My ASD Child

“I have a very lonely and depressed 17 year old son with high functioning autism that spends all of his time (except for going to school) in his bedroom playing video games. I don’t totally understand why he is always so down in the dumps. I wish there was something I could do to help him find some friends and start enjoying life. Any suggestions?” Adolescence is probably the most miserable and complicated years for many young people with ASD level 1, or High-Functioning Autism (HFA). This is not true of everyone – some do extremely well. Their indifference to what peers think makes them indifferent to the intense peer pressure of adolescence. They can flourish within their specialty and become accomplished in their area of interest (e.g., music, history, etc.). Unfortunately, many HFA adolescents become more socially isolated during a period when they crave friendships and inclusion more than ever. In the rough-and-tough world of middle and high school, these adolescents of...

Have you heard your Aspergers or High-Functioning Autistic teenager say things like: I'm a mistake. I'm dumb. I'm useless. I hate myself. I wish I was dead.  What is wrong with me?  Why was I born?  If so, then alarm bells should be going off. You know changes need to happen! Low self-esteem and behavioral problems go hand-in-hand!!!  Click here for some important parenting tips...

Here are our top 10 picks for token boards , which are simple tools to use at home and in the classroom to motivate young people with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism.  A token board is also a system that rewards desired behaviors with tokens, which your child can exchange for something he or she values -- and it serves as a visual reminder.

"Is it common for a child with high functioning autism to shun peers who attempt to be friends with him? My son seems to prefer to play alone and I worry how this will impact his relationships in the future." It is hard to know if kids with ASD level 1, or High-Functioning Autism (HFA), are as lonely as their moms and dads believe they are. Psychologists do know that playing with a friend, making a friend, and being with a friend are "overwhelming skills" for HFA kids. Many relationships make little sense to kids on the spectrum, because they are almost totally preoccupied with their own agendas. Teaching HFA kids much needed social skills is a formidable task for moms and dads and educators. It is not like teaching how to ride a bicycle or tie a shoe, but rather trying to teach something no one formally taught you. How did you learn how to read a room? How do you teach someone how to read a room, especially someone who has no understanding of other peopl...

"Every waking hour, our son is a zombie staring at the computer game. Should we limit his time spent playing video games and run the risk that he will withdraw even more, or just allow free access?" As most parents know, video games are a common interest among kids with ASD level 1, or High-Functioning Autism (HFA). Although the virtual world and video games can be a great place for these young people to practice social skills, make friends, and have fun, some experts are concerned that an intense interest in video games can quickly become an unhealthy and even dangerous obsession. Video games, in and of themselves, are not necessarily negative influences in the lives of HFA kids. In fact, some researchers believe they can be an educational and entertaining way to build personal relationships and experiment with taking social risks and reaching out to unfamiliar people. Because kids on the spectrum naturally gravitate toward socially "safe" forms of enter...

There are many sources of stress for kids and teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). Some will deal with stress by becoming anxious, some by feeling depressed, while others become angry and rage against the frustrating situations – and people – in their day. Some of these young people internalize their feelings and tend to blame others when things go wrong. Others externalize their feelings. Those who externalize their feelings have great difficulty in controlling their temper. There may be no particular rationalization or focus – just an aggressive mood or an excessive reaction to frustration or provocation. The provocation can be deliberate teasing by other kids. Kids on the autism spectrum seem to evoke either the maternal or the predatory instinct in others. They often lack subtlety in retaliating. Other kids may wait for an appropriate moment to respond without being caught. The youngster with Aspergers or HFA can also lack sufficient empathy and self-...

"Is it possible that my (high functioning) son’s sensory problems contribute to his meltdowns? What are some of the things I should be aware of that may set him off?" Kids with ASD level 1, or High-Functioning Autism (HFA) often have to deal with extreme sensitivities to everyday sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch. They also may have problems with balance. Some experts believe that while sensory sensitivity may cause autistic kids to experience meltdowns in the first place, after a while such behaviors become learned. Nevertheless, studies indicate that between 40% and 80% of boys and girls on the autism spectrum do experience sensory sensitivities. 1. Proprioceptive and Vestibular Disorders— These are about orienting yourself in space, keeping your body in balance, and maintaining good posture and movement. In “typical” kids, a complex network of nerves works together with their senses naturally (e.g., they can sit down without looking at their chair, they kno...