My ASD Child

Question I'm so frustrated! My 4 year old son was diagnosed with high-functioning autism last year, and for the year prior to that I was dealing with his overwhelming emotions. Now it seems like even if he's happy, he's too much for me. When he's not happy, he throws things, slams doors, screams, climbs furniture etc. So basically I have the same behaviors no matter how he's feeling. I fear the thought of going out anywhere with him. I have 4 other children, and he has drained everything I have inside me. I just don't know how to cope with him anymore. He is aggressive to the baby… I have to fight with him to change his clothes. I just feel like I've done all I can and now I'm back at square one again without the ability to do it again. Any advice on how to get through to him and calm him some? Answer For children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger's, tantrums and meltdowns look similar in the behavioral sense, but have d

“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

“I would like to better understand my son, who is on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. I want to understand how he thinks, how he interprets what is going on, and how his deficits cause problems. Thanks in advance!” This is a very good question, because a lot of parents of kids on the autism spectrum will rush into action before they have collected enough information and analyzed what is going on. If you do not know the reasons behind the behavior, you may very likely do the wrong thing. If you know what is going on, you can help things go better. Realizing that your son will not be a good observer of his behavior is your first step. The youngster with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) or Asperger’s (AS) often does not know what to do in a situation. He does not know the appropriate behavior because he doesn't understand how the world works. Or, if he knows a better solution, he cannot use it because he becomes "stuck." ==> How To Prevent Meltdowns a