Get your copy of Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism: Comprehensive Handbook
Understanding the Different Levels of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Is Your Child at Level 1, 2, or 3?
Level 1 autism is considered to be the mildest form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with level 1 autism have difficulty with social interactions and communication, as well as repetitive behaviors and interests. However, they are usually able to function relatively independently and may not require as much support as individuals with more severe forms of ASD. It's important to note that every person with autism is unique and may have different strengths and challenges.
Level 2 autism is part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classification. It is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and communication skills. Individuals with level 2 autism may have more obvious social impairments, repetitive behaviors, and restrictive interests. They may also struggle with change or transitions, and have difficulty adapting to new situations. However, they typically have average to above-average cognitive abilities and may excel in certain areas of interest. It's important to remember that autism is a spectrum, and every individual with autism is unique and may exhibit different symptoms and behaviors.
Level 3 autism is a term used to describe the most severe level of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with level 3 autism require significant support to complete daily tasks, communicate effectively, and manage their behavior. They may have difficulty with social interactions, exhibit repetitive behaviors, and struggle with sensory processing. With appropriate interventions and support, individuals with level 3 autism can lead fulfilling and meaningful lives. It's important to remember that each person on the autism spectrum is unique, and the severity of their symptoms can vary.
Some common early signs that parents may notice in their children include delayed speech and language development, lack of interest in social interactions, difficulty in making eye contact, repetitive behaviors, and sensory sensitivities.
Delayed speech and language development is a significant sign of autism in children. Children with autism may not start talking until later than usual, and they may have difficulty communicating their needs and wants. They may also have trouble understanding language and following directions.
Lack of interest in social interactions is another early sign of autism. Children with autism may not engage in typical social behaviors, such as making eye contact, sharing interests, or playing with other children. They may prefer to play alone and avoid social situations altogether.
Difficulty in making eye contact is a distinctive sign of autism in children. Eye contact is an essential social skill that helps people connect and communicate with each other. However, children with autism may have difficulty making eye contact, which can affect their ability to interact with others.
Repetitive behaviors are also common in children with autism. They may engage in repetitive movements, such as hand-flapping, rocking back and forth, or spinning in circles. They may also have rigid routines, and any changes to their routine can cause anxiety and distress.
Sensory sensitivities are another early sign of autism. Children with autism may be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to sensory stimuli, such as sounds, sights, smells, textures, and tastes. They may overreact or underreact to sensory input, which can affect their behavior and mood.
Creating a predictable routine is one of the essential strategies for parenting children with autism. Autistic children often feel more secure when they know what to expect, so establishing a daily routine can be a crucial step in helping them feel comfortable and confident. Using visual aids, such as pictures, charts, or symbols, can also assist in communicating with children with autism, who may struggle with verbal communication.
Providing adequate sensory input is another critical strategy for parenting children with autism. Autistic children may have heightened or decreased sensitivity to sounds, touch, or other sensory stimuli, so finding ways to provide sensory input that is appropriate and comfortable for the child is crucial. This can include activities such as playing with textured toys, swinging, or using weighted blankets.
Collaborating with therapists and educators is also crucial in providing optimal care and education for a child with autism. Therapists can provide valuable support in developing social skills, communication, and behavior management, while educators can help design an individualized education plan (IEP) tailored to the child's specific needs.
It's important to keep in mind that each child with autism is unique and may exhibit different behaviors and symptoms. Therefore, if you suspect that your child has autism, it's essential to seek help from a qualified healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Early intervention and therapy can greatly improve your child's quality of life and help them develop important social and communication skills.
In conclusion, parenting children with autism requires a multifaceted approach that involves establishing a predictable routine, utilizing visual aids, providing adequate sensory input, and collaborating with therapists and educators. With patience, understanding, and a willingness to learn, parents can help their child with autism to thrive and reach their full potential.
==> Parenting System that Reduces Defiant Behavior in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder
==> Launching Adult Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Guide for Parents Who Want to Promote Self-Reliance
==> Teaching Social-Skills and Emotion-Management to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
==> Unraveling the Mystery Behind High-Functioning Autism: Audio Book
==> Crucial Research-Based Parenting Strategies for Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism
Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism [ASD Level 1]: Comprehensive Handbook
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Although they may vary slightly from person to person,
- A need to know when everything is happening in order not to feel completely overwhelmed
- A rigid insistence on routine (where any change can cause an emotional and physiological meltdown)
- Difficulties with social functioning, particularly in the rough and tumble of a school environment
- Obsessive interests, with a focus on one subject to the exclusion of all others
- Sensory issues, where they are oversensitive to bright light, loud sounds and unpleasant smells
- Social isolation and struggles to make friends due to a lack of empathy, and an inability to pick up on or understand social graces and cues (such as stopping talking and allowing others to speak)
In addition to the ebook, I've included audio portions of my seminars on Parenting Children on the High-Functioning End of the Autism Spectrum. Also, you will have access to me, Mark Hutten, M.A., as your personal parent-coach.
- those who use "traditional" parenting techniques with ALL their children - including the one with HFA, and
- those who have learned that you simply can NOT parent HFA children and "typical" children in the same way
2. A child with HFA may have difficulty understanding clichés or expressions and interpret a phrase literally. By speaking directly and factually, like saying "It's easy" as compared to "It's a piece of cake", the child is more likely to understand the line.
3. HFA children have difficulty with transitions. So, don’t surprise them – let them know your plans.
4. Body language, facial expressions, gestures, and turning away from someone may be cues that are missed by an HFA child. When this happens, it is another opportunity for parents to be direct and factual, realizing that their body language or social cues may not be picked up by their child.
5. Children with HFA can manage situations by being aware of what they're feeling and thinking and expressing their thoughts to important adults in their life. Being aware of when they need help - and asking for it - is a good skill to have.
6. Children with HFA take in information from their five senses as do “typical” children. The difference is that HFA kids are not able to process it as quickly and can become overwhelmed by the amount of information that they are receiving. As a result, they may withdraw as a coping mechanism.
7. Due to the break of routine with family vacations, many parents of HFA children may avoid taking vacations. Steps can be taken to help make for a successful family vacation. One is sharing information with the child, like pictures or internet web pages. There are organizations that will make accommodations, if requested, to better manage uncertainty, crowds, and noise disruption. This includes theme parks who allow “special needs” children to skip long lines and airlines or airports that may allow for a dry-run prior to the trip. Also, prepare prior to the trip so that there is a plan for managing boredom.
8. Many children with an autism spectrum disorder are hypersensitive to changes in sight, touch, smell, taste and sound. The sensory stimulus can be very distracting and can result in pain or anxiety. There are other autistic children who are hyposensitive and may not feel extreme changes in temperature or pain. Each of these has implications for making an autism-friendly environment.
10. Social stories have been a great method to communicate ways in which the HFA child can prepare herself for social interaction.
11. Talking about - or engaging in - activities that the HFA child cares about is a great way to bond with him or her.
12. When you find out that an HFA child may not be able to look you in the eyes, realize that he or she is not trying to be rude. It’s simply uncomfortable for some of these children to do.
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Traits in the Child with High-Functioning Autism
Let's look at each of these in turn:
1. Why do children with HFA experience unique emotional problems and sensory sensitivities? For example:
- An emotional incident can determine the mood for the day.
- They can become overwhelmed with too much verbal direction.
- They often experience difficulty with loud or sudden sounds.
- Emotions can pass very suddenly -- or are drawn out for a long period of time.
- They have an intolerance to certain food textures, food colors, or the way food is presented on the plate (e.g., one food can’t touch another).
- They may laugh, cry, or throw a tantrum for no apparent reason.
- They may need to be left alone to release tension and frustration.
- They usually resist change in their environment (e.g., people, places, objects).
- They experience sensitivity - or lack of sensitivity - to sounds, textures, tastes, smells or light.
- They tend to either tune out - or break down - when being reprimanded.
- They have an unusually high - or low - pain tolerance.
2. What are the difficulties associated with school-related skills that need to be addressed? For example:
- Difficulty transitioning from one activity to another
- Difficulty with fine motor activities (e.g., coloring, printing, using scissors, gluing)
- Difficulty with reading comprehension (e.g., can quote an answer, but unable to predict, summarize or find symbolism)
- Excellent rote memory in some areas
- Exceptionally high skills in some areas -- and very low in others
- Resistance - or inability - to follow directions
- Short attention span for most lessons
3. How should issues related to health and movement be dealt with? For example:
- Allergies and food sensitivities
- Apparent lack of concern for personal hygiene (e.g., hair, teeth, body odor)
- Appearance of hearing problems, but hearing has been checked and is fine
- Constipation
- Difficulty changing from one floor surface to another (e.g., carpet to wood, sidewalk to grass)
- Difficulty moving through a space (e.g., bumps into objects or people)
- Frequent gas, burping or throwing up
- Incontinence of bowel and/or bladder
- Irregular sleep patterns
- Odd or unnatural posture (e.g., rigid or floppy)
- Seizure activity
- Unusual gait
- Walks on toes
- Walks without swinging arms freely
4. Why do these children lack social skills, and what can parents and teachers do to help? For example:
- Aversion to answering questions about themselves
- Difficulty maintaining friendships
- Difficulty reading facial expressions and body language
- Difficulty understanding group interactions
- Difficulty understanding jokes, figures of speech or sarcasm
- Difficulty understanding the rules of conversation
- Does not generally share observations or experiences with others
- Finds it easier to socialize with people that are older or younger, rather than peers of their own age
- Gives spontaneous comments which seem to have no connection to the current conversation
- Makes honest, but inappropriate observations
- Minimal acknowledgement of others
- Overly trusting or unable to read the motives behinds peoples’ actions
- Prefers to be alone, aloof or overly-friendly
- Resistance to being held or touched
- Responds to social interactions, but does not initiate them
- Seems unable to understand another’s feelings
- Talks excessively about one or two topics (e.g., dinosaurs, movies, etc.)
- Tends to get too close when speaking to someone (i.e., lack of personal space)
- Unaware of/disinterested in what is going on around them
- Very little or no eye contact
5. How can behavioral problems be managed effectively? For example:
- Causes injury to self (e.g., biting, banging head)
- Difficulty attending to some tasks
- Difficulty sensing time (e.g., knowing how long 5 minutes is or 3 days or a month)
- Difficulty transferring skills from one area to another
- Difficulty waiting for their turn (e.g., standing in line)
- Extreme fear for no apparent reason
- Feels the need to fix or rearrange things
- Fine motor skills are developmentally behind peers (e.g., hand writing, tying shoes, using scissors, etc.)
- Frustration is expressed in unusual ways
- Gross motor skills are developmentally behind peers (e.g., riding a bike, skating, running)
- Inability to perceive potentially dangerous situations
- Meltdowns
- Obsessions with objects, ideas or desires
- Perfectionism in certain areas
- Play is often repetitive
- Quotes movies or video games
- Ritualistic or compulsive behavior patterns (e.g., sniffing, licking, watching objects fall, flapping arms, spinning, rocking, humming, tapping, sucking, rubbing clothes)
- Transitioning from one activity to another is difficult
- Unusual attachment to objects
- Verbal outbursts
6. What can be done to help with deficits in linguistic and language development? For example:
- Abnormal use of pitch, intonation, rhythm or stress while speaking
- Difficulty understanding directional terms (e.g., front, back, before, after)
- Difficulty whispering
- Makes verbal sounds while listening (i.e., echolalia)
- May have a very high vocabulary
- Often uses short, incomplete sentences
- Pronouns are often inappropriately used
- Repeats last words or phrases several times
- Speech is abnormally loud or quiet
- Speech started very early and then stopped for a period of time
- Uses a person’s name excessively when speaking to them
Topics: Parenting Children and Teens with High-Functioning Autism
1. Problems with Diagnosing HFA
2. Sleep Problems
3. Ways to Help Your Child Calm Down
4. How to Motivate Your Child
5. Picky Eating
6. Behavior Problems
7. Caution about Punishment for Meltdowns
8. Shutdowns versus Meltdowns
9. The “Hyper-Focus” Trait
10. School Refusal
11. Dealing with Temper Tantrums
12. Helping Your Child to Understand the World
13. School-Related Behavioral Problems: Tips for Educators
14. Transitioning HFA Teens to Adulthood
15. Problems with Balance
16. Shortening the Duration of Meltdowns
17. Siblings’ Reactions to Meltdowns
18. Treatment for HFA Symptoms
19. Preventing Behavior Problems Before They Start
20. HFA Teens and Social Skills
21. Helping Students with High-Functioning Autism: A Snapshot for Teachers
22. Teaching Organizational Skills
23. The Cycle of Meltdowns
24. HFA Students and Public Schools
25. The Purpose of Social Stories
26. Transitioning HFA Kids into Adolescence
27. Dealing with Rituals and Obsessions
28. Transitioning Between Schools
29. Social Skills: Key Concepts and Interventions
30. School Phobia
31. Completing School Assignments On Time
32. How Diet and Supplements Can Help
33. Preparing Your HFA Teen for Adulthood
34. The Difference Between Meltdowns and Tantrums
35. HFA Teens and Suicidal Ideation
36. Sensory Issues
37. Teaching HFA Children To Lose Gracefully
38. Rigidity in Thought and Behavior
39. Grade-Skipping for the Highly Intelligent HFA Student
40. Defiance in HFA Teens
41. Helping Your HFA Teen to Accept the Diagnosis
42. Getting HFA Kids Ready For School
43. School Concerns: Advice to Teachers
44. Anger-Control for HFA Teens
45. Language Difficulties
46. Attention Difficulties
47. Rituals and Obsessions
48. How to Stop Confusing Your Child
49. Attachment Problems
50. Oral Sensitivity and the Gag Response
51. Motor Skills Development
52. Face-Blindness
53. Behavioral Management Plan
54. Adolescent Behavior Problems
55. Problems with Eye Contact
56. Special Concerns in Adolescence
57. Effective Teaching Practices for HFA Students
58. HFA Students: Educational Considerations
59. HFA Teens and Sex Education
60. When Your HFA Child's Grades Start To Drop
61. Understanding Your High-Functioning Autistic Child
62. Motivating Your Underachieving HFA Teenager
63. HFA Teens and Learning to Drive a Car
64. The Negative Effects of “Nagging”
65. How to Explain High-Functioning Autism to Your Recently Diagnosed Child
66. Sneaky Ways to Curb HFA Teen Anger
67. HFA and Lack of Eye Contact
68. Grandmothers Raising High-Functioning Autistic Grandchildren
69. HFA Teens and College
70. 40 Positive Traits of HFA
71. HFA and Adolescent Issues
72. Adult HFA Children Who Move Back Home – or Never Leave
73. HFA and Loneliness
74. Helping HFA Children with Homework
75. Surviving Holidays with Your HFA Child
76. How to Help Siblings Deal with an HFA Brother or Sister
77. Violent HFA Children: What Parents and Teachers Can Do
...and much more!