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Hypotonia in Kids on the Autism Spectrum

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“My 10 year-old child with high-functioning autism is very smart, but he is very, very poorly coordinated. He has difficulty riding his bike, bowling, catching, hitting a tennis ball, kicking, shooting a basketball, diving in a pool, swinging a bat, and throwing. He can't run fast without tripping, and he has terrible posture. As an infant, he was a later walker (almost 17 months). He was a very sloppy eater, and still has trouble cutting with a knife or the edge of his fork. Also, he had some speech articulation issues. We were hoping he would grow out of all this, but he hasn't. I wonder if there is anything we could do to help him be less awkward. Does what I've described sound "normal" for some children with autism? Or does it sound concerning? How physically uncoordinated should he be before we try to get professional help for him?” Many children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) have a comorbid condition called Hypotonia, which is sometimes referred

COMMENTS & QUESTIONS [for March, 2017]

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 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mark, I find there a lack of supports where I live. Since he's been kicked out of school (behavior and substance use)and now having to attend the At Risk Youth Program for schooling, I am still concerned that my son is not getting what he really needs which is: -Coping Skills -Learning realistic thinking and emotional regulation skills -Learning to take responsibility for his doings/ and show remorse. -pro-social communication -learning self control and how to control his impulses -Problem solving With being 6 months away from being 18 (considered an adult here in Manitoba Canada) he is no more near appropriate acting age which scares me. I worry that he has few anti social traits and will turn into that for adulthood. What are your thoughts on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for ADHD and ODD? ~~~~~~~~~~~~