My ASD Child

This is our new support group for people who are married to, or in a relationship with, someone on the autism spectrum (e.g., Asperger's, High-Functioning Autism). Share your challenges, frustrations, hurts, fears, concerns -- and yes, your successes and victories as well. We are here for one another!  Click ==> Relationships With Partners On The Autism Spectrum

BrainWorks: The Sensory Diet Creator Tool Just as youngsters with Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism need food throughout the day, their need for sensory input must also be met. A “sensory diet” is a personalized activity plan that provides the sensory input “special needs” children must have in order to stay focused and organized throughout the day. Children and teens with mild to severe sensory issues can all benefit from a personalized sensory diet. Each Asperger’s or HFA youngster has a unique set of sensory needs. Generally, a youngster who is more lethargic or tired needs more arousing input, while a youngster whose nervous system is energetic or hyper needs more calming input. Occupational therapists can use their training and evaluation skills to develop a sensory diet for the youngster on the autism spectrum, but it’s up to parents and the youngster to implement it throughout the day. Effects of a sensory diet are usually immediate and cumulative. I

The diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s includes a description of some of the deficits in social interaction, for example, (a) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors, such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction; (b) lack of social or emotional reciprocity; and (c) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level. Children with Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) have considerable difficulty with the understanding and expression of social reciprocity and nonverbal behaviors. With respect to peer relationships, when a parent or teacher observes the social play and friendship skills of these young people, he or she often notices a delay in the conceptualization of friendship. Also, these children may have an overall intellectual ability within the normal range, but their understanding of friendship skills resembles much younger kids. We can only guess what the conse

“It has been suggested that Chris Mercer, the shooter in the Oregon community college incident, had a developmental disorder (the same claim was made of Adam Lanza in the Sandy Hook incident). Are people with autism more prone to violence than the general population? What can be done to address any potential violent tendencies early before tragedy strikes? What are the pros and cons of medication in these cases? I have so many other questions… We have a teenager with Asperger’s who has exhibited aggression, not only toward us, but with a few of his classmates as well. So, I believe we are justified in our concern at this point. (FYI: We do not have guns in our home!)” We have to careful about jumping to the conclusion that school shootings by people with Asperger’s or High-Functioning Autism are caused by their disorder. Violence is seldom an isolated problem and is particularly complex in teens and young adults with a developmental disorder. It is important to understand that v

The advantages of having High-Functioning Autism (Asperger's) far outweigh the disadvantages!   Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum :   ==> How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==> Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==> Launching Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance ==> Teaching Social-Skills and Emotion-Management to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Parents' Comprehensive Handbook ==> Unraveling the Mystery Behind High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book

"Question: How to help a child with ASD to have enough confidence to engage in activities and with people that are outside his comfort zone?" A common experience among children with ASD level 1, or High-Functioning Autism (HFA), is being overwhelmed in social situations. A child with social anxiety faces sensory overload as well as extreme feelings of nervousness around people. As a result, he or she feels uncomfortable participating in many everyday social situations. Children with social anxiety usually interact easily with parents, siblings, and a few close friends. But noisy crowds, meeting new people, going to new places, or engaging in new and unfamiliar activities can be highly stressful. Instead of enjoying social activities, children with social anxiety dread them — and avoid some of them altogether. Social anxiety can affect an HFA child’s life in many ways. For example, it can keep him or her from reading aloud in class, volunteering an answer in class,

  Do you need some assistance in parenting your Aspergers or HFA child? Click here to use Mark Hutten, M.A. as your personal parent coach. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello,  I recently came across your facebook sight for parenting children with Apergers. My son is almost 8 and was diagnosed with ADHD by a therapist. Although he is not medicated, it doesn't seem to affect his academics. He has behavioral issues that he qualified for the emotional disability section of help from the school. He has had an IEP for 3 years now and we tweak it constantly. I'm stressed because I have been feeling like its not just ADHD. He has most of the symptoms/signs of aspergers to the point where I could name at least 3 situations to back up each sign. The problem I am having is its going to take 3 to 6 months for him to see a developmental pediatrician and with him getting suspended for stupid stuff or for the school not following his IEP, I just cant bare to wait that long. Are ther