My ASD Child

"I have great difficulty with my 6-year-old daughter (high functioning) at home due to frequent tantrums and meltdowns, yet her teacher states that her behavior at school is quite good. Why is this – and what can I do to get the same results at home?" First of all, just because the behavior occurs at home doesn’t necessarily mean the “cause” of the behavior lies there. Your daughter may find school very stressful, but keeps her emotions bottled-up until she gets home. Most kids with Aspergers and high-functioning autism (HFA) do not display the body language and facial expressions you would expect to see when a youngster is feeling a particular way. While your daughter may appear relatively calm at school, she may be experiencing very different emotions under the surface. Asking an HFA youngster how she feels may not get the correct response, because most of these young people struggle to explain their emotions to someone. Some find carrying visual “stress sca

This video reveals the true reasons behind the behavior that some teachers may view as insubordination. Is your Aspergers or HFA student "misbehaving" - or is he simply experiencing some "autism-related" symptoms? Either way - you can help! Note to parents: Please email your child's teacher(s) and send them the link to the video below. Copy and paste the following URL into your email:   http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2012/04/misunderstood-aspergers-child.html ==> Teaching Students with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism

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