Development Of Repetitive Or Restrictive Habits
Repetitive habits are another sign of high-functioning autism. Those habits could interfere with the persons ability to do what they need to do or what others want them to do. One type of repetitive habit might be related to movement. The individual might have to tie and untie their shoes multiple times before they are satisfied and are able to start walking or leave the house. Some people develop restrictive habits that interfere with socially accepted living. For example, an individual might refuse to wear any other kind of shirt than a tee shirt. This could impact their health and well-being if they live in a place with cold weather.
Strategies To Keep Lectures And Discussions On Track
While social issues are important, another challenge with HFA students can be managing their interactions in a larger classroom. Because they cant necessarily pick up on subtle voice or facial cues teachers give to modify or end a line of questioning, students with HFA or Aspergers can sometimes be perceived as interrupting or derailing lectures. Its important to know that their behavior is not intentionally rude, but that these students are not always able to understand the nuances of subtle social cues.
One technique to help with students who perseverate, blurt or interrupt lectures for questions at inappropriate times can be to give them a limited amount of tangible items that they can trade to ask a question. When the student is out of tangible items, they can write down their questions and address in conference with the teacher at a later time. This does not need to be a targeted technique and can slightly modified to encourage everyones participation in discussions.
Talk With Other Parents
Parents making sense of a new diagnosis can sometimes feel overwhelmed and alone. Dr. Silverman says that one of the most important things, besides getting good treatment, is spending time with other special needs parents. Being in the company of other parents can make you feel strong rather than alone and isolated. Its important to have people who get it, she says. They can say, Someone said that to me too, and its so frustrating because thats not the way it is.
Your childs doctor might be able to recommend a local support group, or you could look online or network with other parents at special needs sports or activity groups.
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Difficulty Relating To Children Their Own Age
Of course, many children may feel like they dont fit in with children their own age but there are a few differences with children that have high functioning autism. Like my son, many children with high functioning autism will not engage in play with others and are not sure how to respond to other children.
My daughter, on the other hand, will watch other children and then play but has a hard time knowing when its appropriate to say certain things or how to respect others personal space.
What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disability that causes social, behavioral and communication challenges. Autism affects approximately one in every fifty-nine children in the United States. Symptoms vary widely from patient to patient.
Importance of Autism Awareness and Support
If you are looking for support services for children with Autism in Little Rock, knowing where in the Spectrum your child falls is important to finding appropriate care. Children with HFA tend to have very few intellectual challenges, and their IQ is usually above 70. Your child may score normally or above average on an IQ test and perform well in school, but she could still be autistic. Because children with HFA can have an above-average IQ and no intellectual challenges, High Functioning Autism awareness tends to be low. With little to no support for these children, they often become emotionally distressed.
Causes of Autism
The causes of autism have not been discovered, but doctors suggest the condition originates from structural underdevelopment of specific regions of the brain. There is no cure for ASD, but with therapeutic;treatment for autism, your child can live a normal and fulfilling life. Knowing what to look for goes a long way in helping a child with autism receive the support they need.
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What Causes Aspergers Syndrome
The causes of Aspergers Syndrome are unknown. Genetics and brain abnormalities may be involved.
We do know that Aspergers Syndrome is NOT the result of a childs upbringing or poor parenting. Aspergers Syndrome is a neurobiological disorder, meaning it is just a part of the childs brain development, whose causes are not fully understood.
Growing Numbers Of Teens With Asd
Chantal Sicile-Kira says nobody told her what to expect when her son with autism, now 24, became a teenager. Jeremy Sicile-Kira was born when autism was considered to be relatively rare just before the tide of diagnoses began rising in the 1990s. “Nobody ever told us anything about adolescence and autism,” she said.
Today, many more parents have children with autism entering or already in their teens.1 Ms. Sicile-Kira tries to educate them through her books, speeches and seminars on autism spectrum disorders .
One common complaint she hears from parents: their teens’ autism is getting worse. But that may be a misunderstanding, she said.
“The teens are not getting more noncompliant because their autism is getting worse. It’s because they’re teenagers,” said Ms. Sicile-Kira, author of Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum. Like all teens, they may want more independence. Parents can help: “If your child needs schedules, for example, give him more control over his schedule. That gives him a way to be ‘noncompliant'” to have his own way sometimes.
Research into autism in the teen years and beyond is still in its infancy: “very little is known about the course of ASD through adolescence and into young adulthood,” one study said.1
Autism is a broad spectrum, and adolescence will affect each child differently. If recent studies are an indication, parents generally can expect some of the following along their child’s road to adulthood:
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Sharing An Autism Diagnosis With Family And Friends
Tips for explaining autism to family and close friends, to help them become effective allies
- How can parents of kids with autism help friends and family understand the diagnosis?
- What are some common misunderstandings about autism?
- Why do relatives sometimes dismiss the diagnosis or say you are overreacting?
Dealing With Tantrums In High
Karla, my 5 year old daughter with high functioning autism, has frequent intense tantrums over the most smallest of things, especially when we are out in public! But my question is should I deal with this differently than I do with my other child who does not have the disorder?yes
- Don’t let the disapproval of other people affect your response to the temper tantrum.
- Don’t punish Karla.
- Keep her safe.
- Stay calm and ignore the behavior to the extent possible.
==>How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s==>How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s
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Problems Processing Physical Sensations
Many individuals with autism have sensory difficulties. They may find specific noises, tastes, smells, or feelings intolerable. Noisy public places can lead to emotional distress, as can uncomfortable clothing or unwanted touches. These issues can be disruptive and stressful, but according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, autism symptoms can improve over time;as children with mild autism learn to regulate their own behavior through work with professionals.
Encourage Your Child To Develop Socially Appropriate Behavior
One of the best ways to help your child understand what appropriate behavior is, is to avoid criticism. Instead, find something positive to reward and praise your child for. This could be something as simple as the way your child is playing with their toys. The behavior you reward is what your child is most likely to repeat.
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Clear Rules About Behaviour
Rules are positive statements that let children know how theyre expected to behave and what your family limits are.
The rule might be that your child cant play in the morning until theyre ready for school for example, First get ready, then have playtime. You could use a visual support like a timer to show your child how long there is until you need to leave for school. When your child has finished getting ready, they can play for the time left on the timer. If the timer has finished, theres no time to play.
Complementary And Alternative Medicine Treatments
To relieve the symptoms of ASD, some parents and healthcare professionals use treatments that are outside of what is typically recommended by pediatricians. These treatments are known as complementary and alternative medicine treatments. CAM treatments refer to products or services that are used in addition to or instead of traditional medicine. They might include special diets, dietary supplementsexternal icon, chelation , biologicals , or mind-body medicine .
Many of these treatments have not been studied for effectiveness; moreover, a review of studies on chelation found some evidence of harm and no evidence to indicate it is effective in treating children with ASD . Current research shows that as many as one-third of parents of children with ASD may have tried CAM treatments, and up to 10% may be using a potentially dangerous treatment . Before starting such a treatment, talk to your childs doctor.
To learn more about CAM therapies for ASD, go to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicines Autismexternal icon webpage. The FDA has information about potentially dangerous treatments hereexternal icon.
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Explain How The Diagnosis Will Help Your Child
People often worry that having a diagnosis will negatively label a child, making people think shes weird and hurting her opportunities and her self-esteem. In fact the opposite is often true. It can be a relief to know that a childs struggles have a name and are actually pretty well understood and not that unusual.
Having a diagnosis also means that your family is eligible for therapies and services, which can be transformative.
Tips For Teaching High
;Susan Moreno and Carol O’Neal
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The Problem With High Functioning Autism
Why does it matter how we label them? I guess it depends on how you look at it. Some parents may be ashamed to say that their child is autistic , and they prefer to call them high functioning, so it doesnt sound like something is wrong with them. *rolls eyes*
Other parents actually get super annoyed with the phrase because it undermines their childs struggles. This seems to be the vast majority, in case youre wondering. And I am definitely a member of this category.
You see, both of my boys are autistic. One has struggled with severe cognitive and verbal delays, while the other has not. I see both ends of the imaginary linear spectrum of autism: the high functioning autism and the low functioning autism. And the truth is, neither of these things really exist.
Both of my children were diagnosed as Level 3 ASD. My verbal son has extreme anxiety issues, OCD, sensory aversions, and disruptive stimming behaviors. My younger son, with speech and cognitive impairments also suffers with anxiety, but does much better in public places than my older son. They are unique in their presentations of autism. They both require a lot of therapy. And I worry about both of them being able to live independently as adults. Of course, only time will tell.
My issue with the label of high functioning autism is that it assumes speech eliminates all other struggles on the spectrum. Newsflash: verbal autistic kids have struggles too!
I Have High Functioning Autism
I spent my entire life struggling to know why I was so different from everyone else. I was born in the 90s and back then only boys seemed to have high functioning autism. In fact, my younger brother was diagnosed with high functioning autism as a small child.
The reason that girls are often overlooked is that girls mature faster than boys and they usually have a better ability to adapt to their situations and blend in.
However, once I had my first child and she started to have symptoms of autism, I was later tested and diagnosed with high functioning autism at 26 years old. Now as an adult I have had to learn more about how to handle my symptoms. Being diagnosed literally changed my life, but I really wish I had been diagnosed as a child so I could have received therapy and understanding.
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Awkward Interactions With Peers
Even children with high-functioning autism display problems when interacting with peers. Adults working closely with kids may notice this through their play behaviors.
These children have major deficits in communicating with those outside their limited social circle. This makes it difficult for them to form new relationships.
For toddlers, it might be that they have a problem with sharing toys. For teens, it might be difficulty completing group work assignments. This presents a challenge for peers who dont quite understand the person with autism. And when the autistic person cant explain these feelings, it intensifies the awkwardness.
Strengths Of People With High Functioning Autism
Having Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism is not all bad
There are special gifts, talents, and inclinations that come along with the challenges and make your child a very special, unique, and interesting person. Many children and teens with these conditions have excellent memories. They remember details of family trips, routes around their city, or spelling lists effortlessly.
Many also excel in reading. Like Joseph, they may teach themselves to read at an early age and later be able to read words aloud and spell well above grade level. Others are very advanced in visual spatial skills, putting together complex jigsaw puzzles, reading maps, or working electronic equipment far better than their peers.
If you can find some practical way to apply your childs special interests to the real world, then his or her incredible abilities to focus, memorize, and spend long hours immersed in a topic become invaluable strengths.
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How Is Aspergers Syndrome Diagnosed
As mentioned above, Aspergers Syndrome is no longer diagnosed as a condition in and of itself. It is part of the range of conditions included in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
If a parent is concerned about a childs social development, unusual language patterns, and odd behaviors, a pediatrician should be consulted.; The pediatrician can determine if the child should be seen by a specialist, such as a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, or other clinician who is familiar with ASD.
Testing and assessment usually involve a team of medical and psychological professionals. The specialists will ask the parent many questions about the childs development and current skills and problems.; They will also interact with the child and conduct assessments to evaluate what symptoms the child shows when interacting with others.; They may also assess the childs language and intellectual abilities. A medical doctor might ask questions or order tests to make sure there are no other medical concerns for the child.
Aspergers Syndrome may be difficult to diagnose.; Sometimes this condition can be confused with other conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder , Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder .; Making sure to evaluate the childs social and communication skills, their patterns of behavior and thinking, and how these symptoms have developed over time will help the assessor provide the correct diagnosis.
Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Understanding High Functioning Autism And Anger
Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder face challenges that can lead to frustration and anger, but is there a link between high functioning autism and anger or aggression? If so, how can parents help teach their child to regulate those angry emotions and manage them in daily life?
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