My ASD Child

You need to understand what your youngster or adolescent is thinking, how he interprets what is going on, and how his deficits cause problems before you can begin any intervention strategy. Do not rush into action until you have collected enough information and analyzed what is going on. If you do not know the reasons behind the behavior, you may very likely do the wrong thing. If you know what is going on, you can help things go better. Click here for the full article...

Aspergers Child Physical Abuse— The statistics on physical child abuse are alarming. It is estimated hundreds of thousands of kids are physically abused each year by a parent or close relative. Thousands actually die as a result of the abuse. For those who survive, the emotional trauma remains long after the external bruises have healed. Communities and the courts recognize that these emotional “hidden bruises” can be treated. Early recognition and treatment is important to minimize the long term effect of physical abuse. Whenever a youngster says he or she has been abused, it must be taken seriously and immediately evaluated. Aspergers kids who have been abused may display: • a poor self image • aggressive, disruptive, and sometimes illegal behavior • anger and rage • anxiety and fears • drug and alcohol abuse • fear of entering into new relationships or activities • feelings of sadness or other symptoms of depression • flashbacks, nightmares • inability ...

Kids who have Aspergers (high functioning autism) think and function very differently than other kids. In most cases, they need special help and coaching to function more successfully in their school and home environments. Treatments for Aspergers focus on helping kids manage in these settings. Special education services, behavior therapy, speech therapy, and physical or occupational therapy may help the youngster learn to function more effectively and harmoniously with others. Training and counseling for parents and other family members also may be helpful. There are no specific medications used to treat Aspergers. However, kids who suffer from anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, or obsessive-compulsive disorder as a result of Aspergers may benefit from medication to help with these symptoms. When these medications are prescribed, the youngster will be monitored by his or her health care provider at regular intervals throughout treatment. To treat depression, drugs such ...

More males than females have Aspergers (high functioning autism). While every man or woman who has the syndrome will experience different symptoms and severity of symptoms, some of the more common characteristics include: Adherence to routines and schedules, and stress if expected routine is disrupted Average or above average intelligence Difficulties in empathizing with others Hampered conversational ability Inability to manage appropriate social conduct Inability to think in abstract ways Problems with controlling feelings such as anger, depression and anxiety Problems with understanding another man or woman's point of view Specialized fields of interest or hobbies The emotions of other individuals— A man or woman with Aspergers may have trouble understanding the emotions of other individuals, and the subtle messages that are sent by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. Because of this, a man or woman with Aspergers might be seen...

A daily schedule benefits Aspergers (high functioning autistic) children by providing the structured environment that is critical to their sense of security and mastery. If you spend any time in a kindergarten or elementary school, you will marvel at the teacher's ability to organize the kid's day. In this post, we will look at the following: Analyzing The Day  Brainstorming What You Want Writing Everything Down  Following the Schedule for a Week  Tweaking the Schedule An in-depth example of a schedule Click here for the full article...

When moms and dads seek help for their youngster, they encounter varied opinions – he'll outgrow it, leave him alone, it's no big deal, he just wants attention, and so on. Many professionals try to work with the Aspergers (high-functioning autistic) youngster as if his disorder is like other developmental disorders, but it is quite different. In most cases, there is a great misunderstanding by many people of the needs of these special individuals. For the inexperienced, recognizing the six defining characteristics of Aspergers as outlined in the introduction can be difficult, and misdiagnoses are quite common. This is further complicated by the fact that an Aspergers youngster or teen has many of the same characteristics found in other disorders. These various characteristics are often misinterpreted, overlooked, under-emphasized, or over-emphasized. As a result, a youngster may receive many different diagnoses over time or from different professionals. For example, i...

Question I have a son recently diagnosed with ASD [level 1] and am in denial about my family situation, but I want to start to take some control back ...where should I start? Answer The feelings you are experiencing are completely normal. A diagnosis of ASD level 1 (high functioning autism) brings with it a mourning process in some cases. Every parent faced with a life-changing situation will need time (some more than others) to sort out the emotions. Denial is natural. Even if the diagnosis has been a long time coming, you may still feel like someone ripped the rug from beneath your feet. Your first reaction, "not my child," is not just common but expected. Be aware that there are several steps in the mourning process. Anger and depression are other steps of mourning that can come at any time. The fact that you sense the need to take control shows that you are moving through the process. You are reaching acceptance. Your child needs you and you ...