My ASD Child

There is really no other way to begin this journey other than immersing yourself in your youngster's treatment. While it may be painful to say goodbye to the youngster you thought you had (i.e., a “typical” child with “quirks” rather than some “disorder”), you can say hello now to the youngster who needs you just as much - if not more - as you get to know his unique personality and development, and you can fall in love with your newly-diagnosed youngster with high-functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger's (AS) all over again in ways you could have never imagined. In the beginning, be sure to look at your grief. It doesn't help to pretend to be positive when underneath you may be lonely, afraid or sad. The longing for the typical youngster or a typical existence may endure. You have to learn to live with that yearning. Take some breaks for yourself. Your child’s treatment is important – but it isn't everything! As you get involved in the autism community, your i

A “functional analytic approach” to developing effective behavioral modification in children and teens with ASD utilizes a process known as “functional behavioral assessment.”    Functional behavioral assessment involves employing a variety of strategies (e.g., child-centered planning, treatment team meetings, systematic interviews, direct observations, etc.) to formulate hypotheses about why a child behaves the way she does. In order to accomplish a functional behavioral assessment, several assumptions about behavior must be regarded as valid: • Behavior has communicative value. Though it is generally accepted that all behavior has communicative value, it is important to remember that children with ASD generally do not have a behavioral intent to disrupt classroom settings, but instead problematic behaviors may arise from other needs (e.g., self-protection in stressful situations). Although children with the disorder typically have excellent language skills, their ability