My ASD Child

“My son has autism (high functioning, age 11) and is referred by his doctor with the chief complaint of “severe mood swings, rule out bipolar disorder (BD).” In the past, he was treated for ADHD with stimulants with mixed results. I’m concerned about his “flipping out” whenever he is asked to do something he does not want to do. I have a history of depression and anxiety, and his dad had a drinking problem. There is no history of BD in his first- or second-degree relatives. Are my son’s rapid mood swings a sign of ADHD, autism, BD, or another disorder?” It’s not uncommon for a child with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) or Asperger’s (AS) to experience frequent mood swings (i.e., an emotional response that is poorly modulated and does not fall within the conventionally accepted range of emotive response). Overwhelming emotions can take over, and the child will use some type of coping mechanism (at an unconscious level) to deal with them. The trigger for a mood swing might be t

Does your child experience any of the following? Anger control problems Attention difficulties Behavior problems at home or school Difficulty calming down Meltdowns Shutdowns Picky eating Tantrums that seem to last for hours Problems completing homework and school assignments Rigidity in thought and behavior Rituals and obsessions School refusal Sensory sensitivities Sleep problems Social skills deficits Verbal or physical aggression …just to name a few? When it comes to temper tantrums and meltdowns, I often hear the following statement from parents of kids on the spectrum: "We've tried everything with this child -- and nothing works!" Would you love to know how to successfully handle situations in which your child becomes overwhelmed due to sensory overload, low-frustration tolerance, social problems, and anxiety? Do you want to discover the specific techniques needed to deal with tantrums, and learn to distinguish the difference b

"Is there a way to teach a child with high functioning autism to not take the things a parent says so literally? My daughter’s literal mind is completely baffled by sarcasm. She will try to dissect and understand common phrases and end up with some very bizarre ideas about the world. I try to keep my sarcasm to a minimum, but no matter how hard I try to account for her literalism, there are always things that I miss. I end up saying something that confuses the hell out of her, and when I try to explain, it just confuses her even more. As just one example, we were running late getting out the door and on to a doctor’s appointment a few days ago. She was stalling, so I barked, ‘Get those shoes on your feet right now!’ So, she literally picked up her shoes and placed them ON TOP of her feet (I had to laugh). Anyway… how can I help with this issue?" All kids have a "blind spot" in understanding various concepts. For example, some students don't "get"