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Behavioral, Emotional, and Academic Challenges of Students with Asperger’s and HFA


Most young people diagnosed with Asperger’s and High-functioning Autism (HFA) have behavioral and emotional problems to one degree or another. These challenges are most often related to social skills deficits associated with the disorder (e.g., when the youngster fails to take his turn in a playground game, because he doesn't understand the social rules associated with it).

Social difficulties frequently involve feelings of anxiety, loss of control, and the inability to predict outcomes. As a result, kids on the autism spectrum usually have problems connected to their inability to function in a world they see as threatening and unpredictable.

==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism 

The child who feels generally fearful and confused will typically act-out these troubling emotions in rather destructive ways (e.g., tantrums, meltdowns, shutdowns, aggression, etc.). Thus, it is not uncommon for others to view the Asperger’s or HFA child as mean-spirited and malicious. This, of course, is not the case in most situations. When the “special needs” child experiences behavioral difficulties, his problems are most often associated with his defensive panic reaction, social incompetence, sensory sensitivities, or an obsessive interest in a particular topic.



Because children with Asperger’s and HFA tend to be cut off from their feelings, they obtain facts and information without understanding how those facts can be applied to real-life situations. Also, due to being detail-oriented, they often miss the overall picture and apply the same level of detail to every situation whether appropriate or not.

Parents usually have a great deal of concern about the behavior and social skills deficits of their Asperger’s or HFA youngster. They often report that their child has significant weaknesses in a variety of socially related areas, including overall behavior (e.g., conduct problems, aggression, hyperactivity, withdrawal from social interaction, etc.).

Conversely, teachers often perceive the Asperger’s or HFA student to have both fewer and less significant deficits than do parents (although some teachers do view the student to be "at-risk" in the areas of attention problems and anxiety). This disparity is often due to the fact that kids on the high-functioning end of autism “appear” to perform as well as neurotypical kids in most domains (with the exception of social competency). Therefore, many of the child’s symptoms related to the disorder that result in behavioral problems may be viewed as simple defiance and/or laziness on the part of teachers.

In many ways, students with Asperger’s and HFA are well qualified to benefit from general classroom experiences. They typically have average to above-average intellectual abilities, and better-than-average rote memory skills. However, many of them have learning disabilities and other significant problems in academic performance. The reasons for these problems often are related to the communication and social deficits related to their disorder.

==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism 

Additionally, even though the Asperger’s or HFA student is exceedingly gifted when it comes to comprehending factual material, he or she often experiences unique challenges that make it difficult to benefit from general education curricula and instructional systems without support and accommodations. For example:
  • concrete and literal thinking styles
  • difficulty in discerning relevant from irrelevant stimuli
  • inflexibility
  • difficulties in the areas of problem-solving and language-based critical thinking
  • trouble generalizing knowledge and skills
  • obsessive and narrowly defined interests
  • weakness in comprehending verbally presented information
  • poor organizational skills
  • difficulties in arriving at logical solutions to routine and real-life problems
  • poor problem-solving skills
  • difficulty attending to salient curricular cues 
  • difficulty in comprehending abstract materials (e.g., metaphors and idioms)
  • problems with understanding inferentially-based materials
  • problems in applying skills and knowledge to solve problems

Many teachers fail to recognize the special academic needs of students with Asperger’s and HFA, because they often give the impression that they understand more than they do. Furthermore, certain strengths of the disorder may actually mask the deficits (e.g., their ability to “word-call” without having the higher-order thinking and comprehension skills to understand what they read, parrot-like responses, seemingly advanced vocabulary, and their pedantic style).

Here’s additional information on the behavioral, emotional, and academic challenges of students with Asperger’s and HFA – and how parents and teachers can help:

 Reasons Why Your Asperger’s or HFA Child Gets So Stressed-Out at School

School-Work Problems in Children on the Autism Spectrum

Helping Kids on the Autism Spectrum to “Fit-In” with Their Peer Group

Aggressive Children on the Autism Spectrum: Advice for Parents and Teachers

Students with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s: Crucial Strategies for Teachers

Anxiety-Based Absenteeism and School-Refusal in Kids on the Autism Spectrum

Poor Academic Performance in Students on the Autism Spectrum



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Cognitive, Behavioral, and Moral Inflexibility in Kids on the Autism Spectrum




==> More information on inflexibility in kids on the autism spectrum can be found here...


More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:

==> 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


==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism
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More Structure Equals Less Behavioral Problems: Tips for Parents of Kids on the Spectrum




==> More parenting strategies for dealing with behavioral problems in kids on the autism spectrum...


More resources for parents of children and teens with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's:

==> 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

==> Parenting System that Reduces Problematic Behavior in Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism
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Why It's Important To Be a "Transition Coach" for Your Asperger's or HFA Child

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Fantasizing or Lying: Which One Is Your Child Doing?

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Social Skills Deficits, Bullying, and the Onset of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Kids on the Spectrum

“I’ve been reading that students who lack social skills are often bullied, and that this can lead to PTSD in some cases. Is it possible that things could deteriorate to this level? I’m worried that my HFA son may be traumatized in this way when [if] he returns to school after Christmas break.”

The short answer is yes. Research reveals a high incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms among young people who have been bullied. One study of 963 teenagers (aged 14 and 15) found symptoms of the disorder in about 33% of the teens who said they were victims of bullying. The study measured the extent of “avoidance behavior” and “intrusive memories” (2 of 3 defined PTSD symptoms).

Asperger’s (AS), also referred to as High-Functioning Autism (HFA), is first and foremost a social disorder. These young people are not only socially isolated much of the time, but also display an abnormal type of social interaction that can’t be explained by other factors (e.g., shyness, short attention span, aggressive behavior, etc.).

==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

As compared to children with Autism, children with AS and HFA are notable for their lack of motivation to interact with others. However, their social difficulties often result from a lack of knowledge and skill in initiating and responding in various situations (e.g., the child may appear “weird” due to his insistence on sharing with peers an obsessive interest in dinosaurs, despite their rather obvious lack of interest in the topic).

The social problems of kids on the autism spectrum range from “social withdrawal and detachment” to “unskillful social activeness.” Nonetheless, even within this wide range, these young people can be socially stiff, emotionally blunted, socially awkward, inflexible, and can have difficulty in understanding nonverbal social cues.



Most children with AS and HFA are able to grasp the meaning of facial expressions, as well as match events with facial expression. But, problems occur when they have to deal with the simultaneous presentation of facial, body, voice, and situational cues. As a result, even when they actively try to seek out others, they encounter social isolation because of their lack of understanding of the rules of social behavior (e.g., eye contact, proximity to others, gestures, posture, etc.).

Kids on the autism spectrum are able to engage in basic social interactions (e.g., greetings), but have difficulty being able to engage in extended interactions or reciprocal conversations. Parents often describe their AS or HFA child as lacking an awareness of social standards and protocol, lacking common sense, displaying a variety of socially unaccepted habits and behaviors, and tending to misinterpret subtle social prompts and unspoken messages.

These young people also typically display emotional vulnerability and anxiety (e.g., they may become upset if they think others are invading their space or when they are in an unpredictable or novel social situation). In contrast to a “typical” child, the child on the spectrum doesn’t reveal how he feels in the early stages of anxiety. Consequently, he may reach a point of crisis and begin to “melt down” due to the fact that his peers are unaware of his discomfort – along with his own inability to predict, control, and manage uncomfortable circumstances. This behavioral display, in turn, causes the anxiety-ridden child to “stand out from the crowd,” which often makes him an easy target for peers who are prone to teasing and bullying the “odd balls.”

Even though they are known for their lack of social awareness, children with AS and HFA themselves are aware that they are different from their friends and classmates. Therefore, problems with self-esteem are common in these “special needs” kids. These problems often are particularly significant during the teenage years.

Unpredictable social situations make it difficult for kids on the autism spectrum to apply social rules in a consistent way. Social rules vary from situation to situation, and there are no solid and universal social conventions. This lack of social consistency is especially confusing for the AS or HFA child. She may discover that interactions that may be tolerated - or even reinforced - in one setting are rejected or punished in others. For instance, one 5th grader with HFA could not understand why her calling Mrs. Magina, her teacher, "Mrs. Vagina” in the restroom was the source of great delight to her peers, while saying this in the classroom, in the presence of Mrs. Magina, caused a much different response from peers.

As compared to their “typical’ peers, children with AS and HFA don’t acquire greater social awareness and skill merely as a function of age. All children are required to use increasingly sophisticated social skills and to interpret subtle social nuances as they progress through school. But, children diagnosed with AS and HFA often find themselves more and more in conflict with prevailing social norms as they move through adolescence and into young adulthood. As a result of these requirements and the experiences that follow, these “special needs” teens are vulnerable to developing a variety of problems. For instance, studies of teenagers diagnosed with AS indicated that they often experience increased discomfort and anxiety in social situations, along with a continuing inability to effectively interact with peers. Anxiety and depression may also appear at this time.

==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism

Bullies often target the child with AS or HFA due to the fact that his social deficits are so obvious. Bullies typically choose targets who are unable to mount an effective defense. The failure to recognize sarcasm and subtleties of speech often leads bullies to exploit the AS or HFA child by pretending to be his friend, while subtly mocking or hurting him, or creating a situation where he will be publicly shamed. This often occurs when bullies tell the AS/HFA child to do something - or ask him a vulgar question with implicit meanings that he may not detect immediately (e.g., “Do you like head?”).

Some children and teens on the autism spectrum can develop the early signs of PTSD or similar symptoms as a direct result of bullying. Parents may be able to determine if this has happened to their child by looking for the following symptoms:
  • always being on guard for danger
  • avoidance of people, places, or things that remind the child of the triggers that caused the anxiety
  • being easily startled or frightened
  • difficulty experiencing positive emotions
  • difficulty maintaining close relationships
  • feeling detached from family and friends
  • feeling emotionally numb
  • frequent flashbacks
  • frightening dreams that may or may not include aspects of the bullying incident
  • high levels of anxiety
  • hopelessness about the future
  • inability to discuss the source of the anxiety
  • increased incidence of panic attacks
  • irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior
  • lack of interest in activities once enjoyed
  • memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the bullying incidents
  • negative thoughts about self or other people 
  • overwhelming guilt or shame
  • re-enacting the bullying incident or aspects of it through play
  • trouble concentrating
  • trouble sleeping



Social anxiety (e.g., avoidance of public places or events, phone calls, conversation, etc.) can be exacerbated, with some AS and HFA children becoming highly insecure about attempting to form or maintain relationships with peers due to experiences with bullies who posed as friends.

In worst-case scenarios, bullying can lead the victim to suicide, sometimes called bullycide. But, even though most kids grow out of the “predator-prey” cycle of abuse, many child victims are still at risk for the long-term effects of PTSD later in life.

==> More information on how bullying affects kids on the autism spectrum...

==> Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism
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The Advantages of "Labeling" a Child with an "Autism Spectrum Disorder"

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