My ASD Child

FYI to Parents: Getting ready for the new school year should start earlier when you have a youngster with ASD, or High Functioning Autism (HFA). There are so many things to plan ahead for, and people to coordinate with. You'll need to start preparing your youngster, too. If you're like many moms and dads of kids on the autism spectrum, it's tempting to put off back-to-school preparations until the first day is just a week or so away. The resulting last-minute flurry of phone calls, errands, and meetings can be overwhelming. But this year, you can make the back-to-school process easier. This post will focus on simple things you can do NOW to make this the best transition to the new school year ever: 1. First, brainstorm a list of everything that needs to happen with school between now and the first day of school. Get help from your spouse and/or a friend who has a youngster in the same classroom. Depending on your youngster's age and abilities, inclu

Keeping kids busy - and out of trouble - during the summer is a challenging task for any parent. But doing the same with children on the autism spectrum is even more difficult. Parents need to consider the unique needs, capabilities and interests of their children with Asperger’s (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA) – all the while keeping them busy and pushing them towards their behavioral and social goals. Here are some ideas on how to achieve this balance: 1. An afternoon movie at a theater: AMC Entertainment offers special movie showings for families with AS and HFA kids.  The lights stay on, the volume is kid-friendly, and they can get up, move around, and talk without being shushed by irritated movie-goers.  It’s like home, only with a bigger screen. 2. Day camp: If you live in a larger metropolitan area, there may be day camps and other structured activities designed especially for kids with AS and HFA. These camps provide kids with some of the same routines th

"Is there one method for teaching social skills that is better than the others? If so, what might it be?" “Video-modeling” may be one of the most effective social-skills training tools used for kids with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). This technique involves the child watching a video demonstration of a behavior, and then imitating the behavior of the model. Video-modeling may be used with the child’s parents, teachers, friends – or self as a model (called “self-modeling”). Self-modeling techniques have the added advantage of providing AS and HFA youngsters with a visual representation of their own success (i.e., they can view themselves successfully engaging in a behavior or activity). Self-modeling can be used to promote skill acquisition, boost skill performance, and decrease problem behaviors. It utilizes a powerful learning medium for kids on the spectrum (i.e., visually-cued instruction) with an effective, evidence-based intervention strategy.