My ASD Child

Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism possess a combination of strengths and difficulties.  This video focuses on the strengths: Most Aspergers children: can stick to routines… are able to forgive others… are accepting of others… are gentle… are honest… are not bullies, con artists, or social manipulators… are not inclined to steal… are perfectly capable of entertaining themselves… are smart, they study hard, and they respect authority… are talented… can make amazingly loyal friends... don’t discriminate against anyone based on race, gender, or age... don’t launch unprovoked attacks, verbal or otherwise… don't play head games, and don’t take advantage of other’s weaknesses… enjoy their own company, and can spend time alone… have a child-like innocence, an exceptional memory, and have no interest in harming others… notice fine details that others miss… prefer talking about significant things that will enhance their knowledge-base, rather than engaging in ch

"How can I teach my 5-year-old daughter with High-Functioning Autism some basic self-care skills like brushing her teeth, taking a bath, getting dressed for school, etc.? Currently she insists that I help her with everything. Help!" There are two main ways to teach self-care skills: 1. Backward chaining: This starts at the last step and works through the activity to the first step. For example, once your daughter has brushed her teeth with your help, move backwards through each step slowly (“You just brushed and rinsed your teeth. Before that, we turned on the water. Before that, we put toothpaste on your toothbrush. Before that, we got your toothbrush and toothpaste from the drawer.”). 2. Forward chaining: This teaches a skill in small steps from the first step of the activity through to the last step. For example, “To get dressed in the morning, first you put on your underwear and socks, then put on your pants, then your shirt, then…” (and so on). Wh

"My son’s teacher told me that he gets nervous and often goes into a meltdown at recess time. During recess, the students usually either go to the gym or outside for 'free-time' recreation. How can I help him deal with this transition and the unstructured nature of 'free-time', thus avoiding a meltdown?" Recess is a time when students traditionally run-off their stress, but this transition can be very challenging for a student with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism. Students are given instructions, rules and a timetable to guide them through the rest of the day, but recess is rather unstructured, and it can be difficult for Aspergers students to know what to do during this time. Playgrounds are also often noisy and crowded places, with lots of children running around screaming and talking loudly. This can be daunting for a special needs youngster who is not aware of the "hidden" social rules of recess. Here are some suggestions that