My ASD Child

Would you have a fairly comprehensive list of the early signs and symptoms of autism? The signs and symptoms of autism vary widely, as do its effects. Some autistic kids have only mild impairments, while others have more obstacles to overcome. However, every child on the autism spectrum has problems, at least to some degree, in the following three areas: 1. Thinking and behaving flexibly 2. Relating to others and the world around them 3. Communicating verbally and non-verbally Here is a comprehensive list of the early signs of autism: 1. Abnormal posture, clumsiness, or eccentric ways of moving (e.g., walking exclusively on tiptoe) 2. Appears disinterested or unaware of other people or what’s going on around them 3. Avoids eye contact 4. Doesn’t ask for help or make other basic requests 5. Doesn’t follow objects visually 6. Doesn’t follow the gesture when you point things out 7. Doesn’t imitate your movements and facial expressions 8. Doesn’t init

Two traits often found in kids with Aspergers are mind-blindness (i.e., the inability to predict the beliefs and intentions of others) and alexithymia (i.e., the inability to identify and interpret emotional signals in oneself or others), which reduce the ability to be empathetically attuned to others. Click here for the full article...

"My 17 y.o. son with high functioning autism is an emotional mess. He hibernates in his room playing video games, refuses to eat with the family, seems very depressed, doesn't talk to us even when he is out of his bedroom, has no friends that we are aware of, has completely given up on school (he will go, but we heard from teachers that he simply puts his head on his desk and naps during class; also does not do a lick of homework anymore). We are worried that he may even be suicidal, as he has mentioned that he 'hates life'. Where do we go from here?"   Click here for my response...

What to do if you discover that your Aspergers child is being bullied at school: