My ASD Child

“What are your thoughts on psychotherapy versus pharmacotherapy for children with Asperger syndrome?” Focused and structured psychotherapy can be very helpful in treating children with Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism (HFA), particularly in the context of the following: anxiety family functioning frustration in regard to education and vocational goals  meltdowns negativism overwhelming experiences of sadness social adjustment Although little information about pharmacological interventions for children with Asperger’s and HFA is available, a conservative approach based on the evidence from autism should probably be adopted. In general, pharmacological interventions for kids on the spectrum are probably best avoided. Specific medication might be indicated if Asperger’s or HFA is accompanied by a thought disorder, severe obsessions and compulsions, or debilitating depressive symptoms. It is important for moms and dads to know that medications are prescribed fo

“What are the most important treatment strategies or program goals for treating younger children with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism?” Although treatment programs may differ in philosophy and emphasis on particular treatment strategies, they share many common goals. There is a growing consensus that important components of effective early childhood intervention for Asperger’s and HFA include the following: entry into treatment as soon as a diagnosis is “seriously considered” rather than deferring until a “definitive” diagnosis is made functional adaptive skills that prepare the youngster for increased responsibility and independence functional, spontaneous communication skills implementation of techniques to apply learned skills to new environments and situations (i.e., generalization) and to maintain functional use of these skills in the educational setting, low student-to-teacher ratio to allow sufficient amounts of one-on-one time and small-group instruction