Posts

Reasons for "Bad" Behavior in Aspergers and HFA Children

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“Does Aspergers come and go? I have a 5 year old tentatively diagnosed with Aspergers, but while he's always special, there are weeks when it's like a switch is turned on and everything turns 'bad' - these are the times when we struggle to enjoy him as a person. His resilience becomes very low, he argues with everything we say, he refuses to play at all with others nicely ...well you know the sort of symptoms. But then after a week or so, the switch goes again and he's back to loveable with a few quirks! Is this normal?” In this post, we will look at: anxiety social limitations limitations in the ability to grasp social cues a highly rigid style of thinking limitations in generalizing from one situation to another  and much more CLICK HERE for an in-depth answer to the question above...

You Are On The Right Planet: A Message To All Aspies

There is a philosophy amongst some individuals in the autism community that people on the spectrum are living their lives on the "wrong planet."  Really?!

Why are children on the autism spectrum prone to "meltdowns"?

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Children with ASD level 1 or High Functioning Autism (HFA) are prone to meltdowns when they find themselves trapped in a situation that is difficult to cope with, especially those which involve frustration, sensory overload, pain or confusion. These situations tend to happen more frequently for children who have one or more of the following characteristics: Communication delays or challenges Difficulty identifying and controlling emotions  Difficulty understanding cause and effect  Difficulty with social comprehension Executive functioning disruption  Hypersensitivity to sensory input Low frustration threshold Low frustration tolerance Resistance to change Rigid or inflexible thinking Sensory integration dysfunctions Think of meltdowns as an “escape mechanism.” If the HFA child has the means to get himself out of a stressful situation before it becomes overwhelming, the cognitive and emotional pressure subsides. Without these means of escape, the stress will escalat