My ASD Child

Would you, as a parent, say your youngster with Asperger’s (AS) or High Functioning Autism (HFA) does any of the following: Judges himself as strong or weak, smart or stupid? Looks for too much certainty in a world full of uncertainty? Over-monitors his decisions as right or wrong, good or bad? Reacts emotionally when things don't look right? Thinks in terms of extremes (i.e., all or nothing, black or white)? If so, then your child may be experiencing a “false dilemma." In other words, she believes she is stuck in an awful predicament, when in reality, she is not. When AS and HFA children fall victim to a false dilemma, they have mistakenly reduced an entire spectrum of possibilities down to the two most extreme options, each the polar opposite of the other without any shades of grey in between. Often, those categories are of their own creation, and they are attempting to force the world to conform to their preconceptions about what it should look like. A ...

Is there a detailed list of traits associated with high functioning autism that we can use as a gauge to see whether or not to have our child assessed? A child with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) or Asperger's often has many of the following traits: Has a different form of introspection and self-consciousness Has a fascination with a topic that is unusual in intensity or focus Takes longer to process social information due to using intelligence rather than intuition Needs assistance with some self-help and organizational skills Enjoys a very brief and low intensity expression of affection, and becomes confused or overwhelmed when greater levels of expression are experienced or expected Collects facts and figures about a specific topic Has a tendency to be considered disrespectful and rude by others Has a tendency to make a literal interpretation of what someone says Has an unusual profile of learning abilities Teachers often identify problems with organizational abi...

“Is it common for aspergers teenagers to retaliate (sometimes violently) when they feel that they are being mistreated by siblings, peers, etc.?” Common? No. Does it happen? Yes. Most juveniles with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) have strict codes of behavior that often include a dislike or even hatred of violence. Even among them, however, aggression can be a problem when the juvenile or young adult becomes frustrated, feels unfairly treated, or feels excluded. Juveniles with AS and HFA can persuade themselves that aggression is justified in these circumstances. Aggression toward younger siblings may be a problem, as may aggression at school, but the usual arena is at home. This kind of aggression may be explosive, in which case there is often a sharp onset and a sharp offset. The AS or HFA juvenile may be even more unaware of the impact of his aggression than others who have tantrums. Parents often say something like this: “He calmed down quickly, long ...

“My 10 year old only child has recently been diagnosed on the Autism spectrum (what is closest to Aspergers).  He has always had a difficult time making friends, which has become more problematic with the loss of 2 best friends in the last year.  He has never made lasting friendships. Is this part of high functioning autism? How can I help?” Yes, poor social interaction is part of the disorder. Some kids with Asperger’s (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA) do seem to lack interest in others and may prefer solitary activities. For example, Ronnie, age 7, was very skilled at building with blocks and Legos. However, when another youngster would approach to try to join his play, he would become extremely angry, not wanting his play to be disturbed. Inappropriate overtures towards others, or inappropriate responses to the approaches of other people are common occurrences. Michael, age 6, was fascinated with his next-door neighbor, Tyler, a toddler of 18 months. Unfort...