My ASD Child

Young people with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA): are often physically clumsy and awkward are often unsuccessful in games involving motor skills experience fine-motor deficits that can cause penmanship problems, slow clerical speed and affect their ability to draw have stiff, awkward gaits Programming Suggestions for Teachers: 1. Some kids with AS and HFA benefit from guidelines drawn on paper that help them control the size and uniformity of the letters they write. This also forces them to take the time to write carefully. 2. When assigning timed units of work, make sure the youngster's slower writing speed is taken into account. 3. Refer the “special needs” youngster for adaptive physical education program if gross motor problems are severe. 4. Young people with AS and HFA may require a highly individualized cursive program that entails tracing and copying on paper, coupled with motor patterning on the blackboard. The teacher can gui

 "What should we do exactly if we decide to go ahead and get our child diagnosed? We have our suspicions and we think it's probably time to investigate the possibility that he is on the spectrum." Some parents know that there is something “not quite right” with their child – and they may suspect some form of autism – but they delay in seeking a formal diagnosis for fear that their child will be “labeled” (e.g., “If my child gets labeled as having a ‘disorder,’ people will discriminate against him and treat him unfairly”). In addition, schools downplay the diagnosis to give less services and save money. And worse yet, some physicians are afraid to give the diagnosis of High-Functioning Autism (Asperger’s) out of fear of frightening moms and dads, hurting their feelings, or stigmatizing their youngster. Why do some parents resist getting a diagnosis? Here are some possible reasons: I don’t want my child to get lumped into a category. I need him to be “normal.”