My ASD Child

“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

 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? ~~~~~~~~~~~~

“My 6 y/o son Josh was recently diagnosed with high-functioning autism (2 weeks ago). I have always noticed there were some issues, and now things are starting to make sense. I have a mixed bag of emotions right now. I’m new to all of this and have quite a bit to learn. I’m not sure where to start or what parenting changes I should make – if any. My question is - what methods should you use to discipline your kiddos when they have misbehaved (e.g., hitting friends, annoying his sister, has screamed at teachers… just to name a few)? Right now we are using a simple "reward" chart, which doesn’t seem to have much of an impact (so far). Any tips for a newbie will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!” While it may be heartbreaking to say goodbye to the son you thought you had (i.e., a “typical” child with “quirks” rather than some “disorder”), you can say hello now to the son who needs you just as much - if not more - as you get to know his unique personality, and you can