My ASD Child

Kids with Aspergers frequently exhibit problems associated with other special needs (e.g., attention problems and obsessive/compulsive disorders). Researchers and practitioners are unsure whether these behaviors are a part of Aspergers or are comorbid, (i.e., related) disorders. The characteristics of Aspergers include difficulties in social communication, sensory problems and organizational difficulties. All of these combined will certainly affect their ability to sustain concentration for any length of time. For example, a room may be too bright, noisy, too many pictures, etc., which are all distractions and high stimulation. This means that certain sights, noises, tastes and textures can bother a child more than they would a child without Aspergers. Aspergers kids will often not fully understand what is being said to them and will often misinterpret crucial verbal and non-verbal information. They also find it difficult to give consistent eye contact as this sometimes i...

Question How can I get help in obtaining services that are supposedly out there and available? My son’s ISSP (IEP) looks fantastic on paper, but in reality, most of the services are not obtainable due to extremely long wait lists or shortage of workers to completely fill the positions. Answer Developing a relationship with your son’s school and creating an acceptable IEP, or Individual Education Plan, is very important. “How Well Does Your IEP Measure Up?” by Diane Twachtman-Cullen and Jennifer Twachtman-Reilly is a book that can help you grow to be a valuable member of your son’s IEP team, giving you insight into the IEP process. You’ll learn about often-neglected areas that should be addressed during the IEP meeting. Your son’s school has obviously been cooperative, working with you and acknowledging his disabilities. However, without follow-through, all you have is a stack of papers. By law, your son is entitled to FAPE or a free, appropriate public education d...

"Please give me some ideas on how I can work with my son's school (he is high functioning with Aspergers). We are starting to have some academic and behavior problems with him, have tried to educate his teacher about things that set him off and calm him down, but no one seems willing to try anything different, treating our son as though he had no special issues." If you are wondering how to navigate through the system in order to get your Aspergers (high functioning autism) youngster educated you are not alone. Our kids don't fit so neatly into the main stream educational system. They are often too high functioning for some programs and still need more assistance than other programs offer. While they are in desperate need of socialization, too much is often detrimental. One on one for academics is perfect but does not provide enough stimulation and a classroom environment is just the opposite. The first step is to look at all of our options without leaving any o...

There are various symptoms that can be seen in a youngster with Aspergers (AS) or High Functioning Autism (HFA). Parents can use a checklist to closely observe their kids when they are fairly young. Children on the autism spectrum: often lack motor skills often speak in an odd tone or pitch adhere to routines and have repetitive habits have difficulty interacting at a social level are often unable to make a coordinated plan fail to get the undertone of a speaker have difficulty empathizing because they have a hard time understanding the feelings of others have narrowed interest fields and are often focused on one particular subject or topic There is no treatment for AS or HFA as such, but there are many ways in which a parent can help his or her youngster to cope with this disorder. Often times, there is an additional disorder found in the child, which worsens the situation. Fortunately, medication is used to help the child deal with these comorbid conditions. There...

It is very common for a youngster with Aspergers to become fascinated by a special interest that dominates his time. It is important to recognize what the fascination may provide for this youngster before attempting to eliminate it or control access to it. The fascination or obsession may provide the order and consistency he craves. It may also provide a method of relaxation. Rather than try to eliminate these altogether (which is almost impossible), create a plan that uses these unusual interests as a reward for completed tasks. For example, if you ask the youngster to complete a task that he is familiar with and in which he can be successful. Then give him time on the interest as a reward. This way your kid will learn to manage and control the obsession better.