a diagnosis of Aspergers does not mean the individual is unable to learn to function

Question How can professionals tell if someone has Aspergers …and is it possible to have something in addition to Aspergers? Answer Aspergers (high functioning autism) is usually diagnosed when all other disorders have been ruled out. Individuals who have, or suspect they have, Aspergers may have been previously diagnosed with: • Attention Deficit Disorder • Autistic Disorder, High Functioning • Developmental Coordination Disorder • Nonverbal Learning Disorder • Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified • Right Hemisphere Learning Disorder • Schizoid Personality Disorder • Semantic Pragmatic Language Disorder • Traumatic Brain Injury (if one has a medical history that includes a past head injury) There are several disorders that are frequently co-morbid with Aspergers (i.e., occurs along with Aspergers). These include: • Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder • Depressive Disorder • Dysthymia Disorder • Obsessive Compulsi