My ASD Child

"What are some of the better treatment options for children on the autism spectrum?" While there is no cure for Aspergers or High Functioning Autism (HFA), treating it early with proper school-based programs and medical care can (a) greatly reduce symptoms and (b) increase your youngster's ability to grow and learn new skills. Early Intervention— Research has shown that intensive behavioral therapy during the toddler or preschool years can significantly improve cognitive and language skills in young kids with Aspergers and HFA. There is no single best treatment for all kids, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recently noted common features of effective early intervention programs. These include: Encouraging activities that include typically developing kids, as long as such activities help meet a specific learning goal Guiding the youngster in adapting learned skills to new situations and settings and maintaining learned skills Having small classes to al

"We have a son who we believe may have asperger syndrome and we were wondering how this disorder is diagnosed." An Aspergers diagnosis is often a two-stage process. The first stage involves general developmental screening during the child’s checkups with a doctor or an early childhood health care provider. Kids who show some developmental problems are referred for additional evaluation. The second stage involves a thorough evaluation by a team of doctors and other health professionals with a wide range of specialties. At this stage, a youngster may be diagnosed as having some form of autism. Kids with an autism spectrum disorder can usually be reliably diagnosed by age 2, though research suggests that some screening tests can be helpful at 18 months or even younger. Many individuals (e.g., family doctors, teachers, and moms/dads) may minimize signs of Aspergers at first, believing that kids will "catch up" with their friends. While you may be concerned about

If you’re an older teen or young adult with Aspergers or High Functioning Autism, be sure to find a job that makes use of your strengths. "Aspies" tend to 1) have poor short-term memory, 2) have good long-term memory, and 3) be visual thinkers (although some are non-visual thinkers). Thus, in some (if not most) cases, a job that takes these three factors into consideration may be a good fit for Aspergers employees. The “visual thinking” jobs listed below (a) put very little demand on fast processing of information in short-term memory and (b) utilize the visual thinking and long-term memory of the Aspie. The “non-visual thinking” jobs listed below are for those who are good with numbers, facts and music. These jobs also put low demands on short-term memory and utilize an excellent long-term memory. Good jobs for Aspies who are visual thinkers: Animal trainer or veterinary technician Automobile mechanic Building maintenance Building trades Commercial a

Moms and dads are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their youngster. In some cases, the baby seemed “different” from birth, unresponsive to others or focusing intently on one item for long periods of time. The first signs of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can also appear in kids who seem to have been developing normally. When an engaging, babbling toddler suddenly becomes silent, withdrawn, self-abusive, or indifferent to social overtures, something is wrong. Research has shown that moms and dads are usually correct about noticing developmental problems, although they may not realize the specific nature or degree of the problem. Autism spectrum disorders can often be reliably detected by the age of 3 years, and in some cases as early as 18 months.2 Studies suggest that many kids eventually may be accurately identified by the age of 1 year or even younger. The appearance of any of the warning signs of Autism Spectrum Disorders is reason to have a youngster evaluat