My ASD Child

Many students with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) are unable to generalize the skills that they learn. For instance, the teacher may inform the student how to respectfully address a teacher. Normally this skill would then be generalized to any adult in a position of authority. However, a student with AS or HFA is likely to only apply the skill to the individual initially used as the target of respect in the learning process. The student will probably not apply this behavior to a principal, dean, or police officer. The inability to generalize can also pose a problem in classroom assignments. For example, giving the direction to open a math book to a certain page does not communicate to additionally begin solving the problems. Thus, teachers should verbally give all the steps necessary to complete an assignment rather than assuming the AS or HFA student will know what comes next. There are additional techniques that have been used in assisting “spe

"My child (with HFA) does obsess about certain things, but how can I tell if he has full-blown obsessive compulsive disorder?" Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is described as a condition characterized by recurring, obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. Obsessive thoughts are ideas, pictures of thoughts or impulses that repeatedly enter the mind, while compulsive actions and rituals are behaviors that are repeated over and over again. The obsessions seen in kids with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) differ from the youngster with obsessive compulsive disorder. The youngster with AS or HFA does not have the ability to put things into perspective. Although terminology implies that certain behaviors in AS and HFA are similar to those seen in obsessive compulsive disorder, these behaviors fail to meet the definition of either obsessions or compulsions. They are not invasive, undesired or annoying, which is a prerequisite for a diagnosis of obse

Curriculum education is not the only education an Asperger’s (AS) or High-Functioning Autistic ((HFA) student encounters in the public school system. Social behaviors are not only necessary for successful playground interaction, they are necessary for successful acquisition of educational curriculum. The “hidden curriculum” consists of important social skills that everyone knows, but no one is taught. This includes assumed rules, student expectations, idioms and metaphors. Understanding the hidden curriculum is difficult for all kids, but it is especially so for young people with AS and HFA who have deficits in social interactions. The following example illustrates the difficulty children on the autism spectrum have understanding the hidden curriculum: Michael was a popular ninth-grader, despite his social awkwardness. His classmates accepted him and were understanding of his disorder. One day Michael was hanging out with his peers in the hallway before class when h

Catatonia is a complex disorder covering a range of abnormalities of movement, posture, speech and behavior associated with under-activity as well as over-activity. Research and clinical evidence reveals that some children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), including Asperger’s and High Functioning Autism, develop a complication characterized by catatonic and Parkinsonian features. In children with ASD, catatonia is shown by the onset of any of the following traits: increased slowness affecting movements and/or verbal responses increased reliance on physical or verbal prompting by others increased passivity and apparent lack of motivation Parkinsonian features (e.g., freezing, excitement and agitation, a marked increase in repetitive and ritualistic behavior) difficulty in initiating, completing, and inhibiting actions Behavioral and functional deterioration in the teenage years is common among young people with ASD. When parents notice a deterioration or an o