My ASD Child

Animals & Pets—   ·          TeachKind — Kindness to animals. Videos, DVDs, lesson plans, worksheets all free to network members. About how to affect the kind treatment of all animals. ·          Bear Safety in Alaska packet — Booklet and sticker to send for, or download pdf file and print for yourself. Arts & Crafts— eCals - Calendars for Kids Recycling Program — Need old calendars for craft projects for your kids or want to donate some? Here's the place. Computing— ·          Freebyte's Guide to Free Computers — Free used and recycled computers, mostly for schools, non-profit organisations and disadvantaged individuals. ·          Free Computers — Why throw away that 486 machine when its perfectly usable? Here is a very incomplete list of groups involved in reusing computer equi...

Many kids with Aspergers (high functioning autism) have difficulty understanding social interactions, including nonverbal gestures. They may fail to develop age-appropriate peer relationships, or be unable to share interests or show empathy. When confronted by changes in school routine, they may show visible anxiety, withdraw into silence, or burst into a fit of rage.  Although children with Aspergers may often appear to have a large vocabulary, sometimes sounding like “little professors,” they can be very literal and have great difficulty using language in a social context. They may like school, but wish the other kids weren’t there. Here are some important classroom accommodations for educators to consider: 1. Allow more time to complete assignments, tests, and projects. 2. Break assignments and projects down into small sections that can be completed one at a time so that the child does not feel overwhelmed with the work. 3. Create a standard way of presenti...

Aspergers (high functioning autism) is a lifelong developmental disorder and mainly manifests in the inability to successfully relate emotionally to others during everyday interactions. There exists a lack of awareness in interpreting social cues (a skill that most of us take for granted). Given that inability, it can be extremely difficult for the family and friends of an Aspergers family member to cope with many of the behavior patterns typically exhibited. An adult's diagnosis with the disorder may occur after the diagnosis of a child or a grandchild. When this occurs, family members often then relate the behaviors of the newly-diagnosed youngster to that of the lifelong behavior patterns of a parent or spouse. This "Ah-ha" phenomenon is often accompanied by relief on the part of family members, but with it comes grief when the realization hits home that there is little likelihood of gross changes in the Aspergers adult. For instance, the daughter whose son ...

Question Is there a way to stop aggressive behavior when my son with Aspergers is in the middle of a meltdown? Answer It is not uncommon for kids with Aspergers to become aggressive. Aspergers causes a youngster to struggle to understand how his behavior affects other children. The many symptoms and characteristics of Aspergers can cause extreme frustration. This frustration can lead to anxiety, depression, anger, and aggressive behavior. Here are a few specific reasons for aggressive meltdowns: Change of routine— Inability to handle unexpected changes in the daily schedule, such as a substitute teacher or a cancelled class period. Communication problems— Inability to recognize humor, sarcasm, or slang during conversations with peers. Sensory issues— Inability to handle the discomfort in his environment due to sights, sounds, smells, or other sensory dysfunction. Social struggles— Inability to understand social cues and gestures or to make and keep friends. ...

The partner with Aspergers (high functioning autism) can manifest a wide range of varying behaviors with varying intensities. However feedback from their partners in marriage suggests there are many common threads in their experience of marriage. Below is a list of some common characteristics of the marriage experience and of the partner with Aspergers, as described by members of our website: • A tendency to correct and instruct those around them. • After marriage the partner with Aspergers often seems to lose motivation to keep working on the quality of the relationship as though the wedding day has “completed” their pursuit, allowing them to pursue other interests. • An essential need to have things done in a prescribed manner or order. • Apparent evidence that the partner with Aspergers is not “reading” situations or people intuitively and is consequently behaving insensitively or inappropriately for the circumstances. • Interests and hobbies of some par...