My ASD Child

"What is the best way to teach social stories? Should this be done by parents, a therapist, or in a peer-group setting? And are social stories good resources for the home-schooler?" CLICK HERE for the full article...

"My autistic son (high functioning) is 11 and my youngest son is 4. My 11-year-old verbally attacks my 4-year-old and my 4-year-old just stands there looking dazed and confused. How can I get my 11-year-old to stop doing this and how can I protect my 4-year-old from it? It is really starting to take a toll on my relationship with my husband. (The 11-year-old is his stepson and the 4-year-old is ours together.) Not to mention the toll it is taking on my 4-year-old. He loves his brother so much and wants nothing more than to spend time with him. His feelings get so hurt when his brother yells, screams, calls names, and tells him he hates him. I have tried sending 11-year-old to his room, talking to him, taking things away, watching the situation and trying to stop it before it happens, but it happens so quickly, it’s hard to see it coming. What can I do?" Click here for the answer...

"Any tricks for getting a very stubborn 4 year old high functioning autistic child to do what he is told. He truly has a mind of his own. For example, if our requests don't make sense to him, he refuses to do what we ask, which usually results in a mother-son tug of war." Click here for the answer...

"My daughter is 10 years old, high functioning and now in middle school. Her teachers are constantly sending me notes saying she isn’t working up to her ability and they can’t get her to stay on task or ask for help. When she’s home, I can get her to do well with homework. I obviously can’t go to school with her everyday. What are some ways the teachers can get her to stay on task without making her stand out to the rest of the class? She is also legally blind and doesn’t want to appear different in any other way." Click here for the answer...

What are some of the traits of Asperger's (AS)? A child with AS wants to fit in and make friends, he just does not know how to do it. AS usually affects a child's social skills, communication skills, and behavior. AS is a problem of child development. The child usually functions well in every day life, but he has problems interacting with others. AS causes a wide range of developmental problems in children. AS is a brain disorder. It is one of the pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Other PDD's include Autism, Rett's syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). AS is sometimes called High-Functioning Autism. Unlike an autistic child, a child with AS has fewer problems with language, and usually has average to above average intelligence. What causes AS? The cause is unknown. It may have something to do with genetics, or how the brain works. Parents do not cause AS. Who can get AS? Anyone can g...

"Is it common for a child with an autism spectrum disorder to have a split personality (so to speak)? My daughter is a really good kid at school, but then a complete monster at home. Is this normal?" Click here for the answer...

The following is an email (or you can simply send this URL in a text: https://www.myaspergerschild.com/2008/12/dear-family-and-friends-holiday-letter.html ) that you can send to relatives and hosts of family gatherings who might need a crash course in what to expect from your ASD (high functioning autistic) child. You can use it as is, or edit it to make it more applicable to your unique situation:   Dear _____, (e.g., Aunt Sally) I understand that we will be visiting each other for a family get-together! Sometimes these visits can be very hard for me, but here is some information that might help our visit to be more successful. As you probably know, I am challenged by a hidden disorder called Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD (some people refer to it as High-Functioning Autism). ASD is a neuro-developmental disorder which sometimes makes it hard for me to understand the environment around me. I have barriers in my brain that you can’t see, but which may make it difficult for m...