My ASD Child

"What can be done about  an autistic child (high functioning) who does things repeatedly like rocking back and forth, spinning and flipping objects, making strange vocal noises over and over again? This constant non-stop behavior can be so annoying (and embarrassing) at times." Most of our "leisure activities" are nothing more than self-stimulation behaviors that have become highly ritualized over time and made socially acceptable. There is nothing intrinsically valuable or reasonable about leisure pursuits such as bungee jumping, playing cards, dancing, playing video games, listening to music, smoking, etc. People participate in these different activities because they find them to be pleasurable and because the activities alter their physical state. Each activity provides us with a particular type of sensory input. There is not necessarily a great difference in so-called self-stimulation behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders and some of thes

"Can high functioning autism be inherited? Our son was recently diagnosed, and now I am wondering if my husband has it too ...their behaviors are very similar." There is strong evidence that ASD Level 1 or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) is, at least in part, an inherited condition. If one twin develops the disorder, there is a 60% likelihood that the other will develop it as well.    Younger kids born into families with an older child on the autism spectrum have a 5-6% likelihood of also having the disorder. Even though the incidence of HFA is higher among related family members, no specific gene has been linked to its development. Also, there is currently no way to test for the genetic predisposition towards the disorder. HFA is a neurobiological disorder in which known areas of the brain are affected in ways scientists do not yet completely understand. The disorder is considered to be inherited in a complex fashion (e.g., more complicated than disorders such as co