My ASD Child

This Week's 2-Minute Tip: Aspergers Children and Intensity-Seeking ==> My Aspergers Child: Preventing Meltdowns and Tantrums in Aspergers Children

The autism spectrum extends from “classic autism” (which lies at the lower end of the spectrum) through to Aspergers (which is characterized as being at the mildest and highest functioning end of the spectrum). Aspergers reflects deviations or abnormalities in four aspects of development: 1. Certain behavioral and stylistic characteristics such as repetitive or persevering features 2. Limited, but intense, range of interests 3. Social relatedness and social skills 4. The use of language for purposes of communication These dysfunctional features can range from mild to severe. Aspergers is characterized by: • a better prognosis than other Autism spectrum disorders • difficulties with pragmatic, or social language • extending into the very superior range of cognitive ability • high cognitive abilities - or, at least, “normal” IQ level • normal language function when compared to other autistic disorders Diagnostic Criteria from DSM— Aspergers:

Christmas is often filled with stress. There is a lot of pressure to make Christmas perfect and fun, and to enjoy yourself while you're doing it. This is a tall order in any situation, but when you add to that the stress of having a child with special needs for whom you also want the holidays to be perfect and fun – it can often become more overwhelming than ever.   Here are 10 tips to help you have a stress-free Christmas with your Aspergers or high-functioning autistic child: 1. Kids on the autism spectrum will always do better when they are not over-stimulated by the many sights, sounds, smells, and unpredictable events of the outside world. You can create an experience in your home that you normally would go out for. For example, instead of going to an evening parade with a festival of lights, you can put Christmas lights all around your house, turn off all the lights, and play Christmas music at a gentle volume. You may be concerned about depriving your youngster o

Children with delayed skills or other disabilities might be eligible for special services that provide individualized education programs in public schools, free of charge to families. Understanding how to access these services can help moms and dads to be effective advocates for their Aspergers and high-functioning autistic children. The passage of the updated version of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) made mothers/fathers of children with special needs even more crucial members of their youngster's education team. Moms and dads can now work with teachers to develop a plan — the individualized education program (IEP) — to help children succeed in school. The IEP describes the goals the team sets for a youngster during the school year, as well as any special support needed to help achieve them. A youngster who has difficulty learning and functioning and has been identified as a special needs child is the perfect candidate for an IEP. Children st