I’m supposed to be exploring water and the emotions for Cat’s druidry course. (Which I’m nearly at the end of. Can you believe it’s been a year? I can’t!) Water is won…

Asperger's syndrome is a neurological disorder and is a form of autism spectrum disorder. Learn more about Asperger's syndrome in teenagers in this post.

What are some of the characteristics of students with Asperger's? Check out from this infographic on how student's with Asperger's behave in class or generally in their surroundings

What is the difference between Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome? Autistic children have severe symptoms & signs compared to children with Asperger's syndrome.

Asperger Syndrome was a diagnosis that described someone on the autism spectrum that needed limited supports (high functioning autism).

The little things in everyday life can be a lot harder to tackle. Confessions courtesy of Whisper.

The Art of Autism is collecting favorite quotes about autism from some of our favorite bloggers. Please share your own in the comments below. "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." - Dr. Stephen Shore. "What would happen if the autism gene was eliminated from the gene pool? You would have a bunch of people standing around in a cave, chatting and socializing and not getting anything done." - Dr. Temple Grandin "It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of the village." - Coach Elaine Hall “And now I know it is perfectly natural for me not to look at someone when I talk. Those of us with Asperger's are just not comfortable doing it. In fact, I don't really understand why it's considered normal to stare at someone's eyeballs.” -John Elder Robison "Autism . . . offers a chance for us to glimpse an awe-filled vision of the world that might otherwise pass us by." - Dr. Colin Zimbleman, Ph.D. “I’ve listened enough. It’s time for me to speak, however it may sound. Through an electronic device, my hands, or my mouth. Now it’s your time to listen. Are you ready?” - Neal Katz, Self-advocate "The most interesting people you'll find are ones that don't fit into your average cardboard box. They'll make what they need, they'll make their own boxes." -Dr. Temple Grandin "This is a FOREVER journey with this creative, funny, highly intelligent, aggressive, impulsive, nonsocial, behavioral, often times loving individual. The nurse said to me after 6 hours with him 'He is a gift' INDEED he is." - Janet Frenchette Held, Parent "Behavior is communication. Change the environment and behaviors will change." - Lana David "I think when one becomes identified with a label that'll become all anyone sees; the expansiveness and breadth of the all of who you are suddenly hidden from view. I look to the entire history of the label and how it came to be. Our Western world likes to compartmentalize putting everything into simplistic categories. Now they have such terms as "neurotypical" and "neurodivergent," separating the entire human population on the planet into two categories. I would say that "neurotypical" is a diversity as well,." - Kurt Muzikar, Introduction to "Bozo to Bosons" (not yet published) "For autistic individuals to succeed in this world, they need to find their strengths and the people that will help them get to their hopes and dreams. In order to do so, ability to make and keep friends is a must. Among those friends, there must be mentors to show them the way. A supportive environment where they can learn from their mistakes is what we as a society needs to create for them." - Bill Wong, Autistic Occupational Therapist "Our wounds and hurts and fears are in our eyes. Humans think they build 'walls' for internal privacy. They think eye contact is about honesty but they mostly lie because they think they can hide their intent. Eye contact is invasive." - Carol Ann Edscorn "Although people with autism look like other people physically, we are in fact very different . . . We are more like travelers from the distant, distant past. And if, by our being here, we could help the people of the world remember what truly matters for the Earth, that might give us quiet pleasure." - Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump "Negative words carry negative vibration. Positive words carry positive vibration. What do you want your child to reflect back to you, the label of disordered or the label of gifted in a new way?" - Suzy Miller, Awesomism "I want Elijah to know that he is loved just the way he is." - Gee Vero "What makes a child gifted and talented may not always be good grades in school, but a different way of looking at the world and learning." - Chuck Grassley "Parents have therapists come in their house and tell them what to do. They give their power away. Parents need to focus on healing and empowering themselves. They must shift their beliefs about autism. Once the parent knows who they are the child will respond.” - Lori Shayew. "Not everyone is perfect. There is always an imperfect side to everyone," - Finn Christie, Age 10, on making Perfect Babies. "Life is . . . not about counting the losses and the lost expectations, but rather swimming, with as much grace as can be mustered, in the joy of all of it." - Leisa Hammett "For every 3 years your child is in public school, you can expect one exceptional teacher, one mediocre teacher, and one teacher who makes your life miserable." - Rick Seward, disability advocate for Alpha Resource Center in Santa Barbara, 2002 "The labeling undermines us in so many levels! But people don't know, they need to be reminded that we too are God's children. People don't mean harm because they too are God's children. Love heals lots of wounds. Love is patient, love is kind; my motto in life. You are loving. Mom has healed her consciousness to allow me to truly reflect my real identity as God's perfect child. Just don't let your senses get you fooled, we are more than our bodies. Find the truth so you can reflect your real being." - Nicole (13 years old, non-verbal, labeled autistic, typed independently on her iPad) "Music therapy, equine therapy, and art therapy are all 'therapeutic' because they are a vibrational match. They have elements to them that your child can use at his current level of high-vibrational function to make sense of this lower vibrating world." - Suzy Miller, Awesomenism "Stop thinking about normal . . . You don't have a big enough imagination for what your child can become." - Johnny Seitz, autistic tightrope artists in the movie Loving Lamposts. “The way we look at our children and their limitations is precisely the way they will feel about themselves. We set the examples, and they learn by taking our cue from us.” - Amalia Starr "English is my 2nd language. Autism is my first." - Dani Bowman "We are the doorway into a New World Order that is based on love and heart. We have the heart key. We only need the respect of others to learn how to serve wisely and kindly." - Lyrica, nonverbal, from the book Awetizm "Rome was not built on the first day. I need time to build the Eiffel Tower of my life." - Jeremy Sicile-Kira “Within every living child exists the most precious bud of self-identity. To search this out and foster it with loving care; that is the essence of educating an autistic child.” - Dr. Kiyo Kitahara “We contain the shapes of trees and the movement of rivers and stars within us." - Patrick Jasper Lee "When doctors, parents, teachers, therapists, even television describe typical spectrum kids, without meaning to, they’re describing typically male spectrum traits — patterns first noticed by observing boys. Only boys. And we aren’t boys. So they miss and mislabel us." - Jennifer O'Toole, Asperkids “Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.” - Alan Turing, creator of the first computer used to break codes during WW II. "My autism is the reason I'm in college and successful. It's the reason I'm good in math and science. It's the reason I care," - Jacob Barnett, sixteen-year old math and physics prodigy “Think of it: a disability is usually defined in terms of what is missing . . . But autism . . . is as much about what is abundant as what is missing, an over-expression of the very traits that make our species unique.” - Paul Collins, Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism "The concept of neurodiversity provides a paradigm shift in how we think about mental functioning. Instead of regarding large portions of the American public as suffering from deficit, disease, or dysfunction in their mental processing, neurodiversity suggests that we instead speak about differences in cognitive functioning." - Dr. Thomas Armstrong "My autism makes things shine. Sometimes I think it is amazing but sometimes it is sad when I want to be the same and talk the same and I fail. Playing the piano makes me very happy. Playing Beethoven is like your feelings – all of them – exploding." - Mikey Allcock, 16-year old who was non-verbal until age 10 "By holding the highest vision for your child when they can not see it for themselves, you are lifting them up, elevating them and helping them to soar." - Megan Koufos "There is no cure for being human," - Cheri Rauser, mom to Isabell “I know of nobody who is purely autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin.” - Jerry Newport, Your Life is Not a Label "The good and bad in a person, their potential for success or failure, their aptitudes and deficits - they are mutually conditional, arising from the same source. Our therapeutic goal must be to teach the person how to bear their difficulties. Not to eliminate them for him, but to train the person to cope with special challenges with special strategies; to make the person aware not that they are ill, but that they are responsible for their lives." - Hans Asperger "Autism is really more of a difference to be worked with rather than a monolithic enemy that needs to be slain or destroyed." - Stephen Shore, PhD "I view 'autistic' as a word for a part of how my brain works, not for a narrow set of behaviors and certainly not for a set of boundaries of a stereotype that I have to stay inside." - Amanda Baggs "My autism is like the taste of tepid saké, different but interesting." - Sue Rubin "Like Asperger, I too would sometimes like to claim a dash of autism for myself. A dash of autism is not a bad way to characterize the apparent detachment and unworldliness of the scientist who is obsessed with one seemingly all-important problem and temporarily forgets the time of day, not to mention family and friends." - Uta Frith “Even for parents of children who are not on the spectrum, there is no such thing as a normal child.” - Violet Stevens “Our duty in aut­ism is not to cure but to re­lieve suf­fer­ing and to max­im­ize each per­son’s po­ten­tial.” - John Elder Robison “Disability doesn’t make you exceptional, but questioning what you think you know about it does.” - Stella Young "Being autistic is not about living in a vacuum, sucking in everything around you, living in an existence shutout from your environment. If anything, the environment becomes more real, more painful, more evident." - Jocelyn Eastman “Vibrant waves of sequenced patterns emerged in my head whenever I looked at musical notes and scores. Like pieces of a mysterious puzzle solved, it was natural for me to see music and its many facets as pictures in my head. It never occurred to me that others couldn’t see what I saw.” - Dr. Stephen Shore "We need to embrace those who are different and the bullies need to be the ones who get off the bus,." Caren Zucker, co-author of "In a Different Key" “I don’t want my thoughts to die with me, I want to have done something. I’m not interested in power, or piles of money. I want to leave something behind. I want to make a positive contribution - to know that my life has meaning.” - Temple Grandin “Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the hammering is hard work. It’s that you’re destroying the peg.” - Paul Collins “Don’t think that there’s a different, better child ‘hiding’ behind the autism. This is your child. Love the child in front of you. Encourage his strengths, celebrate his quirks, and improve his weaknesses, the way you would with any child. You may have to work harder on some of this, but that’s the goal.” – Claire Scovell LaZebnik Do not fear people with Autism, embrace them. Do not spite people with Autism, unite them. Do not deny people with Autism, accept them, for then their abilities will shine.” – Paul Isaacs “I see people with Asperger’s syndrome as a bright thread in the rich tapestry of life.” – Tony Attwood “Autism is as much a part of humanity as is the capacity to dream.” - Kathleen Seidel "I looked up to the stars and wondered which one I was from." - James McCue "I see everything in color. I have synesthesia, which means that the part of my brain – that controls the senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste – are wired differently." - Jeremy Sicile-Kira "Connection is what moves this world forward. Connection is a profound human experience." - Jenny Palmiotto, The Therapist Shift "By separating the autism from the person, are we encouraging our patients’ family members to love an imagined non-autistic child that was never born, forgetting about the real person who exists in front of us?" - Christina Nicolaidis, A Physician Speaks "Blue sky may be beautiful but lighting the tall buildings blue is autism-awareness." - Tito Mukhopadhyay "Autism makes you listen louder. It makes you pay attention on an emotional level as well as an intellectual level." - Jace King, brother to Taylor Cross, Normal People Scare Me Too "Presume intelligence with all children with autism. Presume all of them are hearing you." - Lori Shayew, The Gifts of Autism "Autism is about having a pure heart and being very sensitive. It is about finding a way to survive in an overwhelming, confusing world . . . It is about developing differently, in a different pace and with different leaps." - Trisha Van Berkel "Until we create a nation that regularly wants to employ a person with autism, assure for a quality education for each person with autism, and eliminates the far too many unnecessary obstacles placed in the way of success for a person with autism, we really won’t be as successful as we must. We need to get all in our nation to embrace the belief that each person with autism is valued, respected and held to the highest level of dignity and must be provided every opportunity for the highest quality of life each and every day." - ASA President Scott Badesch "Showing kindness towards those who are different and embracing our imperfections as proof of our humanness is the remedy for fear." - Emma Zurcher-Long of Emma's Hope Book "Nowhere am I so desperately needed as among a shipload of illogical humans." - Mr.Spock " . . . I don't need to apologize for Reid as much as interpret his behavior for the uninitiated. His actions aren't immoral or wrong; they just get misconstrued or misinterpreted." - Andrea Moriarity, One Track Mind: 15 Ways to Amplify Your Child's Special Interest " . . . Autistic people are people: they’re not puzzle pieces or baffling enigmas or medical mysteries to be solved, or 'normal' people 'trapped' in the bodies of autistics or any of that crap that infects so many portrayals of autistic people in both the clinical literature and the popular media. At the same time, I think it’s equally important to celebrate the differences between autistic people and typical people, and to recognize the need for accommodating autism as a significant disability . . . " Steve Silberman, an Interview with Steve Silberman author of Neurotribes. "Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible." - Frank Zappa "The teacher must have to become autistic." - Hans Asperger "We have to do away with this nonsense that there is a window of opportunity for a person with autism." - Barry Prizant, author Uniquely Human at the 2016 Love and Autism Conference “I believe everyone on the planet has their thing and, especially in my experience, autistic people all have a tremendous gift. It’s a matter of finding that gift and nurturing it.” Edie Brannigan, Mother to runner, Mikey Brannigan "As an autistic I can readily see environmental phenomena of sun particles interacting with moisture in the air and rising up from the ground. I thought of these things I could see as sun sparkles and world tails." - Judy Endow, Painted Words: Aspects of Autism Translated “When I did stims such as dribbling sand through my fingers, it calmed me down. When I stimmed, sounds that hurt my ears stopped. Most kids with autism do these repetitive behaviors because it feels good in some way. It may counteract an overwhelming sensory environment . . .” - Temple Grandin, Autism Asperger’s Digest, 2011 “The experience of many of us is not that ‘insistence on sameness’ jumps out unbidden and unwanted and makes our lives hard, but that 'insistence on sameness' is actually a way of adapting to a confusing and chaotic environment . . . ” Dora Raymaker "Autism is here to stay and may be considered a part of the diversity of the human gene pool." - Dr. Stephen Shore "As soon as a child is capable of understanding, they will know they are different. Just as a diabetic needs insulin, an autistic child needs accommodations . . . The label gave me knowledge and self-awareness." - Steve Andrews "A person with autism hears every sound intensely magnified. Thus, if the tone of voice is harsh or strict, they will feel scared and threatened and, consequently, may inadvertently scream or even attack. Aggressive behavior is brought on by fear." - Joao Carlos Costa, 21, non-verbal, autistic "Therapists and educators have traditionally tried to suppress or modulate a child’s special interest, or use it as a tool for behavior modification: Keep your hands still and stop flapping, and you will get to watch a Star Wars clip; complete your homework or no Harry Potter. But what if these obsessions themselves can be turned into pathways to growth? What if these intellectual cul-de-sacs can open up worlds?" - Scientific American article talking about the documentary Life, Animated "To measure the success of our societies, we should examine how well those with different abilities, including persons with autism, are integrated as full and valued members." - Ban Ki-Moon, Former United Nations Secretary-General "I need to see something to learn it, because spoken words are like steam to me; they evaporate in an instant, before I have a chance to make sense of them. I don’t have instant-processing skills. Instructions and information presented to me visually can stay in front of me for as long as I need, and will be just the same when I come back to them later. Without this, I live the constant frustration of knowing that I’m missing big blocks of information and expectations, and am helpless to do anything about it." - Ellen Notbohm, Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew "[So-called] Mild autism doesn't mean one experiences autism mildly . . . It means YOU experience their autism mildy. You may not know how hard they've had to work to get to the level they are." - Adam Walton "Are your eyes listening? That’s what needs to happen to hear my writing voice. Because of autism, the thief of politeness and friendship, I have no sounding voice. By typing words I can play with my life and stretch from my world to yours. I become a real person when my words try to reach out to you without my weird body scaring you away. Then I am alive." - Sarah Stup, Excerpted from “Are your eyes listening? Collected Works” by Sarah Stup “When a family focuses on ability instead of disability, all things are possible . . . Love and acceptance is key. We need to interact with those with autism by taking an interest in their interests.” - Amanda Rae Ross "Art can permeate the very deepest part of us, where no words exist." - Eileen Miller, The Girl Who Spoke with Pictures: Autism Through Art “Why should I cry for not being an apple, when I was born an orange, I'd be crying for an illusion, I may as well cry for not being a horse.” - Donna Williams “Just one step in front of each other, each day. In the end, that is all, we’re expected to take.” - Donna Williams (1963-2017), Footsteps of a Nobody “The difference between high-functioning autism and low-functioning is that high-functioning means your deficits are ignored, and low-functioning means your assets are ignored.” - Laura Tisoncik "Humane storytelling is the way to advance society's understanding of #Autism as it has the potential to change people's hearts and minds." - Tom Clements "Let’s give people with autism more opportunities to demonstrate what they feel, what they imagine, what comes naturally to them through humor and the language of sensory experience. As we learn more about autism, let’s not forget to learn from those with autism. There are poets walking among you and they have much to teach." - Chris Martin, Unrestricted Interest "Years before doctors informed me of my high-functioning autism and the disconnect it causes between person and language, I had to figure out the world as best I could. I was a misfit. The world was made up of words. But I thought and felt and sometimes dreamed in a private language of numbers." - Daniel Tammett “Within every child is a connection to one form or another and a potential waiting to be fulfilled." - Dr. Stephen Mark Shore "Truly I dreamt that my beautiful mom told others my secret about life. Nicely the secret was very easy to say but harder to do. The secret is: believe in your child and believe in yourself." - Jeremy Sicile-Kira "I draw my inspiration from people and the world. I see the world full of bold colors, and I am fascinated by our differences that make us all special and unique human beings. My inspiration also comes from the fact that everyone in the world has something special to offer, no matter their race, color, religion, or disability. There is beauty in everything I see, and my hope is that the world can see beauty and acceptance through my eyes." - Ronaldo Byrd, who participated in Created on Ipad gallery "Be thankful for autism. God shines brightest in weakness, and it comes with strengths that enable us to fill certain job roles better than others would (a talent, if you will)." - Peter Lantz "Low pitched notes really make me feel like love might be truly possible. High pitched notes make me feel like I could go crazy with pain and sadness. Great rhythms can make me feel like life is freedom." - Jeremy Sicile-Kira "Rather than healing our child of his developmental disability, God healed me of my spiritual disability." - Diane Dokko "Since understanding and accommodation ​are outside of our locus of control​,​ we can focus on our own coping mechanisms. This allows us to experience and process much more information and see patterns before others." - Joe Biel "We can use Asperger's as a super power if we focus." - Daniel M. Jones “Empowering your young person is the key to giving them the skills they need to live an independent life. If you do things for them that they could learn or even do for themselves by themselves, then you are DISEMPOWERING your young person.” - Tom Iland “Rigid academic and social expectations could wind up stifling a mind that, while it might struggle to conjugate a verb, could one day take us to distant stars." - Temple Grandin " . . . when experts speak of social deficits in autism they can neither imagine accompanying benefits nor critically examine their own neurologies. How about a new slogan? Feel globally. Perceive locally." - Ralph James Savarese, See It Feelingly "It took a while to recognize my freedom from cultural conditioning as a high value benefit that supports my up spiral of independent sovereignty." - Steve Staniek "Using the term “high-functioning” discounts or dismisses the person’s needs or struggles . . . Using the term “low-functioning” discounts or dismisses a person’s strengths and capabilities." Tom Iland, The Fallacy of High and Low Functioning Autism "Small talk is our kryptonite. There are few things in this world more disconcerting to my autistic body than loud spaces and small talk – even worse when you combine the two with fluorescent lights." " Said Shaiye"I am equal, loved, unique, purposed, and worthy just because I am me." Kris

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symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome in children - 1. Difficulties with social interaction and communication 2. Repetitive behaviours and rigid routines

Aspies are an interesting bunch. Lots to learn from them. If you are not familiar with Asperger's syndrome, this infographic will help you understand.

If you've been wondering if you're autistic, you need this post with signs of autism in adults that may have been missed as children! It's a goldmine!

Pooky bears, I’ve written often about having Autism – you can find all my writings about it & recommended resources here. Today I wanted to share with you a quick poster on what helps with managing my Autism. Pop your details in the form below to download! Most of these tools are there to help […]

"Any tips for dealing with a high functioning autistic child who flips into a rage at the most inopportune times for no apparent re...

It is estimated that men with Asperger’s outnumber Asperger’s women by four to one. Read on to learn some more fascinating facts about Asperger’s men.

“Task-frustration” occurs when a child attempts to complete a particular task (e.g., tying shoe laces, riding a bicycle, doing a math as...

Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism In Girls and Women The female profile of Asperger Syndrome has largely been ignored in research (as compared to male research) and in definitions of Asperger Syndrome. This is due to a strong gender bias, with females known as 'research orphans', according to Yale's Ami Klin. Many girls and

What is Asperger’s? Definition of Asperger’s: Asperger’s is a type of autistic disorder in which there are problems in social interaction. There are also repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping and children may have motor

Question My child with Aspergers loves pizza rolls. Problem is that's about all he eats (cheese only - doesn't like pepperoni or sausage). He would eat pizza rolls for breakfast, lunch and dinner if we let him. Is there any way to lure him into eating some fruits and/or vegetables? Answer Most Aspergers (high functioning autistic) children prefer just a few food items. And it can become quite a power struggle for parents when they attempt to get their child to try anything new. However, there are some ways that parents can "sneak" some healthy stuff into their child's belly. Here are a few tips that may work: 1. Don't get hung up on the time of day your Aspergers youngster eats – or how much he eats in one sitting. It is perfectly fine if your Aspie doesn't eat three square meals every day as long as over the course of a week or two he eats a few things from each food group. 2. Concoct creative camouflages. There are all kinds of possible variations on the old standby "cheese in the trees" (cheese melted on steamed broccoli florets), or you can all enjoy the pleasure of veggies topped with peanut- butter sauce, a specialty of Asian cuisines. 3. Make veggie art. Create colorful faces with olive-slice eyes, tomato ears, mushroom noses, bell-pepper mustaches, and any other playful features you can think of. Zucchini pancakes, for example, make a terrific face to which you can add pea eyes, a carrot nose, and cheese hair. 4. Plant a garden with your Aspergers child. Let him help care for the plants, harvest the ripe vegetables, and wash and prepare them. He will probably be much more interested in eating what he has helped to grow. 5. Slip grated or diced vegetables into favorite foods. Try adding them to rice, cottage cheese, cream cheese, guacamole, or even macaroni and cheese. 6. Steam your greens. They are much more flavorful and usually sweeter than when raw. 7. Using a small cookie cutter, cut the vegetables into interesting shapes. 8. Give your youngster acknowledgement and praise, even if he takes only one bite of something new. For example: "It's great that you tried the green beans!" 9. Let go of the power struggle. You can't force your youngster to do anything, especially eat, so just stop trying. Simply offer him nutritious, varied foods – and eat them yourself. He can have his, or not, but you're showing him how. When moms and dads demand that their children eat certain foods, they're attaching negative connotations to it. Pretty soon, the struggle is worse. Put the food on his plate, but if it stays there, don't push him – and don't stress over it. 10. Offer alternatives if your youngster won't eat meat. The texture turns off many Aspergers kids, and that's fine. Your youngster can still get all the protein he needs from the following: cheese or even meat-filled ravioli (the pasta exterior goes a long way for meat-haters) hard-boiled eggs or any egg dish his favorite crackers dipped in hummus or spread with peanut (or nut) butter mini-tuna melts nachos with beans and cheese yogurt, cheese, or cottage cheese 11. Offer choices that don't matter. You may face stubborn insistence that toast have a corner unbuttered to avoid messy hands, or that cereal be served only in a square bowl, or that nothing gets touched by the preparer of the food. While this kind of behavior is seemingly ridiculous, it's typical of Aspergers kids. Offering your youngster a limited choice is often enough to end the power struggle. But make your rules clear: "At home, you can choose your plate, but when we're eating out, you have to use whatever plates they have." 12. You may have to stick with one basic food color. Aspergers children may like a lot of colors in their pictures, but not always on their plates. When he only wants white foods, for example, consider: fruit smoothies (blend a banana with vanilla yogurt) half white-/half whole-wheat (make toast and sandwiches in fun shapes using cookie cutters) mac and cheese made with whole-wheat (or whole-wheat blend) macaroni oven-baked fries (half regular and half sweet potato to ease your youngster into the idea of trying other spuds) 13. Be creative with the veggies. Hating vegetables is the most common picky-eater problems with Aspergers kids. To convince your child that eating vegetables is not poisonous, try one or more of the following: carrot slices and baby corn are a good start toward more serious veggie consumption lettuce wraps (use a filling he'll eat, like turkey or cream cheese, and wrap it in a romaine lettuce leaf) put a plate of raw veggies next to a sure thing (e.g., grilled cheese sandwich) to lure your child into eating at least one bite thinly sliced veggies stir-fried with teriyaki sauce with a little chicken and rice try dressing (e.g., honey mustard, ranch, ketchup, melted butter) with veggies for dipping veggie lasagna water chestnuts have little taste and can be a good stepping-stone to serious veggies zucchini muffins 14. Many Aspergers kids like to “nitpick” their way through food (i.e., a nibble here – a nibble there). Use an ice-cube tray, a muffin tin, or a compartmentalized dish, and put bite-size portions of colorful and nutritious foods in each section. Give these “finger foods” names in order to disguise how disgustingly healthy that may be, such as: egg canoes (hard- boiled egg wedges) cheese building blocks carrot swords (cooked and thinly sliced) broccoli trees (steamed broccoli florets) banana wheels avocado boats (a quarter of an avocado) apple moons (thinly sliced) Place the food on an easy-to-reach table. As your Aspie makes his rounds through the house, he can stop, sit down, nibble a bit, and, when he's done, continue on his way. These foods have a table-life of an hour or two. 15. A veggie pizza is one the most cleaver ways to disguise healthy foods. We tried a spinach-cheese pizza with our 5-year-old several years ago. We knew he probably wouldn’t even touch it – but guess what? It is his favorite food item now! Go figure :) 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 ==> Highly Effective Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism

Adult Asperger's Autism Spectrum Disorder Journey

What is the difference between Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome? Autistic children have severe symptoms & signs compared to children with Asperger's syndrome.

Teens go through various emotional and physical changes during adolescence. MomJunction shares tips to help in their overall development.

Discover the power of a balanced diet for asperger's syndrome, and a personal narrative of how a mother improved her son's perception of food, and mealtime habits.

We discovered this year our D is on the Autism Spectrum. The psycologist told D has Asperger's Syndrome. He said it was a wonder she wasn't diagnosed long ago it was so apparent. Of course girls with Asperger have somewhat different characteristics then boys (D was a talker and an imaginative little girl from 1 year old) so girls are often diagnosed later than boys (usually around 10). Were Ted and I upset? Actually I was so relieved and happy! I had been feeling like her struggles were due to my poor parenting. When I first read the traits of Asperger's girls (affectionately called Aspies) it was like reading a novel about my daughter. I began to understand her better and I wanted to pass on some of the useful info onto you in case you are interested interacting with my rare species of Asperger Girl; 1. Empathy can be hard; I've seen D come off as mean girl or unkind. The truth is Asperger girls aren't as good as understanding other's emotions or how what she says or her body language is read by those around her. We work daily on learning how phrases and body language are interpreted by others. It just takes longer for my girl to learn how then say...anything else really, Latin, math, except maybe cleaning which leads me to, 2. Long term memory amazing, Short term not so much; "D please clean your room". Five seconds later she has no idea what I just asked her. And this just happened 20 times in a row. But she can tell you in detail what happened when she was a baby. Temple Grandin said in her autobiography this was true of her as well. Tip;if you ask D to do something don't be offended if you have to ask twice, or better yet write it down. 3. Sensitive to sounds (volume), smells, textures; Too many kids in a room and D will be driven up the wall. If there is a song she doesn't like playing in the background she won't be able to concentrate on anything else. If D looks confused while your talking you may want to ask her if something is distracting her. Florescent lights can drive her insane. Also if you hug or touch her when she's not expecting it she might flinch. I learned from her Psychologist that she actually feels pain when she is unexpectedly touched! Yesterday I went in for an unannounced hug and D jumped and said, "Don't hit me!". So I announced my need to hug her and she laughed and hugged back. 4. Having a two-way conversation is challenging. D has got a movie in her head of her fave things going all the time (Warriors books, Undertale, Electro-Swing music, Computers, her pet ducks and chickens). Ask her about those things and she will talk endlessly. Bring up your own topic of conversation and you will find she will move the conversation to talking about her favorite things very quickly. But don't despair. As I was writing this D shared a tip about this; if you introduce her to new info she might feign that she knows all about it, then secretly research it later. Or the opposite might happen; I was just given a homework assignment to read the first 3 chapters of a Warriors book last night because D was so wanted to talk to me about it. It is good for her to be redirected out of her interests though. I encourage you to try it's a fun game. 5. Don't give up! I am confident that my Aspie will grow up to be able to connect with others and be amazingly empathetic and kind to all. Temple Grandin said that social intelligence might come slowly to Autistic people, but it can still be learned. When I prayed for little three year old D who couldn't play well with others in preschool, God told me that she would be behind kids her age socially for awhile but ahead with other things, and that she would eventually catch up. When I started working with Autism experts with D I found Asperger's Syndrome lined up with what he told me. It is not a handicap, it is a different way of experiencing the world. Asperger's makes it hard for her many times as she is quirky and different. Her brain is actually just more developed in some areas and less in others. It is also a gift. My D is super creative, has been developing her own characters and imaginary world since she was two. She can memorize things long-term quickly. I am still uncovering her gifts (and occasionally challenges). I hope you will join me. D's world is a vivid, sometimes perilous, always exciting place! Most of all she is worth getting to know. This is just the beginning of a beautiful life. The first description of Asperger girls I read is here A great scientific explanation here. Also this has been a terrific help to parenting an aspie; https://www.aspergerexperts.com/ More useful info;

"My son (high functioning, 15 years old) has a hard time learning from past 'social mistakes' and usually reacts without thinking through to the likely outcomes as he interacts with his peers. Is there a way to help him be a bit more insightful, that is, be able to generalize from one situation to the next and identify cause-and-effect re: the things he says and does around friends and classmates?" Having positive peer relationships is important for all adolescents. Unfortunately, many teens with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) have a hard time making and keeping friends and being accepted within the larger peer group. The perceived “odd behavior” associated with AS and HFA can wreak havoc in an adolescent's attempts to connect with classmates in positive ways. Not being accepted by others, feeling isolated, different, unlikeable and alone – this is probably the most painful aspect of having AS and HFA. These negative experiences carry long-lasting effects. Positive connections with others are so important. Though teens with AS and HFA desperately want to make friends and be liked by the group, they often just don't know how. The good news is that parents can help their adolescent develop social skills and competencies. Here are some important tips on how parents can help their “special needs” teenager to develop much needed social skills: 1. Adolescents with AS and HFA tend to have a hard time learning from past experiences. They often react without thinking through consequences. One way to help these young people is to provide immediate and frequent feedback about inappropriate behavior or social miscues. Role-playing can be very helpful to teach, model, and practice positive social skills, as well as ways to respond to challenging situations like bullying. 2. An after-school or weekend job can let a teenager practice some social skills and gain self-confidence. Many AS/HFA teens feel they are doomed to social isolation until they, for example, land a job at McDonald’s. In this case, the teen just might begin talking to classmates who work at – or come into – the restaurant, and then get to know many of them outside of work. 3. As an adolescent reaches young adulthood, friendships are often more complicated, but it is equally important for you to continue to be involved and to facilitate positive peer interactions. The middle school and high school years can be brutal for an adolescent who struggles socially. Even if an adolescent remains unaccepted by the peer group at large, having at least one good friend during these years can often protect him or her from the most damaging effects of ostracism by the peer group. 4. AS and HFA teenagers need planned activities. Although you, as the parent, no longer plan and supervise your teenager as closely as you did back in the day, church organizations, scout groups, and other after-school or community activities can provide structure for the teenager who can’t find a crowd on his or her own. The grown-ups who run such groups are generally committed to involving all the teens. They’ll take the time to talk to a teenager standing on the edge of the group and encourage him or her to join in. 5. Clearly identify and give information to your adolescent about social rules and the behaviors you want to see. Practice these prosocial skills again and again and again. Shape positive behaviors with immediate rewards. 6. Communicate with the school, coaches, and neighborhood parents, so that you know what is going on with your adolescent and with whom your adolescent is spending time. An adolescent's peer group and the characteristics of this group have a strong influence on the young people within the group. A middle or high school age adolescent who has experienced social isolation and repeated rejection and simply wants to "belong" somewhere is often more vulnerable to moving into any peer group that will be accepting – even when that group is a negative influence. 7. Collaborate with your adolescent's school to make sure the classroom environment is as "AS/HFA-friendly" as possible so that your adolescent is better able to manage his or her symptoms. Work together with the school staff on effective behavior management approaches and social skills training. 8. Focus on one or two areas that are most difficult for your adolescent so that (a) the learning process doesn't become too overwhelming and (b) your adolescent is more likely to experience successes. Keep in mind that many teens with AS and HFA have difficulty with the basics like starting and maintaining a conversation or interacting with another individual in a reciprocal manner (e.g., listening, asking about the other person’s ideas or feelings, taking turns in the conversation, showing interest in his or her peer, etc.), negotiating and resolving conflicts as they arise, sharing, maintaining personal space, and even speaking in a normal tone of voice that isn't too monotone. 9. High schools are usually much larger than elementary and middle schools – and the school-wide social scene can be daunting to navigate for AS/HFA teens. Conversation and friendship come more easily among teenagers who have a shared interest. Encourage your teen to sign up for clubs or activities that will put him or her in touch with like-minded peers. An outing with the Spanish club may spark conversation with a peer in a different class. 10. If a teenager is seriously struggling on the social front, his or her "jump start" might be a formal group designed to teach social skills. Such groups are generally led by a psychologist or therapist, and may be sponsored by schools or community centers. The format may involve structured tasks or be an open forum for conversation, with feedback coming from both group leaders and peers. 11. Once an adolescent is labeled by his or her peer group in a negative way because of social skills deficits, it can be very hard to dispel this reputation. In fact, having a negative reputation is perhaps one of the largest obstacles your adolescent may have to overcome socially. Studies have found that the negative peer status of adolescents with AS and HFA is often already established by early-to-middle elementary school years, and this reputation can stick with the adolescent even as he or she begins to make positive changes in social skills. For this reason, it can be helpful for moms and dads to work with their adolescent's teachers, coaches, etc. to try to address these reputational effects. 12. Get involved in groups that foster positive peer relationships and social skills development (e.g., Boy Scouts, Indian Guides, Girl Scouts, Girls on the Run, sports teams, etc.). Make sure the group leaders or coaches are familiar with AS and HFA and can create a supportive and positive environment for learning prosocial skills. 13. Research finds that adolescents with AS and HFA tend to be extremely poor monitors of their own social behavior. They often do not have a clear understanding or awareness about social situations and the reactions they provoke in others. For example, they may feel that an interaction with a classmate went well – when it clearly did not. AS and HFA-related difficulties can result in weaknesses in this ability to accurately assess or "read" a social situation, self-evaluate, self-monitor, and adjust as necessary. These skills must be taught directly to your adolescent. 14. Some AS/HFA teenagers do best in smaller groups with some parental monitoring. Although moms and dads are generally viewed as "not cool" to most teenagers, your presence is acceptable in certain situations. A teenager that is reluctant to call a friend to "hang out" might be persuaded to invite a friend or two to a sporting event, if mom gets a few tickets. 15. Establish a positive working relationship with your adolescent's teacher. Share about your adolescent's areas of strength and interests, as well as areas of weaknesses – and strategies you have found to be most helpful in minimizing those weaknesses. Cultivating friendships during adolescence can be an awesome task for the teenager with AS and HFA. Cliques are hard to break into, and delayed maturity is a roadblock to social success. While some AS/HFA adolescents win friends with their enthusiasm and off-beat humor, others find themselves ostracized, seen by their peers as over-bearing or immature. Parents can NOT structure their teen’s social life as they did through elementary and middle school, but by using the suggestions above, they CAN give the little push that can get their teen started on the path to effective interpersonal relationships. Tips for teachers with AS/HFA students: 1. Adolescent students often look to their teachers when forming social preferences about their peers. A teacher's warmth, patience, acceptance, and gentle redirection can serve as a model for the peer group and have some effect on a “special needs” student’s social status. 2. Pairing the “special needs” student up with a compassionate "buddy" within the classroom can help facilitate social acceptance. 3. When a “special needs” student has experienced failures at school, it becomes even more important for the student’s teacher to consciously find ways to draw positive attention to him or her. One way to do this is to assign the student special tasks and responsibilities in the presence of the other students in the classroom. Make sure these are responsibilities in which your student can experience success and develop better feelings of self-worth and acceptance within the classroom. Doing this also provides opportunities for the peer group to view your “special needs” student in a positive light and may help to stop the group process of peer rejection. 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

In the past, autism was wildly misunderstood.Thankfully, a lot has changed and we now have a better understanding of what autism truly is.

Welcome to the Asperger's Test Site. The site is devoted to helping everyone get a free online diagnosis for Asperger's Syndrome along with help and support

“One of our favourite autism memes! #AutismAwareness”

To live your life to its fullest as an Aspie, you'll need a completely different mental operating system. Find out more here...

What is Asperger’s? Definition of Asperger’s: Asperger’s is a type of autistic disorder in which there are problems in social interaction. There are also repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping and children may have motor

Individuals with Aspergers (high functioning autism) often find social situations very difficult. There are so many social rules that "neurotypicals" (i.e., people not on the autism spectrum) learn instinctively. "Aspies" often have to work at learning these rules. It can often be confusing and cause anxiety as many social rules are unwritten and not spoken about. Unfortunately it would be impossible to fit every helpful idea into this article, but it does offer some basic suggestions that you could begin to think about. Discussing these with someone you feel safe with may help you to think of some other ideas. Starting a conversation: 1. If the individual you would like to talk to is already talking to someone else, especially if it is someone you do not know, it may be better to speak to them later when they are free. 2. Approach the individual, but stop when you are about an arm’s length away and face them. 3. Saying 'Hello' is normally a good way to start a conversation. Try to think of some other good greetings as well (e.g., 'Hi' to a friend or 'Excuse me' if you wish to attract someone's attention). It is important to remember that the appropriate type of greeting changes depending on the situation and individual you are speaking to (e.g., you may say 'Hey' to a friend but 'Hello' to your boss). 4. Using the individual's name before or after your greeting will help them to know you are talking to them. In some families, individuals do not address elder relatives by their name, but call them Aunt, Uncle, Grandma as appropriate. Think about the names that you use when you speak to the individuals in your family. 5. If the individual you speak to answers 'Hello' (or something similar) it usually means that they want to talk. 6. It is a good idea to ask some general questions at the beginning of the conversation rather than starting on a certain topic. Some ideas of things to say here are: Did you enjoy the film/concert/TV program? How are you? It's nice to see you. Try writing down some other general questions and topics that you can use when you are talking to other individuals. What to say during a conversation: 1. Remember to take it in turns when talking to someone. Let them answer your questions and give them a chance to ask you one in return if they want to. 2. Talk about things that you know the other individual likes as well as the things that you like. If you both like the same things, then you could talk about these. However, it is not appropriate to talk to some individuals about certain topics. It is probably a good idea to avoid talking about them if you do not know the individual well. Try to make a list of things that are - and are not - appropriate to talk about. 3. If you find it hard to understand that someone else may feel differently to you, you may not realize that not everyone is as interested in a certain topic or hobby as you are. You may want to talk about it a lot, but the other individual may not be as interested or knowledgeable about the topic as you are. If you are talking to someone about a topic and they begin to look like they want to end the conversation, you could say 'Would you like me to tell you more?' or 'Would you like to talk about something else?' However, sometimes the individual will want to end the conversation altogether for another reason. For example, they may need to get to work. 4. You may also find it difficult to tell how someone else is feeling because they are not actually saying how they feel and you find it difficult to read body language and facial expressions. What is appropriate to say to them will sometimes be different depending on how they are feeling about the topic. If you are not sure how someone is feeling, you can ask them. How to end a conversation: Watch out for signals that someone wants to end a conversation with you. These may include: looking around the room not asking questions back saying they have something else to do yawning Do not get upset if the individual does this. Sometimes it is better to end a conversation before you run out of things to say. If you want to end the conversation, say something like, "Well I'd better be going now" before saying "Goodbye" because it is more polite than just saying "Goodbye" and walking away. Try to think of some other ways to end a conversation. Making friends: Making friends can be difficult for Aspies, but once you have established them, they can be enjoyable. You will have someone to go out with, talk about things you enjoy, and discuss your problems with. It can be difficult to tell if someone is not a real friend. This can be especially difficult for Aspies. This is because the signs that someone is pretending to be your friend are often very difficult to detect, because they include body language and tone of voice. You may not find it easy to notice these. A true friend will always make you feel welcome and talk to you if they have the time. A true friend will treat you the same way that they treat all of their friends. Someone pretending to be a friend will sometimes make you feel welcome, but show signs that they do not want to talk almost immediately. Someone pretending to be a friend may treat you differently to their other friends. Telling others that you have Aspergers: Sometimes people find others who behave differently to themselves hard to understand. Neurotypicals may find it hard to understand why you may prefer not to look them in the eye while you speak or why you like to talk a lot about a special interest. A way of helping others to understand your differences and communicate well with you is to tell them that you have Aspergers. Obviously, it is your choice whether or not to tell others, but it can often be a positive decision. You do not have to go into great detail about what Aspergers is. Perhaps you could tell them about the triad of impairments and the difficulties that you have because of this. Things to think about include: Social interaction - Do you prefer to be alone? Do you find it difficult to make friends? Do you find it difficult to keep a conversation going? Imagination - Do you find it difficult to imagine how someone else feels? Do you find it distressing when things change? Do you have a special interest? Communication - Do you find body language difficult to understand? Do you find it hard to tell what emotion others are feeling? Do you find it difficult to say what you mean? Not all of these difficulties will apply to you. You could ask someone who knows you well how you behave differently in social situations in comparison to a neurotypical. Knowing this can be very useful as you will then be able to tell others about these difficulties and also work on improving them. Social skills: Here are some additional ideas and things to remember to help you when dealing with social situations. This does not cover every possible situation you may find yourself in, but it does provide advice for some of the most common circumstances: 1. Even if you do not want to socialize with others and prefer to be on your own, it is a good idea to develop your social skills. 2. If you make a mistake and upset someone, it does NOT mean they don’t like you. Usually, saying sorry helps. If you are not sure what you have done to upset someone, ask. 3. Rules change depending on the situation and individual you are speaking to. For example, it would be appropriate to say ‘Hey’ to a friend but 'Hello' to your boss. A good example of this is the story of a man who was told that it was polite to go up to people and smile and shake their hand when he met them. This was appropriate most of the time. However, when he attended a family member's funeral, people thought he was being insensitive because he was walking around with a big smile when they were feeling sad. 4. Saying 'please' and 'thank you' is appropriate in all situations. This shows other individuals that you are polite. 5. Sometimes it is ok not to tell the truth to make someone else happy (e.g., saying they do not look fat, even if they do). Some call these 'little white lies'. Try thinking of situations where this may be the case with a family member or co-worker. How to develop and practice social skills: Social skills groups are run in most countries. They usually focus on the main areas that Aspies find difficult (e.g., making friends, having a conversation, identifying and expressing emotions, problem solving, body language and tone of voice, etc.). You could also ask a family member or friend to help you practice social skills. You could do this using role play. Things that you could practice include approaching others, starting a conversation, taking turns and ending a conversation. You could ask the individuals who know you well which skills they think it would be a good idea for you to practice. Watching soaps on TV might give you some ideas of how to act in different social situations. You could also record an episode and ask someone to press pause during the program and talk about what you would do next in that situation. Joining a social group: Social groups provide the opportunity to meet others and socialize in a safe environment. They do not offer structured social skills training but are a good place to practice those that you have learned. All groups operate differently. Most groups meet on a regular basis (e.g., weekly or monthly), and at an agreed place (e.g., a pub or community hall). The activities will vary depending on the interests of the members. Some may focus on one hobby, such as drama, while others may offer a wider range of activities, such as cinema one week and bowling the next. How to meet and socialize with neurotypicals: There are lots of different types of social groups. Many of these meet because members have similar interests (e.g. sports, reading, art or religion). For someone with Aspergers, joining a social group where the members have similar interests to your own would be beneficial. This is because you would have something to talk about and to use to start conversations. Individuals at these groups will probably be keen to talk about your special interest if they enjoy it too. Do keep in mind that some social groups require you to become a member to attend, and for this, you sometimes have to pay. It may be a good idea to call the organizer to find out about this to avoid disappointment. ==> Living With Aspergers: Help for Couples

Below you will find the majority of symptoms associated with High-Functioning Autism (HFA), also referred to as Asperger’s. The HFA child will not usually have all of these traits. We will look at the following categories: sensory sensitivities, cognitive issues, motor clumsiness, narrow range of interests, insistence on set routines, impairments in language, and difficulty with reciprocal social interactions. Sensory Sensitivity Checklist— 1. Difficulty in visual areas: Avoids eye contact Displays discomfort/anxiety when looking at certain pictures (e.g., the child feels as if the visual experience is closing in on him) Engages in intense staring Stands too close to objects or people 2. Difficulty in auditory areas: Covers ears when certain sounds are made Displays an inability to focus when surrounded by multiple sounds (e.g., shopping mall, airport, party) Displays extreme fear when unexpected noises occur Fearful of the sounds particular objects make (e.g., vacuum, blender) Purposely withdraws to avoid noises 3. Difficulty in olfactory areas: Can recognize smells before others Displays a strong olfactory memory Finds some smells so overpowering or unpleasant that he becomes nauseated Needs to smell foods before eating them Needs to smell materials before using them 4. Difficulty in tactile areas: Complains of a small amount of wetness (e.g., from the water fountain, a small spill) Complains of clothing feeling like sandpaper Displays anxiety when touched unexpectedly Does not respond to temperature appropriately Difficulty accepting new clothing (including for change of seasons) Difficulty using particular materials (e.g., glue, paint, clay) Difficulty when touched by others, even lightly (especially shoulders and head) Difficulty with clothing seams or tags Overreacts to pain Under-reacts to pain 5. Difficulty in gustatory areas: Can’t allow foods to touch each other on the plate Displays unusual chewing and swallowing behaviors Easily activated gag/vomit reflex Rigidity issues tied in with limited food preferences (e.g., this is the food he always has, it is always this brand, and it is always prepared and presented in this way) Makes limited food choices Must eat each individual food in its entirety before the next Needs to touch foods before eating them Will only tolerate foods of a particular texture or color 6. Engages in self-stimulatory behaviors (e.g., rocking, hand movements, facial grimaces) 7. Is oversensitive to environmental stimulation (e.g., changes in light, sound, smell, location of objects) 8. Is under-sensitive to environmental stimulation (e.g., changes in light, sound, smell, location of objects) ==> How To Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums In Children With High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Cognitive Issues Checklist— 1. Mind-blindness: Displays a lack of empathy for others and their emotions (e.g., takes another person’s belongings) Displays difficulty with inferential thinking and problem solving (e.g., completing a multi-step task that is novel) Impaired reading comprehension; word recognition is more advanced (e.g., difficulty understanding characters in stories, why they do or do not do something) Is unaware he can say something that will hurt someone's feelings or that an apology would make the person "feel better" (e.g., tells another person their story is boring) Is unaware that others have intentions or viewpoints different from his own; when engaging in off-topic conversation, does not realize the listener is having great difficulty following the conversation Is unaware that others have thoughts, beliefs, and desires that influence their behavior Prefers factual reading materials rather than fiction Views the world in black and white (e.g., admits to breaking a rule even when there is no chance of getting caught) 2. Lack of cognitive flexibility A. Distractable and has difficulty sustaining attention: Engages in competing behaviors (e.g., vocalizations, noises, plays with an object, sits incorrectly, looks in wrong direction) Difficulty when novel material is presented without visual support Difficulty with direction following Difficulty with organizational skills (e.g., What do I need to do, and how do I go about implementing it?) Difficulty with sequencing (e.g., What is the order used to complete a particular task?) Difficulty with task completion Difficulty with task initiation B. Poor impulse control, displays difficulty monitoring own behavior, and is not aware of the consequences of his behavior: Displays a strong need for perfection, wants to complete activities/assignments perfectly (e.g., his standards are very high and noncompliance may stem from avoidance of a task he feels he can't complete perfectly) Displays rigidity in thoughts and actions Engages in repetitive/stereotypical behaviors Difficulty incorporating new information with previously acquired information (i.e., information processing, concept formation, analyzing/ synthesizing information), is unable to generalize learning from one situation to another, may behave quite differently in different settings and with different individuals Difficulty with transitions Shows a strong desire to control the environment C. Inflexible thinking, not learning from past mistakes (note: this is why consequences often appear ineffective) D. Can only focus on one way to solve a problem, though this solution may be ineffective: Continues to engage in an ineffective behavior rather than thinking of alternatives Does not ask a peer or adult for needed materials Does not ask for help with a problem Is able to name all the presidents, but not sure what a president does Is unable to focus on group goals when he is a member of the group 3. Impaired imaginative play: Attempts to control all aspects of the play activity; any attempts by others to vary the play are met with firm resistance Engages in play that, although it may seem imaginary in nature, is often a retelling of a favorite movie/TV show/book (note: this maintains rigidity in thoughts, language, and actions) Focuses on special interests such that he dominates play and activity choices Follows a predetermined script in play Uses limited play themes and/or toys Uses toys in an unusual manner 4. Visual learning strength A. Benefits from schedules, signs, cue cards: Uses visual information as a “backup” (e.g., I have something to look at when I forget), especially when new information is presented Uses visual information as a prompt Uses visual information to help focus attention (e.g., I know what to look at) Uses visual information to make concepts more concrete Uses visual information to provide external organization and structure, replacing the child’s lack of internal structure (e.g., I know how it is done, I know the sequence) B. Has specific strengths in cognitive areas: Displays average or above average intellectual ability Displays average or above average receptive and expressive language skills Displays high moral standard (e.g., does not know how to lie) Displays strong letter recognition skills Displays strong number recognition skills Displays strong oral reading skills, though expression and comprehension are limited Displays strong spelling skills Displays strong word recognition skills Excellent rote memory Has an extensive fund of factual information ==> Parenting System that Significantly Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Aspergers and High-Functioning Autism Motor Clumsiness Checklist— A. Difficulties with gross motor skills An awkward gait when walking or running Difficulty coordinating different extremities, motor planning (shoe tying, bike riding) Difficulty when throwing or catching a ball (appears afraid of the ball) Difficulty with motor imitation skills Difficulty with rhythm copying Difficulty with skipping Poor balance B. Difficulties with fine motor skills Has an unusual pencil/pen grasp Difficulty applying sufficient pressure when writing, drawing, or coloring Difficulty with handwriting/cutting/coloring skills Difficulty with independently seeing sequential steps to complete finished product Frustration if writing samples are not perfectly identical to the presented model Rushes through fine motor tasks Narrow Range of Interests/Insistence on Set Routines Checklist— A. Rules are very important as the world is seen as black or white Has a set routine for how activities are to be done Difficulty with any changes in the established routine Has rules for most activities, which must be followed (this can be extended to all involved) Takes perfectionism to an extreme — one wrong answer is not tolerable, and the child must do things perfectly B. Few interests, but those present are unusual and treated as obsessions Has developed narrow and specific interests; the interests tend to be atypical (note: this gives a feeling of competence and order; involvement with the area of special interest becomes all-consuming) Patterns, routines, and rituals are evident and interfere with daily functioning (note: this is driven by the child’s anxiety; the world is confusing for her; she is unsure what to do and how to do it; if she can impose structure, she begins to have a feeling of control) Displays rigid behavior: Arranges toys/objects/furniture in a specific way Can't extend the allotted time for an activity; activities must start and end at the times specified Carries a specific object Colors with so much pressure the crayons break (e.g., in order to cover all the white) Erases over and over to make the letters just right Feels need to complete projects in one sitting, has difficulty with projects completed over time Narrow clothing preferences Narrow food preferences Has unusual fears Insists on the parent driving a specific route Is unable to accept environmental changes (e.g., must always go to the same restaurant, same vacation spot) Is unable to change the way she has been taught to complete a task Needs to be first in line, first selected, etc. Only sits in one specific chair or one specific location Plays games or completes activities in a repetitive manner or makes own rules for them Selects play choices/interests not commonly shared by others (e.g., electricity, weather, advanced computer skills, scores of various sporting events) but not interested in the actual play (note: this could also be true for music, movies, and books) C. Failure to follow rules and routines results in behavioral difficulties, which can include: Anxiety Emotional responses out of proportion to the situation, emotional responses that are more intense and tend to be negative (e.g., glass half-empty) Inability to prevent or lessen extreme behavioral reactions, inability to use coping or calming techniques Increase in perseverative/obsessive/rigid/ritualistic behaviors or preoccupation with area of special interest, engaging in nonsense talk Non-compliant behaviors Tantrums/meltdowns (e.g., crying, aggression, property destruction, screaming) Impairments in Language Checklist— A. Impairment in the pragmatic use of language Uses conversation to convey facts and information about special interests, rather than to convey thoughts, emotions, or feelings Uses language scripts or verbal rituals in conversation, often described as “nonsense talk” by others (scripts may be made up or taken from movies/books/TV). At times, the scripts are subtle and may be difficult to detect Difficulty initiating, maintaining, and ending conversations with others: Does not inquire about others when conversing Does not make conversations reciprocal (i.e., has great difficulty with the back-and-forth aspect), attempts to control the language exchange, may leave a conversation before it is concluded Focuses conversations on one narrow topic, with too many details given, or moves from one seemingly unrelated topic to the next Knows how to make a greeting, but has no idea how to continue the conversation; the next comment may be one that is totally irrelevant Once a discussion begins, it is as if there is no “stop” button; must complete a predetermined dialogue 4. Unsure how to ask for help, make requests, or make comments: Engages in obsessive questioning or talking in one area, lacks interest in the topics of others Fails to inquire regarding others Difficulty maintaining the conversation topic Interrupts others Makes comments that may embarrass others B. Impairment in the semantic use of language Displays difficulty understanding not only individual words, but conversations Displays difficulty with problem solving Displays difficulty analyzing and synthesizing information presented: Creates jokes that make no sense Creates own words, using them with great pleasure in social situations Does not ask for the meaning of an unknown word Has a large vocabulary consisting mainly of nouns and verbs Difficulty discriminating between fact and fantasy Interprets known words on a literal level (i.e., concrete thinking) Is unable to make or understand jokes/teasing Uses words in a peculiar manner C. Impairment in prosody Rarely varies the pitch, stress, rhythm, or melody of his speech. Does not realize this can convey meaning Has a voice pattern that is often described as robotic or as the “little professor”; in children, the rhythm of speech is more adult-like than child-like Displays difficulty with volume control (i.e., too loud or too soft) Uses the voice of a movie or cartoon character conversationally and is unaware that this is inappropriate Difficulty understanding the meaning conveyed by others when they vary their pitch, rhythm, or tone D. Impairment in the processing of language When processing language (which requires multiple channels working together), has difficulty regulating just one channel, difficulty discriminating between relevant and irrelevant information Has difficulty shifting from one channel to another; processing is slow and easily interrupted by any environmental stimulation (i.e., seen as difficulty with topic maintenance). This will appear as distractibility or inattentiveness. (Note: When looking at focusing issues, it is very difficult to determine the motivator. It could be attributed to one or a few of the following reasons: lack of interest, fantasy involvement, anxiety, or processing difficulty.) Displays a delay when answering questions Displays difficulty sustaining attention and is easily distracted (e.g., one might be discussing plants and the HFA child will ask a question about another country; something said may have triggered this connection or the individual may still be in an earlier conversation) Displays difficulty as language moves from a literal to a more abstract level (generalization difficulties found in the HFA population are, in part, due to these processing difficulties) ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management to Children and Teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism Difficulty with Reciprocal Social Interactions Checklist— A. Inability and/or a lack of desire to interact with peers Displays an inability to interact because she does not know how to interact. She wants to interact with others, but does not know what to do: Compromises interactions by rigidity, inability to shift attention or “go with the flow,” being rule bound, needs to control the play/activity (play may “look” imaginative but is most likely repetitive — e.g., action figures are always used in the same way, songs are played in the same order, Lego pieces are always put together in the same way) Displays a limited awareness of current fashion, slang, topics, activities, and accessories (does not seem interested in what peers view as popular or the most current craze, unless it happens to match a special interest) Displays a limited awareness of the emotions of others and/or how to respond to them (does not ask for help from others, does not know how to respond when help is given, does not know how to respond to compliments, does not realize the importance of apologizing, does not realize something she says or does can hurt the feelings of another, does not differentiate internal thoughts from external thoughts, does not respond to the emotions another is displaying) Displays narrow play and activity choices (best observed during unstructured play/leisure activities: look for rigidity/patterns/repetitive choices, inability to accept novelty) Engages in unusual behaviors or activities (selects play or activity choices of a younger child, seems unaware of the unwritten social rules among peers, acts like an imaginary character, uses an unusual voice — any behaviors that call attention to the child or are viewed as unusual by peers) Initiates play interaction by taking a toy or starting to engage in an ongoing activity without gaining verbal agreement from the other players, will ignore a negative response from others when asking to join in, will abruptly leave a play interaction Is unable to select activities that are of interest to others (unaware or unconcerned that others do not share the same interest or level of interest, unable to compromise) Lacks an understanding of game playing — unable to share, unable to follow the rules of turn taking, unable to follow game-playing rules (even those that may appear quite obvious), is rigid in game playing (may want to control the game or those playing and/or create her own set of rules), always needs to be first, unable to make appropriate comments while playing, and has difficulty with winning/losing Lacks conversational language for a social purpose, does not know what to say — this could be no conversation, monopolizing the conversation, lack of ability to initiate conversation, obsessive conversation in one area, conversation not on topic or conversation that is not of interest to others Lacks the ability to understand, attend to, maintain, or repair a conversational flow or exchange — this causes miscommunication and inappropriate responses (unable to use the back-and-forth aspect of communication) Observes or stays on the periphery of a group rather than joining in 2. Prefers structured over non-structured activities 3. Displays a lack of desire to interact: Does not care about her inability to interact with others because she has no interest in doing so. She prefers solitary activities and does not have the need to interact with others, or she is socially indifferent and can take it or leave it with regard to interacting with others Is rule bound/rigid and spends all free time completely consumed by areas of special interest. Her activities are so rule bound, it would be almost impossible for a peer to join in correctly. When asked about preferred friends, the child is unable to name any or names those who are really not friends (family members, teachers) Sits apart from others, avoids situations where involvement with others is expected (playgrounds, birthday parties, being outside in general), and selects activities that are best completed alone (e.g., computer games, Game Boy, books, viewing TV/videos, collecting, keeping lists) B. Lack of appreciation of social cues Lacks awareness if someone appears bored, upset, angry, scared, and so forth. Therefore, she does not comment in a socially appropriate manner or respond by modifying the interaction Lacks awareness of the facial expressions and body language of others, so these conversational cues are missed. He is also unable to use gestures or facial expressions to convey meaning when conversing. You will see fleeting, averted, or a lack of eye contact. He will fail to gain another person's attention before conversing with her. He may stand too far away from or too close to the person he is conversing with. His body posture may appear unusual When questioned regarding what could be learned from another person's facial expression, says, “Nothing.” Faces do not provide him with information. Unable to read these “messages,” he is unable to respond to them Has difficulty with feelings of empathy for others. Interactions with others remain on one level, with one message: Fails to assist someone with an obvious need for help (not holding a door for someone carrying many items or assisting someone who falls or drops their belongings) Ignores an individual’s appearance of sadness, anger, boredom, etc. Talks on and on about a special interest while unaware that the other person is no longer paying attention, talks to someone who is obviously engaged in another activity, talks to someone who isn’t even there C. Socially and emotionally inappropriate behaviors Laughs at something that is sad, asks questions that are too personal Makes rude comments (tells someone they are fat, bald, old, have yellow teeth) Engages in self-stimulatory or odd behaviors (rocking, tics, finger posturing, eye blinking, noises — humming/clicking/talking to self) Is unaware of unspoken or “hidden” rules — may “tell” on peers, breaking the “code of silence” that exists. He will then be unaware why others are angry with him Responds with anger when he feels others are not following the rules, will discipline others or reprimand them for their actions (acts like the teacher or parent with peers) Touches, hugs, or kisses others without realizing that it is inappropriate D. Limited or abnormal use of nonverbal communication Averts eye contact, or keeps it fleeting or limited Stares intensely at people or objects Does not observe personal space (is too close or too far) Does not use gestures/body language when communicating Uses gestures/body language, but in an unusual manner Does not appear to comprehend the gestures/body language of others Uses facial expressions that do not match the emotion being expressed Lacks facial expressions when communicating Does not appear to comprehend the facial expressions of others Displays abnormal gestures/facial expressions/body posture when communicating: Confronts another person without changing her face or voice Does not turn to face the person she is talking to Has tics or facial grimaces Looks to the left or right of the person she is talking to Smiles when someone shares sad news Stands too close or too far away from another person More information can be found here: Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism 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