My ASD Child

Your very sensitive youngster with Aspergers (AS) or high functioning autism (HFA) will probably sense marital discord long before you do – even if you believe you've been very secretive about it. He may internalize what is occurring around him and assume personal responsibility for it. It is a very disturbing time for child with special needs, and the internal personalization of the situation cannot be contained indefinitely. In the AS or HFA youngster, this can manifest itself in: Depressive symptoms Heightened anxiety Increase in “acting out” or other “attention-seeking” behaviors Increased difficulty in school Post-traumatic stress disorder Rashes and other skin irritations Regular symptoms of physical illness Maintaining peace wherever possible and providing reassurances as the divorce unfolds are important considerations for helping AS children through divorce. Here are 20 crucial tips for helping your child with the transition from a traditional two-par

"We are going to be moving to a nearby town in a few weeks, and starting the first week in September, my son (with high functioning autism) will be attending a new school. The timing is not very good for this move as we had hoped to wait until he finished grade school at the current location. In any event, how can we make this transition without having major meltdowns and/or behavioral problems?" Click here for the answer...

Some "Aspergers" and "high-functioning autistic" (HFA) children do not have the disorder at all, they are simply "gifted." Has your child been misdiagnosed? No one knows exactly how many gifted kids are misdiagnosed by clinicians and pediatricians who are not trained in the unique emotional difficulties of the gifted youngster. A common belief is that gifted kids do not have any particular social or emotional problems. Yet, research indicates that up to 20 % of high school dropouts test in the gifted range. Some gifted kids may not seem different than other “behaviorally-difficult” children in their behavior and emotions, but the underlying causes are different. Any youngster can become withdrawn, aggressive, depressed, anxious, or sad – or exhibit any number of other problem behaviors given the right circumstances. However, there are a many aspects of giftedness that create unique challenges. Gifted kids, many of whom are “asynchronous” (i.e