My ASD Child

"Can you help me understand how my child thinks? His rationale is quite confusing at times, and I find we are rarely on the same page with simple day-to-day issues."  In looking at the cognitive aspects of the child with ASD level 1 or High-Functioning Autism (HFA), there are four main areas to consider: (1) mindblindness, (2) cognitive inflexibility, (3) impaired imaginative play, and (4) visual learning strength. We'll look at each of these in turn: 1. Mindblindness (theory of mind): This refers to the child’s ability to predict relationships between external and internal states. It is the ability to make inferences about what another person is thinking. More specifically, the HFA child: Is unaware that others have thoughts, beliefs, and desires that influence their behavior. Views the world in black and white (e.g., admits to breaking a rule even when there is no chance of getting caught). Is unaware that others have intentions or viewpoints different fr

"I would like to know what to expect from a high functioning autistic child in the teenage years. My son was diagnosed 2 years ago. I know they say that they can suffer from this and that, but what is the long-term goal, what can we expect, what not to expect?" Young people with ASD level 1 or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) often have a difficult time between the ages of 13 and 19. They may be socially excluded and face rejection by their peers if they act differently from others. They want to be accepted and liked, but often don’t know how to behave and communicate appropriately. School is demanding and they long for friends. The goal for your HFA son is to make it through the teen years with the following: his self-esteem intact at least a friend or two knowledge that his family loves him a high school diploma   There are some teens that manage to navigate these years successfully because they don’t care about peer pressure and focus on a special interest of th

"Any tips for avoiding temper tantrums when my 5-year-old (high functioning) son and I are out shopping?" All parents have experienced the temper tantrum in the grocery store or the restaurant. While young people with High-Functioning Autism and may have tantrums that seem larger than life at times, they are still tantrums. Here are some tips for parents: 1. Prior to going on outings, it is important that your child is prepared for what is going to take place. So explain the trip's agenda in depth. 2. You may want to have your child engage in some physical activity and play prior to the trip so that he is calm (and slightly worn-out) for the outing. 3. You also want to establish what the expectations are for his behavior during the outing. You will need to keep in mind his age and level of understanding when giving expectations. 4. Don't overload him with rules, but be consistent.   ==>  Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens wi