“I’ve known for some time that something is not quite right with my child, and I’m starting to wonder if he has an autism spectrum disorder. What should I look for?”
Insomnia in Children with Aspergers & High-Functioning Autism
“What do you suggest for my 4-year-old boy who has a hard time getting to sleep at bedtime, but can’t take melatonin? He has an allergic reaction to that supplement (gives him headaches). And why does it seem that so many asperger children have trouble going to sleep – even when they are exhausted?”
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Click here for the answer...
Echolalia in Children with Aspergers & High-Functioning Autism
A common symptom of Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism includes repetition of words and phrases. In many cases, these phrases are related to something the youngster has been exposed to (e.g., a movie, book, song, etc.). The youngster may continue to say the word or phrase throughout the day or even throughout the following week.
If you're the mother or father of a verbal youngster diagnosed with Aspergers or HFA, you may have heard him or her repeat bits and pieces from videos or other sources. This type of communication is called "echolalia." It's a unique form of speech, and although it's thought of as a "symptom," it can also be a great place to start working with your youngster.
==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's
Echolalia is literally the repetition of words and sounds the child has heard either recently or quite a while ago. Verbal kids on the autism spectrum are often "echolalic" (i.e., they do use words, and sometimes even use those words appropriately, but their word choice is based on a memorized pattern).
Sometimes, echolalia is immediate (e.g., dad says, "Michael, do you want a sandwich?" …and Michael responds, "You want a sandwich"). Just as often, echolalia is delayed (e.g., a youngster hears a line on television such as "got milk?" …and later when he's thirsty, he may say "got milk?" in exactly the same tone and accent as the ad on television). In both of these cases, the echolalia may sound odd, but in fact it's a method the autistic youngster has developed for communicating his/her wants and needs. The fact that the child has done so means that he/she is able to do much more with the help of a speech therapist.In some cases, echolalia is less functional, but it's usually a good starting point for speech and/or play therapy. For example, a youngster might memorize entire segments of a favorite movie and recite them over and over. The youngster's purpose in reciting may be to calm down or reduce stress, but the recitation may also indicate a real fascination for aspects of the movie.
Children on the spectrum do interact and communicate; however, they do so in different ways. They are truly more normal than abnormal. Even echolalia is a normal way to learn language. Most kids use echolalia to learn language. The majority of kids babble in a rhythmic way, which is actually mimicking the cadence of language. Later, they copy sounds, words, and eventually phrases and sentences that they hear grown-ups use in specific, repetitive contexts. Echolalia peaks at around age 30 months in “typical” kids, and then decreases.
Echolalia was once thought of as just another inappropriate behavior to eliminate in a child with Aspergers or HFA; however, researchers currently see it as a developmental phenomenon that occurs within the youngster's normal cognitive and linguistic maturation. Echolalia appears to be a "normal" step in the child's cognitive and language maturation, and is intrinsically rewarding to the youngster. The reinforcer is actually the youngster being able to match what others say.
==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism
Many kids on the spectrum become experts at echoing the content of what is said by others, as well as the voice, inflexion, and manner in which the words were originally spoken. The value of echolalia for the child may be that the echoed words and contextual cues become stored information for him or her to refer to later as an internal rehearsal of the event.
The presence of echolalia has actually been identified as a positive sign in children with Aspergers and HFA. The presence of echolalia is an important prognostic indicator for future language growth. It appears that echolalia provides the "raw material" for further language growth. Kids on the spectrum who are echolalic developed good phrase speech later in life whether or not they received intensive language training.
If echolalia is one of the phases of normal language development, it would appear that continued echolalia indicates that the child is "stuck" at that level of development for a time, but then seems to overcome it and develop more normal speech patterns.
Regardless of the utility of echolalia for the child, the habit can interfere with social interaction and learning. Therefore, most therapists focus on helping the child move to a more creative form of language. A child with Aspergers or HFA is more likely to use echolalia when he or she had not learned an appropriate response to a particular question or request.
More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:
==> 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
==> Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism
==> Do you need the advice of a professional who specializes in parenting children and teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders? Sign-up for Online Parent Coaching today.
==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism
How To Implement a Token Economy System for Aspergers Kids
“I want to implement a Token Economy system with my 12 year old Aspie. Can you give me detailed instructions on how to do this?”
Actually, a token (or economy) system is quite easy to set up. Here’s how:
1. Identify the behaviors for which your child can earn credits. An example of a good behavior would be if he took it upon himself to start and complete his homework without having to be asked twice to do so. Then you would award him a token.
2. Decide the "currency" used. Every time your "Aspie" (i.e., high functioning autistic child) does something positive, then he would earn a token (e.g., a sticker, points, poker chips, monopoly money, etc.). You can even offer bonus points for doing certain chores.
3. Determine the value of the currency (i.e., how many tokens your child should receive for each good behavior – and how many he should lose for each bad behavior). For example, he could earn 5 tokens for every time he takes the trash out without having to be asked twice, and he could lose 3 tokens for every time he picks on his sister. (Caution: If you subtract too many tokens, he will feel like there is no way to win in this game – and he will quit. In this case, you could subtract tokens for every third time he picks on his sister.)
4. Decide what type of privileges your child should receive for his tokens (e.g., a few extra minutes of computer time, a later bedtime, coloring book, favorite snack, etc.). Be sure to pick the rewards that he is truly interested in. Also, whenever you give your child a token, be sure to praise him and explain why he is receiving the token. In this way, he will know what behaviors to repeat in the future. Praise in itself is a reward, motivator – and it builds self-esteem. All kids like to hear how well they are doing.
5. Give the reward items a cost so that your child can turn in his tokens for the different rewards (e.g., 30 minutes extra time on the computer costs 10 tokens, going out for pizza costs 20 tokens, etc.). Also, be sure to have rewards with a higher value to motivate your child to maintain good behavior, but also have items at a lower value since they will be easier for him to obtain.
==> 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
==> Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism
==> Do you need the advice of a professional who specializes in parenting children and teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders? Sign-up for Online Parent Coaching today.
==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism
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