How to Stop Overwhelming Your Child on the Autism Spectrum
“I have two children, one age 4 - the other age 7. Both are on the autism spectrum (high functioning). The oldest is easily overwhelmed by even the smallest of problems, most of which can result in a meltdown depending on his general mood of the day (shirt is too tight, younger brother is too pesky, poor loser playing board games, hates the shower with a passion, and on and on we go). What are some things I can say or do to save him from getting so stressed out?” High-Functioning Autism is a developmental disorder that results in several ongoing challenges: (a) two-way social interaction, (b) verbal and nonverbal communication, (c) a reluctance to accept change, (d) inflexibility of thought, and (e) an all-absorbing narrow area of interest. Also, there is a range of severity of symptoms within the disorder (e.g., the very mildly affected youngster often goes undiagnosed and may just appear odd or eccentric). In general, kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s are h