My ASD Child

Most kids with Asperger’s and High Functioning Autism are impaired socially. They often do not detect social clues and are frequently unaware when they irritate others. Since they miss these social clues, they miss the lesson associated with the experience. As a result, they tend to repeat the irritating behavior since they are unaware of its effects. Click here for the full article...

Early identification and intervention are considered key to positive outcomes for kids with High Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS). In order to reach all children on the autism spectrum, moms and dads, teachers, school psychologists, mental health professionals, and doctors need to work together to become better informed regarding the best proactive interventions to increase social skills, personal communication, behavior, and peer interaction. They also should be knowledgeable about assessment tools, diagnostic criteria, and current research. The 3 major benefits of early identification and intervention: 1. The lifetime societal cost of autism spectrum disorders, including care and lost productivity, has been estimated at $3.2 million per youngster, with health care expenditures increasing sharply (142%) over the last five years. Thus, it is crucial to the child, the parents, and even to society that we improve our efforts at early detection and access to early interv...

“I teach the first grade at East Side Elementary in my hometown. I currently have a student who I suspect may be a high functioning autistic (Asperger). What are some of the telltale signs to look for, and should I mention this to the parents?” A good first step would be to ask the parents how well their child functioned prior to elementary school. Kids with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) frequently enter kindergarten without having been adequately diagnosed. In most cases, there will have been some red flags in the preschool years, for example: the youngster may have be viewed as being somewhat unusual concern over "immature" social skills and peer interactions behavioral concerns such as hyperactivity, inattention, aggression, outbursts, etc. If these problems are more severe, special education may be suggested now, but most kids with AS and HFA do fairly well in a mainstream setting. Often, academic progress in the early grades is an ar...

“Hi, I am Shaun. I am 17. I am contacting you in the attempt to try to come up with a plan that will help me cope with high school. I have high functioning aspergers and really need some ideas that will help me stay in school. It has been very tough so far and I have thought about dropping out but don’t want to do that if I don’t have to because I am only 4 months away from graduation. I do have an IEP, but it doesn’t seem to help me much. I get teased a lot and the teachers really don’t seem to understand me. I will look for your answer. Thanks.” Thanks for your question Shaun. Sounds like you are taking responsibility for your situation. That’s very impressive coming from a 17 year old. You are being your own self-advocate – and that’s good. Having Asperger’s, or high-functioning autism, often means having special needs. As a young adult, it’s up to you to make sure your rights are being respected and that the accommodations you need are available to you. Whether at school or...

A large body of research has documented the difficulties associated with being bullied – and with bullying other kids. Young people who are bullied suffer more anxiety, depression, loneliness, post-traumatic stress – and have a heightened risk of suicide. Kids who bully are more likely than other youngsters to experience peer-rejection, conduct problems, anxiety, academic difficulties, and engage in rule-breaking behavior. Recent research has shown that a substantial number of kids with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) who have been a victim of bullying become bullies themselves at some point. A distinguishing feature of AS and HFA children is that they struggle to control their emotions. For example, they may unintentionally prompt kids to bully them again by reacting very emotionally to teasing, threats or physical aggression, and may have similar problems controlling feelings of anger and frustration, predisposing them to retaliatory aggression. Give...