My ASD Child

“Our son has high-functioning autism and ADHD.  His behavior is affecting every member of our family. We love him of course, but his meltdowns and tantrums are putting a great deal of stress on our marriage, and his siblings. We have put our resources of time and money towards providing treatment and interventions for him - to the exclusion of other priorities – with no positive outcome thus far. I am beyond burned out. To complicate matters, my parents believe that our son simply needs some old school discipline. They are so out-of-the-loop on what’s going on – it’s heart-rending.” Having a child with Asperger’s (AS) or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) can be hard on the entire family. Usually one parent (often the mom) recognizes and faces the problem sooner or more readily than the other. Confusion and disagreement can result. For example: Grandparents may blame the parents for not giving enough direct help to the youngster, not doing enough, not being disciplined enough, org

Many kids with ASD [High-Functioning Autism] are inevitably victims of bullying. The National Education Association estimates that every 7 minutes of every school day, a youngster is a victim of bullying, and 85% of the time there is no intervention by other children or adults. Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum :   ==>  How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Launching Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance ==>  Teaching Social-Skills and Emotion-Management to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==>  Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Parents' Comprehensive Handbook ==>  Unraveling the Mystery Behind High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book ==>  Crucial  Research-Based  Parenting Strategies for Children and T

Do you need some assistance in parenting your Aspergers or HFA child? Click here to use Mark Hutten, M.A. as your personal parent coach. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Mark Our son Josh fell apart in 2012 at 15 and was diagnosed with Aspergers. We followed your teachings and website very closely during those scary times! Josh has now produced an incredible book ‘Josh’s Big Year’ about his journey and your website is one of two resources mentioned in the book. Have a look at his website www.joshcrickmay.com to learn more about his journey. We would love you to share his story on your network, not just to sell books but because Josh wants his story to give hope to so many parents out there who find themselves in our position. Josh embraces his Aspie status and works so hard at himself. In his words “It’s not a disorder it’s who I am!” Would love to hear from you Andrew and Kathy South Africa ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Mark, My name is Ash Francis, I work for Anvil 1893; a producti

Adolescence is probably the most miserable and complicated years for teens with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). Many of these young people become more socially isolated during a period when they crave friendships and inclusion more than ever. ==> Discipline for Defiant Aspergers & High-Functioning Autistic Teens

The lack of “demonstrated empathy” is possibly the most dysfunctional aspect of Asperger's (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). But we do use the term “demonstrated empathy” for a very important reason. It’s not that these children have no empathy – they do. Rather, they often “give the impression” that they do not care about others. ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management

Kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Aspergers often display behavior, interests, and activities that are restricted and repetitive and are sometimes abnormally intense or focused. ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management

Some research suggests that children on the autism spectrum do NOT lack empathy; rather, they feel other’s emotions TOO INTENSELY to cope. Thus, the “lack of empathy issue” may have more to do with “sensitivity to stimuli” than an inability to put oneself in someone else’s shoes. ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management

The Asperger's or high-functioning autistic youngster creates his own set of rules for everyday functioning in order to keep things from changing and thereby minimize his anxiety. ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management

==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management

Early on, the youngster with High-Functioning Autism or Asperger’s begins to notice that his peers can do certain tasks easily that are very difficult for him. As a result, he may begin to feel bad about himself. He may receive frequent criticism, or at best, luck warm praise. For example: -- “You are making progress” (with what exactly?) -- “You are doing fine” (how fine?) -- “You are doing better” (better than what?) Click here for the full article...

Resources for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum :   ==> How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==> Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==> Launching Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance ==> Teaching Social-Skills and Emotion-Management to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder ==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Parents' Comprehensive Handbook ==> Unraveling the Mystery Behind High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book ==> Crucial Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism     More articles for parents of children and teens on the autism spectrum :   Social rejection has devastating effects in many areas of functioning. Because the ASD child tends to internalize how others treat him, rejection damages s

Because it can be exasperating for parents to deal with the behavioral challenges of a youngster with Asperger’s (AS) or High-Functioning Autism (HFA), it can be reassuring for them to know that some of the negative behaviors of their son or daughter often become positive traits in adulthood. For example, the child who doodles and draws all through school may well become an artist; the most manipulative youngster often turns out to be a remarkable leader, entrepreneur or politician; the most obstinate youngster often turns out to have fierce determination; and the youngster who argues all the time (like a jail house lawyer) may actually become a lawyer someday. This pattern has been evidenced again and again throughout my experience in working with families affected by autism spectrum disorders: One bright child with AS and ADHD who was impulsive, highly distractible, and had a poor attention span, grew up to be an exceptional emergency healthcare specialist. In an emergency,

T he difference between a tantrum and a meltdown: ==> How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Children with Aspergers and HFA