My ASD Child

Question Overall, my Aspergers son has been a good kid. Loves going to school (but all through elementary school had bullying issues). Seems better this year in high school (he chose a new school). He has Asperger's syndrome (terrible social skills...yet loves to be social, but can't fit in). He has always been extremely "strong willed". I am at my wits end....he lies to me (minor things), he is disrespectful to myself and his dad, he starts and will not give in to numerous arguments (until we tell him he is right and we are wrong....this can go on for hours). The worse thing is that now he seems to have developed a fetish...he is stealing diapers and I don't know what is going on. This last thing has now distanced myself from him....I cannot deal with this, nor do I know how..He looks up pictures of diapers on internet (when he is supposed to be doing internet homework projects), then he lies about it when I ask him why he is on these sights. It is ...

Aspergers (high functioning autism) is a neurological disease typically diagnosed in kids ages two to four. It is a form of functional autism that largely affects a person's communication and social skills. Some kids with Aspergers must be placed in special education classrooms, while others function relatively well in standard education classes. In my tenure of teaching, I have taught sixteen kids with Aspergers, and it has been both a challenging and rewarding experience. Kids with Aspergers often have discipline problems and have trouble interacting with other kids, but they are usually quite bright. In fact, their IQ's are sometimes approaching genius level, and many are youngster prodigies in one area or another. Many take to memorizing facts, which has earned them the affectionate nickname of "little professors." The complications with working with kids who have Aspergers are two-fold. On the one hand, many teachers are uncomfortable with the quirks an...

Question How can I help my Aspergers son to function better out in public? Answer We expect the people around us to look and act a certain way. Acting civilized is desired of all ages, young and old. Sometimes this is just too much to expect. People are individuals with their own agendas. What seems civilized to one family may be over the top in another household. What seems barely acceptable in one place is normal behavior in another. Nevertheless, we all want to be accepted and we want our children to be accepted. We teach and train from the earliest point in time to the best of our ability and our expectations, only to be told we aren’t quite reaching the bar in other’s eyes. Then add in Asperger’s Syndrome (high-functioning autism). How can we succeed? Make sure that your son recognizes appropriate behavior for public places. The younger you start, the more time you’ll have to cement the skills in his mind. Manners, personal cleanliness, and appropr...

How do I help my son with Aspergers in his social skills? He needs to interact with other kids and deal with people in the near future once he start's working. Even though there are several areas of weakness caused by Aspergers, social skills problems are probably the most important. Good social skills mean more than friendships and peer relationships. Social skills are necessary for interaction on the job, dating, and dealing with out people in all aspects of life. Your son can find help with social skills in many different places. Help at school— When there is no Aspergers, social skills are taught naturally in the classroom. However, kids with Aspergers fail to grasp the concept in this manner. Social skills must be taught systematically with much practice. Speech therapists in the schools are able to teach social skills along with other types of communication skills. This therapy may or may not involve a group of kids and will mainly focus on education related is...

"My Aspie son is 10-years-old, and friends are a big problem. He never has anyone call or come over. Should I push the issue or leave it alone since he is  content so far just to play by himself?" What do most parents want the most for their kids with Aspergers or High-Functioning Autism? Friends!!! We are social beings and because of that, we desire friendships. Some people are more social, needing to be surrounded by other people constantly, while some of us are much less social, preferring to spend some of our time alone. Socialization is difficult for kids with Aspergers. Friends are hard to come by. Other kids do not understand the characteristics of Aspergers and may think your son is awkward, aloof, or conceited. There are things your son can do to improve his chances for friendships, if he so desires. Here are a few suggestions: * Social skills classes help kids with Aspergers learn ways to interact with their peers. Some schools offer these class...