My ASD Child

“We’re in the process of having our son assessed for high functioning autism. We’ve had numerous problems in the past that have brought us to this point. The doc said he believes our son may have several ‘comorbid’ conditions as well. What other conditions might there be?” When a youngster has one or more conditions along with the main disorder, it is defined as comorbid and comorbidity. High-Functioning Autism (HFA) – also called Asperger’s (AS) – is listed as an Autism Spectrum Disorder and rarely travels alone. Nearly 100% of the time, the child will have other issues that will need to be addressed. Here are some of the common comorbid conditions associated with HFA and AS: 1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a very common comorbid condition of HFA and AS. Here the youngster is unable to concentrate and becomes impulsive to a great degree. 2. Depression and anxiety are the two most common disorders found in a youngster with AS or HFA. Adolescents ...

“I’m concerned that my son is depressed (17 y.o.). Is this something that happens along with high functioning autism? If so, why? How can I know for sure if he is really struggling with depression? He has made some off-handed comments about wanting to kill himself. How seriously do I need to be taking these comments?” Depression seems to be common among teens and young adults with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS). Many of the same deficits that produce anxiety often unite to produce depression. The relationship between serotonin functioning and depression has been explored in detail in this population. There is good evidence that serotonin functions may be impaired in kids and teens on the autism spectrum, which suggests that depression is a common comorbid condition. In addition to impaired serotonin functioning, (a) deficits in social relationships and (b) poor coping-strategies that allow the teenager to compensate for disappointment and frustration ma...

Fixated Personality -- The fixated personality type can be characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and the need to control one’s environment (e.g., to have things in a particular order). Some of the symptoms of the fixated personality type may include: compulsion to make lists and/or schedules feelings of excessive doubt and caution obsessive need for cleanliness perfectionism (that may sometimes interfere with task-completion) preoccupation with order and organization preoccupation with remembering and paying attention to minute details and facts rigid following of rules and regulations rigidity or inflexibility of beliefs stubbornness unreasonable insistence that others submit to his way of doing things Some of the specific behavioral manifestations of the fixated personality type among ASD children and teenagers may include: repeatedly checking homework cleaning rituals counting rituals grooming rituals (e.g., hand washing, s...

“Why does it seem to be the case that many (if not most) children with ASD also suffer from a significant degree of anxiety?” Kids with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger’s (AS) are indeed particularly vulnerable to anxiety. This vulnerability may be an intrinsic feature of the disorder through a breakdown in circuitry related to extinguishing fear responses, a secondary consequence of their inability to make social judgments throughout development, and specific neurotransmitter system defects. Specific reasons for experiencing high degrees of anxiety include the following: 1. Limitations in generalizing from one situation to another contribute to repeating the same social errors. 2. Limitations in their ability to grasp social cues and their highly rigid style act in concert to create repeated social gaffs as well. 3. The lack of empathy severely limits skills for autonomous social-problem solving. 4. The social-skills deficits of HFA and AS make it difficult ...

Question "Can you offer tips for completing assignments?" Answer Children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) have the same motivational needs as other kids. Sometimes less, and other times, a lot more motivation is needed to accomplish the same assignment. However, children on the autism spectrum will always have the need for a little extra help due to the challenges associated by the disorder. Because HFA affects functional skills in socialization and communication, teachers and parents will need to get creative in order to find ways to help these kids succeed. Here are a few tips to help with school assignments: 1. Children on the spectrum crave order, structure and routine. These desires can be utilized to help with assignment completion. Classroom time for the "special needs" child must be an organized and structured environment. Consistent structure will provide comfort, allowing the child to make progress on his assignments. 2. U...