Aspergers Teens and Behavior Problems at School

Question

Can you help me with behavior management for teenagers with Aspergers Syndrome in mainstream school (e.g., interrupting, joking, attention seeking)?

Answer

Social boundaries are not always understood by teenagers with Aspergers (high-functioning autism). Teens as a whole may have difficulty with these concepts; however, the teen with Aspergers may have a tougher time understanding how his behavior is disruptive or unacceptable. Teenagers with Aspergers struggle to understand how to control their feelings. Anger, stress, anxiety, and frustration can build quickly. This can cause inappropriate behaviors as the teenager strains to maintain control. Other times the teenager may act improperly without realizing what has happened.

Here are some commonly used treatment options:

• Individual counseling— Much like Cognitive-behavioral therapy, a trained professional counselor will attempt to develop a relationship with the teen with Aspergers. Teens can benefit from the one-on-one of basic counseling sessions that deal directly with the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of emotions and actions. This type of therapy may last for years.

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy— Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a time controlled intense therapy that is based on the belief that a teen’s individual thoughts are the cause of his behavior. In other words, the people around you and the situations that occur are not the cause, but an effect. Since this is the reality, a person should then be able to change the outcome of actions and feelings by changing the way they think about them, and not by changing the situations.

Without strong support at home, Aspergers teens may not make much progress with dealing with emotions and poor behavior. Any therapy will include homework. Some families, either by choice or desire, may choose to handle the adolescent years without the assistance of private therapy. In many instances, this can be an acceptable alternative.

My Aspergers Teen: Discipline for Defiant Aspergers Teens

Aspergers Children and Language Development

Language seems to develop on time in children with Aspergers (high functioning autism), but words, while formulated according to the rules, seem to lack functional effectiveness, because they most often are used to express immediate needs or to expound on the child’s favorite subjects.

The child with Aspergers seems not to see the main idea or the pivotal point. They tend to have problems with abstraction, inference, or practical, functional language. And their semantic understanding is limited, which frequently shows up in tests and instructional measures of listening comprehension.

Instead of delaying language development, Aspergers impairs the subtleties of social communication. Aspergers children have difficulty understanding nuances such as irony, sarcasm and fanciful or metaphoric language. Many Aspergers children take language literally. Expressions such as “watching paint dry,” or “smart as a tack” leave these children very confused.

Children with Aspergers are often referred to as “little professors,” which is due to their stiff and often pedantic and monotonic use of language. The varied, expressive qualities of expressive language may be unusual. This is called prosody, which is the pitch, loudness, tempo, stress emphasis, tonality, and rhythm patterns of spoken language. Aspergers speech patterns often seem odd to people who don’t know them. Tone, intonation and volume are often restricted, seemingly inappropriate, or at appear at odds with what is being said.

Children with Aspergers also have difficulty interpreting and displaying non-verbal communication. Facial expressions, body language, gestures and postures are often mysteries to children with Aspergers, as is personal space. This inability to instinctively comprehend unspoken communication has led some experts to suggest Aspergers is actually a non-verbal communication disorder.

Characteristics Checklist for Aspergers: Language Skills

Impairments in Language Skills 

A. Impairment in the pragmatic use of language. This refers to the inability to use language in a social sense as a way to interact/communicate with other people. It is important to observe the individual’s use of language in various settings with various people (especially peers), since the impairments are in pragmatic language usage.

1. Uses conversation to convey facts and information about special interests, rather than to convey thoughts, emotions, or feelings.

2. Uses language scripts or verbal rituals in conversation, often described as “nonsense talk” by others (scripts may be made up or taken from movies/books/TV). At times, the scripts are subtle and may be difficult to detect.

3. Has difficulty initiating, maintaining, and ending conversations with others. For example:

• Focuses conversations on one narrow topic, with too many details given, or moves from one seemingly unrelated topic to the next.
• Once a discussion begins it is as if there is no “stop” button; must complete a predetermined dialogue.
• Knows how to make a greeting, but has no idea how to continue the conversation; the next comment may be one that is totally irrelevant.
• Does not make conversations reciprocal (has great difficulty with the back-and-forth aspect), attempts to control the language exchange, may leave a conversation before it is concluded.
• Does not inquire about others when conversing. 

4. Is unsure how to ask for help/make requests/make comments:

• Fails to inquire regarding others.
• Makes comments that may embarrass others.
• Interrupts others.
• Engages in obsessive questioning or talking in one area, lacks interest in the topics of others.
• Has difficulty maintaining the conversation topic.

B. Impairment in the semantic use of language. This refers to understanding the language being used. 

1. Displays difficulty understanding not only individual words, but conversations and material read.

2. Displays difficulty with problem solving.

3. Displays difficulty analyzing/synthesizing information presented:

• Does not ask for the meaning of an unknown word.
• Uses words in a peculiar manner.
• Is unable to make or understand jokes/teasing.
• Creates jokes that make no sense.
• Interprets known words on a literal level (concrete thinking).
• Has a large vocabulary consisting mainly of nouns and verbs.
• Creates own words, using them with great pleasure in social situations.
• Has difficulty discriminating between fact and fantasy.

C. Impairment in prosody. This refers to the pitch, stress, and rhythm of an individual’s voice. 

1. Rarely varies the pitch, stress, rhythm, or melody of his speech. Does not realize this can convey meaning.

2. Has a voice pattern that is often described as robotic or as the “little professor”; in children, the rhythm of speech is more adult-like than child-like.

3. Displays difficulty with volume control (too loud or too soft).

4. Uses the voice of a movie or cartoon character conversationally and is unaware that this is inappropriate.

5. Has difficulty understanding the meaning conveyed by others when they vary their pitch, rhythm, or tone.

D. Impairment in the processing of language. This refers to one’s ability to comprehend what has been said. The Asperger individual has difficulty absorbing, analyzing, and then responding to the information. 

1. When processing language (which requires multiple channels working together), has difficulty regulating just one channel, difficulty discriminating between relevant and irrelevant information.

2. Has difficulty shifting from one channel to another; processing is slow and easily interrupted by any environmental stimulation (seen as difficulty with topic maintenance). This will appear as distractibility or inattentiveness. (Note: When looking at focusing issues it is very difficult to determine the motivator. It could be attributed to one or a few of the following reasons: lack of interest, fantasy involvement, anxiety, or processing difficulty.)

3. Displays a delay when answering questions.

4. Displays difficulty sustaining attention and is easily distracted (one might be discussing plants and the Asperger individual will ask a question about another country — something said may have triggered this connection or the individual may still be in an earlier conversation).

5. Displays difficulty as language moves from a literal to a more abstract level (generalization difficulties found in the Asperger population are, in part, due to these processing difficulties).

More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:

==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's

==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism

==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance

==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management to Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook

==> Unraveling The Mystery Behind Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book


==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

Asperger Syndrome and Attention Difficulties

Question

My question is my 13 yr old Asperger daughter does not pay attention to what is going on around her. Like if something looks dangerous, she doesn't seem to mind…. does not really pay attention crossing road or in parking lots, gets in trouble at school for doodling rather than listening, and so on. Is this part of Aspergers?

Answer

In the past, kids with Asperger Syndrome (now called high functioning autism) would sometimes get an ADHD diagnosis when they just couldn't focus in school. Today, we know a lot more about the differences between Aspergers and ADHD. Still, there are many similarities that can be difficult even for therapists to straighten out.

Theoretically, the distinction is easy enough. Asperger Syndrome is a part of the Autistic spectrum with emotional, social and possible verbal/motor impairments. ADHD and others may also have social components, but they're executive function disorders that usually go away as the youngster grows up. They also don't have the autistic traits often found in Asperger Syndrome kids. Asperger Syndrome is different in that children often have an almost uncanny ability to apply laser-like focus on a topic of interest to the exclusion of everything else, such as a teacher. ADHD, meanwhile, may not be able to focus on the teacher either, but that's because the attention is bouncing around all over the place. Thus, Asperger-related attention problems are more about striking balance between interests, and especially the ability to prioritize what is necessary rather than merely what the youngster happens to find interesting.

Some folks like to joke that they haven't quite received a bill until they open the envelope, so they don't have to worry about it just yet. A youngster with Asperger Syndrome can disregard requests to focus on “uninteresting” things in a similar way, simply blocking it out. Or, it could be the inability to maintain focus despite good efforts (kind of like how it's impossible to stay clear-headed at 2 AM when your whole body is crying out for sleep). No more can you “will” yourself to snap into an alert and rested state than an Asperger Syndrome kid may be able to snap into focus on a dull subject instead of an interesting one.

Either way, this is not something the youngster can help, nor does scowling and lectures help. You're more likely to drive the child away – and do everybody involved a disservice. Instead, talk to your daughter and try to pinpoint the problem. Every case is unique, so you have to look for tricks that help you and your youngster get around those particular problems. The key here is to follow up and give reminders without losing your temper. You can't just say, for example, "Remember to feed the cat at 5:00 PM" …and then get angry when it doesn't happen on its own.

There are many other tricks that may be equally or even more helpful. Again, discuss the nature of the challenges with your youngster with the goal of figuring out workable solutions together. Finally, never lose sight of the fact that even the most perfect plan is bound to have slip-ups; this is not the fault of your child, and she is probably just as frustrated as you are even if she lacks the tools to express it properly.

The Aspergers Comprehensive Handbook 

 
COMMENTS:

•    Anonymous said... Describes my son, who is now 31, to a T. Wish there had been a support group back then. He continues to struggle with focusing attention. On some things, he can be hyper focused seemingly ignoring other things around him. Then there are other situations where he doesn't seem focused at all. No he does not drive. He worked for 6 years but no longer. He is highly intelligent & high functioning, but he often stays to himself.
•    Anonymous said... Exactly what I'm dealing with! Seems rare for my son to be thinking or talking about what is relevant!!! Drives me insane!!! I need to learn more about this and ways to deal and cope with it!
•    Anonymous said... I am mostly concerned that the educators are "chastising." Sensory breaks and quiet environment are crucial.
•    Anonymous said... I feel like this not only explains my own 8 year old aspie but also myself.
•    Anonymous said... I'm easily distracted... Oh a squirrel
•    Anonymous said... it is all part of autism spectrum disorder...they will have distractions and moments of behavior issues...
•    Anonymous said... it might be beneficial to get the school resource teacher involved to help w/the teacher & your son!! Our resource teachers helps w/all of my son's struggles & helps his teacher in a positive reinforced way & they all get along so well & are productive in class!! good luck!
•    Anonymous said... my 7th grader is having a lot of difficulty with this right now...she was doodling and when that was taken away from her she started pulling her hair out...after redirection and an increase in meds we are starting to see improvents.
•    Anonymous said... My child has HFA and ADHD combined type and always struggled with staying on task...
•    Anonymous said... My daughter is very smart but has a very hard time focusing on school work and homework or a subject on hand, down to chores. She already got three F's, even one subject with an A at the first quarter but now F.....frustrating but not giving up yet. Some testings are going to be needing to see how far she is doing.
•    Anonymous said... My son was given a squishy stress ball in class , at first to stop him from finding other things to fiddle with and less distracting for the others, it turned out to be great because he could concentrate more, his hands were busy so he was happy and listened to class , Melissa Buckel Rokusek sounds like the same thing for your son when drawing
•    Anonymous said... My step son was using his drawings as his fidget. One of the teachers decided to test how much information he was getting from the class, he passed with flying colors. I think that doodling focuses him on what is actually being said. He also doodles while watching movies (after he can repeat every word). So sometimes its not a bad thing.
•    Anonymous said... sounds a lot like my son. we're going to be homeschooling for a while to see if he can learn to focus his attention on schoolwork. he hasn't been able to function in a class room environment. such a bright boy, we just need to help him focus on the things he needs to focus on in order to do well. drives me insane too.
•    Anonymous said... Sounds alot like my son. He is in fourth grade and every teacher he has had has said that he is very intelligent. But his grades do not reflect that since he is too distracted at school to do better.
•    Anonymous said... sounds alot like my son. His teachers, aides, counselors all say he is super smart. But his grades do not reflect this because they say he doesn't pay attention in class most of the time. I don't think he does it on purpose, but I think his mind wanders. He is 10, but hasn't had an iq test yet.
•    Anonymous said... Sounds like my son.
•    Anonymous said... Stimulants do help with this in my experience with my son. Seems to improve his meltdowns too
•    Anonymous said... This describes my son exactly! We have been dealing with attention issues all through school. I am quite sure he would test as gifted, but his current grades do not reflects it. We always hear he needs to pay more attention, but so far have not found a solution. He reacts badly to stimulants. My son admits he has too many ideas in his head to concentrate.
•    Anonymous said... This is exactly my son!
•    Anonymous said... This just came up at our annual for my daughter. She needs to be redirected because she gets lost in her thoughts. Do any of you have any goals on IEP for dealing with this?
•    Anonymous said... This sounds very much like my 14 y.o. He's very intelligent, but his schoolwork suffers because his attention slips easily while in class.

Please post your comment below… 

Aspergers Children: Obsessions and Rituals

Question

My Aspergers son spends all his time collecting and ruminating over his baseball cards. That’s ALL he talks about, all day long: baseball trivia (names of teams, names of players, player stats, and on and on...). Is this Aspergers related behavior, and how can I get him to broaden his interests?

Answer

Rituals and obsessions are one of the hallmarks of Aspergers (high functioning autism) and other Autistic Spectrum Disorders. In order to cope with the anxieties and stresses about the chaotic world around them, children often obsess and ritualize their behaviors to comfort themselves. While some children may spend their time intensely studying one area, others may be compulsive about cleaning, lining up items, or even doing things which put them or others in danger.

Based on data from psychological testing, it is likely that the memory of the youngster with Aspergers may not be better than others in general, but the huge collection of facts he knows probably represents the amount of time and effort that has gone into accumulating knowledge on one or two subjects to the exclusion of much else. The obsessions are not necessarily characterized by memorization of data alone.

The term “systemizing” applies to the “fascination with data” that has inherent networks, such as maps, weather patterns, or airline schedules. Although it is commonly thought that obsessions can be strengths that can be utilized in the educational process, these obsessions can interfere significantly with other important daily functions. Children with Aspergers are more interested in systems that can be described as “folk physics” (an interest in how things work) versus “folk psychology” (an interest in how people work).

Obsessions aren't always so bad, especially if they are some of educational or healthful value, but when mixed with the mental makeup of a child with Aspergers, problems may arise. Kids with Aspergers have trouble with social and emotional development and understanding the nonverbal cues in a conversation. While they are more than happy to start discussing their subject of obsession to another person, they will most likely not notice if the other person is not interested.

They may not get the hint of a person's disinterest or lack of time to talk. They may instead proceed to follow another person around continuing to talk on and on about their area of fascination. They may go right up to someone else already engaged in conversation and interrupt them to begin associating their topic of interest with their obsession. They may take over a conversation and talk endlessly not leaving much time or room for any feedback from another.

Kids with Aspergers may become so obsessed with a particular toy, game, or subject, that they may push friends away unknowingly. They may leave little time for anything else, and homework may suffer. They may become too easily distracted always thinking back to their obsession and not be able to stay on task.

Moms and dads need to take care to allow their kids to be passionate about certain subjects but to not let it entirely rule their lives. If a child is overly obsessed with playing video games of play on the computer, it is OK to give them some time to play, but the time should be limited. Even if the subject of fascination is reading books or doing science experiments, it is still important that time be given to other subjects or just to get out to get some exercise.

Kids with Aspergers do not learn the social norms and common sense ideas the same way another child does. They may never completely understand the reasons why things matter socially. They may not see any reason why they shouldn't devote all their time to their one major fascination. Moms and dads can take consideration for their passion, but also help them become a more socially rounded person. It is important, however, if a child fixates on a particularly bad habit or inappropriate subject matter, that a parent put an end to it immediately.

Even with Aspergers, a child will eventually notice when a parent is not interested and it may become hurtful. Moms and dads should take the time to listen to their child and even learn about what is so fascinating. A parent who will take the extra initiative to go visit a planetarium for their child interested in space, or take a trip to a dinosaur museum for the child obsessed with dinosaurs, will give their child the extra support and assurance they need.

Choose your battles wisely. Breaking an obsession or ritual is like running a war campaign. If not planned wisely or if you attempt to fight on many fronts, you're guaranteed to fail. Not only is it time consuming and tiring, it means you can't devote 100% to each particular area. So, if you have a youngster with (1) a game obsession, (2) a phobia of brushing his teeth, and (3) bedtime troubles, choose only one to deal with. Deal with the worst problem first!

When tackling any problem with any youngster, Aspergers or not, it's always best to remain calm at all times. Children can feed off your anger, frustration and anxiety, so keeping a level head at all times is essential. If you feel a situation is escalating and elevating your blood pressure, take a step back and collect yourself.

More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:

==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's

==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism

==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance

==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management to Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook

==> Unraveling The Mystery Behind Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book


==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

 COMMENTS:

•    Anonymous said... With time obsessions change, evolve...as long as it doesn't interfere with their studies.
•    Anonymous said... Definitely Asperger's related!! My son used to categorize his trains when he was little by their "usefulness" as he put it. The we moved on to Legos and them needing to be categorized by shape, size, color, etc. Your son will be fine. There is nothing wrong with fixating on one subject or area within a subject...he can't help it. Throughout his life he will go on to other things, on his own time. I myself had a baseball card fixation when I was younger, then I moved on, then ended up coming back, re-sorting previous collections, staring a new one, etc..
•    Anonymous said... Don't bother. My son now 21 and in college still crazy about trains. But think of their interest in a broader spectrum is easier. I got Eurail maps for him and he learned geography and history. Be age appropriate but go for it. Baseball is worldwide. There are teams in many other counties. Japan is one.
•    Anonymous said... I never really felt the need to broaden my sons interests. He has similar behaviors with other things that he perseverates on and I think it is such a unique characteristic to him and other children like him that I try to support it and encourage him to learn in a variety of different ways. I have always made sure that I expose him to a variety of different things and interests and I've always given him many different flavors in life such as different sports different TV shows and now different YouTube channels but in the end I just encourage his interactions with what he enjoys. Because my son would focus on one thing I would use that to my advantage and use that one thing to show him many different avenues with sports you can use statistics for math you can use teamwork for socialization you can use whatever it is that they focus on as your grounds and topic for teaching them important things in life. In the end what really matters I think it's happiness health and being able to function in society. We all have a different purpose in our life and whether your purpose is baseball, teaching or just inspiring others I really try to provide my son with as much support for his purpose as he needs.
•    Anonymous said... Most children with Aspergers also have OCD (like my son) and the have something that they just cling to. For my son it's the video games Skylanders. The best thing you can do is try to introduce him to as many different things as possible. Now that doesn't guarantee that he won't revert back to the game cards but it will plant seeds for other options.
•    Anonymous said... My daughter obsessively studies dogs, if we are out and she sees a dog she will ask what breed it is, of course that is not enough, she wants to know its weight, coat type, how much walking it does, how fast it runs, what it was used for in history, what health issues the breed has.... It goes on and on!!... and on.
I brought her a note book, and a dog encyclopedia, she can draw a picture and write 5 facts about the particular breed. Works very well.
•    Anonymous said... My son has his obsession with fish tanks. He's now scuba certified and taught himself to maintain a saltwater reef. Use the obsessions as a life lesson and let them run with it. It's a great thing to watch a child so tuned in and focused.

*   Anonymous said... There are a number of issues to overcome....misdiagnosis, wrong medications and side effects, judgemental people in society and of course how the rest of the family is effected!! On top of all this, theres not enough support with regards to assessments and ongoing therapy, especially if your not wealthy!
*   Anonymous said... Can you tell me what medication your referring to which can assist with obsessive behavior?
*   Anonymous said... My son has extreme OCD with his Aspergers. Doctors want me to put him on Prozac , which I am etremely hesitant to do. Does anyone else have experience with this?

Post your comment below...

Perseveration: Stereotypic Behaviors in Aspergers Kids

Question

My 10-year-old son with Aspergers has a variety of stereotypical behaviors (e.g., he flaps his arms, hops, makes some odd writhing movements). They get worse when he is excited or over-stimulated. At age 10, these behaviors are really sticking-out and can be quite annoying and embarrassing to the rest of the family when we are out with him, in particular his older sister. Do you have any suggestions of what to do about it?

Answer

Almost all kids with any form of autism tend to repeat behaviors, an action referred to as stereotypic behaviors or perseveration. Your youngster may stare at objects or repeat behaviors that seem to have no purpose for hours at a time. This can be seen in the “flapping” of your child’s hands or other circumscribed, repeated movements, even those that are self-injurious or destructive to others or property.

In kids with Aspergers (high-functioning autism), these stereotypic behaviors may diminish and give way to obsessive interests, usually topical in nature, as the youngster gets older. This is exemplified by obsessive fascination with a particular narrow field such as sharks, weather, train schedules, airport architecture, maps, and so on. The pursuit of a very limited area of knowledge may encompass a huge amount of detail on the subject. Such persons seem to display an exquisite ability to memorize the smallest facts.

In discussion on their favorite topic, they can “nitpick” over the smallest details. Grandpa may think he remembers World War II, but his grandson with Aspergers has memorized the details of the war with far greater accuracy. Clearly, the student can display perfectionism in building such a base of information. For this reason, Aspergers has been compared in such respects to obsessive compulsive disorder. Autistic kids who are later found not to be categorized as having Aspergers may tend to display stereotypical behaviors longer and at levels that are difficult to extinguish. In many cases, physical perseverations decrease significantly over time, and in some cases, only obsessive thinking is perseverative.

Stereotypic behaviors such as hand flapping, ritualistic pacing, spinning, lining up objects, or visual inspection of objects are thought to be “automatically” and intrinsically rewarding for many kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). These activities may give a youngster a new sensory experience that is rewarding.

One way to think about this is that many kids with ASD often do not have age-level play and social skills. Some pass time by engaging in repetitive motor behaviors. It is also possible that, though stereotypic behaviors are initially reinforced intrinsically, they may also become reinforced by social attention when parents try to stop or discourage the behaviors. These behaviors can interfere with learning if they occur a lot in the school setting. They can also “stigmatize” the youngster (i.e., make him appear odd).

There are at least 3 possible behavioral interventions that may be used to reduce such repetitive behaviors. These interventions are usually employed separately, but they may also be done simultaneously. If moms and dads wish to reduce such behavior, they should seek the help of a behavior therapist.

First, some therapists may decide to stop the behavior. Simply ignoring the behavior, if it is intrinsically rewarding, usually will not work. One usually attempts to stop the behavior with as little social attention as possible. Talking with or looking at the youngster is usually discouraged when preventing the behavior from continuing. The minimal amount of physical guidance to stop the behavior is recommended. Then parents and others around the child are coached to pay attention to the youngster again when the repetitive behavior has stopped.

A second approach involves teaching the youngster how to play appropriately with toys. This approach works even better the child is exposed to toys that achieve the same or similar sensory experience provided by the repetitive behavior.

If the repetitive behavior involves objects or household equipment, such as rewinding a part of a video cassette, a third approach is sometimes used. One can minimize the behavior by limiting access to those objects or equipment. Regardless of the approach used, any behavioral intervention for stereotypic behaviors needs to be highly individualized. We strongly recommend that moms and dads obtain expert consultation with a qualified clinical psychologist.

Some medicines may also help to reduce repetitive or compulsive behaviors. Sometimes the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (Prozac-like medicines) are helpful. Examples are citalopram, sertraline, and paroxetine. The newer types of antipsychotic medicine are sometimes helpful for reducing stereotypic behaviors. Examples of these medicines are risperidone, aripiprazole, and ziprasidone.

Ordinarily, the antipsychotics would not be used solely to reduce repetitive behaviors, however, unless such behaviors were linked to other, more serious, behaviors. This is not frequent, but sometimes Ritalin-like medicines may actually make stereotypic behaviors increase in some kids with autism-spectrum disorders. The parent and doctor should be watchful for this if a youngster with an autism-spectrum disorder is starting a new medicine for ADHD or if the dose of the medicine is increased.

The stereotypical behaviors that you mention can certainly be associated with pervasive developmental disorders. It is important that you get your youngster to a clinic familiar with autism and related issues, and with psychopharmacological management. Only then can a plan be best formulated.

More resources for parents of children and teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism:

==> Preventing Meltdowns and Tantrums in Asperger's Children

==> Discipline for Defiant Asperger's Teens

==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management

==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's: How to Promote Self-Reliance 

==> Everything You'll Ever Need to Know About Parenting Asperger's Children

==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

==> AudioBook: Unraveling The Mystery Behind Asperger’s and High-Functioning Autism

==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism