High functioning autistic children are being misdiagnosed, diagnosed too late, and having their needs left on the back burner. How can you help change this?
The differences between Aspergers (or HFA) and ADHD are subtle yet distinct. Knowing how to differentiate between the two is important for moms and dads and therapists. ADHD and Aspergers, also called High-Functioning Autism (HFA), have many similarities on the surface. Both can involve inattentiveness and problem behaviors. In fact, kids on the autism spectrum are often diagnosed with ADHD prior to an autism diagnosis. However, the two disorders are not the same. It is important for therapists to be able to make a thorough differential diagnosis between ADHD and Aspergers/HFA. It is also important for moms and dads to be able to tell the difference in their own kids who have both diagnoses. Communication— By definition, Aspergers/HFA does not include any significant delay in language (as opposed to autism). However, people on the autism spectrun do tend to have distinct differences in how they use language and tend to have language weaknesses that are not typically found in kids with average intelligence who have ADHD alone. People with Aspergers and HFA tend to have weaknesses in their understanding of non-literal language, such as slang or implied meanings. They also tend to be more verbose and to have more one-sided conversations that are driven by their own topics of interest. They have a harder time taking turns in conversations or talking about a topic of interest to someone else. People with Aspergers and HFA also sometimes display less inflection in their voice. In contrast, people with ADHD may have interests that they love to talk about and they may love to talk, but their conversations are more reciprocal. They can take conversational turns and they can switch topics to accommodate others' interests more easily. People with ADHD also do not tend to have specific weaknesses in their understanding of and use of non-literal language and speak with normal tone of voice and inflection. Socialization Differences— People with Aspergers and HFA tend to have difficulty interpreting non-verbal communication and the more subtle nuances of social situations. For example, they may not easily distinguish between behaviors that may be appropriate in one setting and not in another or they may have difficulty interpreting facial expressions or posturing of others. In contrast, people with ADHD may be distracted and not pay as much attention to those things, but they do understand and interpret them appropriately. While people with ADHD may be more impulsive and less observant of others' needs, resulting in more misbehaviors, they can easily consider others' perspectives and they easily participate in more reciprocal, or two-sided, social interactions. In contrast, people with Aspergers and HFA tend to be more eccentric and one-sided in their approach to others. It is not that they are indifferent to others but that they really have a harder time considering the perspective of others. Language and social difficulties for kids on the autism spectrum tend to result in avoidance of many social situations. They have a lot of problems and often do not understand why. Many social situations become way too stressful, especially with peers, and they may prefer adults. Specifically, teaching social skills to these young people is often necessary. Kids with ADHD may have peer conflicts because of behavioral difficulties; however, they are more socially driven. Sensory Differences— All individuals tend to have preferred topics of interests or activities. However, for people with Aspergers and HFA, those things can often be all encompassing and get in the way of more functional routines. Their preferred topics or activities also tend to have a sensory seeking quality to them (often visual or tactile) and include repetition. They may also be overly sensitive to things like sound and they may tend to get easily overloaded with sensory input. Kids with ADHD often respond better to experiences that are highly stimulating. That is why they can sit for hours playing a video game, while attending to schoolwork may be very difficult. However, they tend to process sensory input in a typical manner. People with ADHD do not necessarily seek out sensory experiences in a repetitive or eccentric manner. Aspergers/HFA versus ADHD— Aspergers and HFA include many social, communication, and sensory difficulties that are distinct from ADHD. While the two disorders can result in behavioral and social difficulties, it is important for parents and essential for therapists to look beneath the surface and distinguish between them. Evaluations that appropriately differentiate between Aspergers/HFA and ADHD can lead to the most appropriate interventions for kids. 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 COMMENTS: • Anonymous said... For some it can be. For others, its like they medication acts differently with there systems. We have one of each. For my daughter, it was cinstant irritability and 3-4x a day meltdowns. • Anonymous said... I have 2 diagnosed with aspergers and ADHD. I do wonder sometimes if my son has both diagnosis because of his aspergers. He is inattentive but yet her know everything that is going on around him and even if he appears to not be paying attention he still hears everything that you say. I think that they lack of eye contact and the slow response time makes it appear that he is not paying attention. My daughter on the other hand has most if not all classic ADHD symptoms along with several communication issues. • Anonymous said... Interesting... We have HFA, Asperger and possibly ADHD. The speech delay was pronounced, and now the physical attributes of speech making difficulties are present. Nevertheless, the IQ of 120 and very superior level of comprehension and other parts of language arts. Soooo... How all this is possible then? • Anonymous said... Just want to point out this. I know they have changed the dignosis, as in Aspergers no longer exists, but one reason I dislike this is because aspergers and HFA are not exactly the same. The difference is, when young, those with HFA have had a language delay, as my 9 year old did. (has HFA diagnosis), And aspies didn't, my eldest son, (diagnosis of aspergers), was saying a handful of words at 6 months, was making small sentances by 9 months, and by 12 months you could have a back and forth conversation. I never knew till he was diagnosed just over 2 years ago, that early and advanced speech can also be a sign of aspergers. By definition, Aspergers does not include any significant delay in language (as opposed to autism). However, people with Aspergers do tend to have distinct differences in how they use language and tend to have language weaknesses that are not typically found in kids with average intelligence who have ADHD alone.. Anyone reading and not knowing very much, (just learning about this), may think their child probably doesn't have HFA, if they have a language delay, because it being said that Aspergers is often called HFA, not realising there are differences between the two, when children are very young. Just wanting to point this out, because I know when the younger of my sons was a toddler, I did think possibley autism, but so much of what I read was confusing...had I known then what I know now, he could have been diagnosed by 12 months, rather than 4 years. • Anonymous said... Many kids have Aspergers and ADHD like my daughter. The symptoms can present the same in many cases. You treat the symptoms not the disorder. • Anonymous said... One of each in our boys, both very mild, luckily. But it's interesting how it's easier to distinguish when they're right next to each other. More difficult if there's just one around to gauge. • Anonymous said... We have found that there is some relief from the ADHD type symptoms in our ASD son with medication, I don't know if it's that way for everyone though. • Amie Putnam said...I have two sons with both ASD and ADHD and a son not on the spectrum with ADHD and anxiety. The latter carried a mistaken ASD diagnosis for nearly 5 years because his symptoms really did look like autism sometimes...but we would notice he never missed social cues, could easily interpret meaning in facial expression, tone of voice, body language...in fact he frequently would "translate" for his brothers when they just didn't get it at all. That was my first big clue that he had been misdiagnosed. We took him to a psychologist last summer who clarified his diagnosis and he does not have ASD. As the article explained, sometimes his behaviors do look the same but the root cause is different. For example, he often does not do well with back and forth conversations, but he knows how and gets that he should, he is just distracted or anxious he will say something dumb. With my aspies, they will talk all day and never stop to think if the person they are talking to is even interested! One last thing, for those of us whose kids have both, I think it is still helpful to figure out which is causing which. Now that my oldest is 19 and he has learned mostly how to read social cues (he has both ASD/ADHD) I have noticed that most of his behavior problems seem to stem from the ADHD side...impulse control, etc and not from the other which is good because there are really good treatment options for ADHD. • Anonymous said... ADHD symptoms and Anxiety are symptoms of Asperger's. The degrees may vary but it's important for people to understand that the root cause is neurological, not psychological • Anonymous said... My daughter has both along with anxiety disorder • Anonymous said... Oh, how I wish I could hand this article to everyone who thinks my child is "bad" and, by extension, thinks I'm a "bad" parent. I just want to tell them sometimes: "Welcome to my world. Don't judge my child or our family until you've lived our lives." • Anonymous said...I had to share something along the same lines ADHD/Aspergers with the school my son was attending, and I felt their eyes glaze over, like they were saying "speak to the hand". Some times I feel the schools are so closed minded because they are familiar with ADHD and Aspergers is so "new" and they have their hands so full that they wont take the time to learn about Aspergers/autism. • Anonymous said...It is especially painful when your own partner do not see what you know about your ADHD child and it makes especially difficult when he takes the sides of close minded teacher and blame the kid for being rude and undiscipline and blaming MOM for spoiling the kid. This whole thing is so painful!!! • Anonymous said...my son is dxed Aspie, ADD/ADHD, and OCD. However, he is highly functional and verbal. He LOVES his friends, but struggles to reciprocate. He would rather be with kids his own age, but he wants them to do what HE wants to do and doesn't understand why he can't always play HIS games. • Anonymous said...Oh, how I wish I could hand this article to everyone who thinks my child is "bad" and, by extension, thinks I'm a "bad" parent. I just want to tell them sometimes: "Welcome to my world. Don't judge my child or our family until you've lived our lives." You nailed it---thats EXACTLY how I feel :( • Christina Steltz said....What treatment options worked for your son...mines 8 and he had a brain injury at 5 months...also he kept getting pink eye...over and over...found out it was coming from the sand box. I would really like to know the cause of my son's pro less before I go putting the meds in his brain. But then again I want to help my son asap. This is so hard...I feel for everyone who has to go through this. • So true I'm going through same thing with my daughter • Tiffany Smith said...We are in same situation they are trying to figure out what all going on its ADHD and aspegers at the moment not sure on the other autism just yet just waiting on more test and stuff. • Unknown said...I live overseas I have a son who dud not want to breastfeed , he would cry like crazy. Later he did not crowl and when he walked he walked on tip toes. He never investigated his world through his mouth like mist babies. Feeding was tough especialky passing from mashed foods to whole. Still is does not like specific tectures. Interactions with other kids was hard I had always to introduce him myself. Has anxiety , some fears and starting to be hostile to me ( mother) was diagnosed with ADHD with depression and low self asteem. I also have ADHD that makes it hard. I am wondering if he has Aspergers. My peditrician did not refuse the option....I am confused. Are sensory and social problems a reason? Also he still at 8 now does not want to wipe himself and is slow in personal care. Has sense of humor and good in athletics but not in team sports. • Unknown said...my son is dxed Aspie, ADD/ADHD, and OCD.However, he is highly functional and verbal. He LOVES his friends, but struggles to reciprocate. He would rather be with kids his own age, but he wants them to do what HE wants to do and doesn't understand why he can't always play HIS games.My son is at the beginning of the diagnosing process (for ADHD and AS) and he is the same which makes some of the people we see try and tell me that he is normal and just naughty, that he needs to think about others and that he can't have it all his way all of the time, needs to share, etc. If anything goes wrong, he is the first to be blamed . Post your comment below...
The signs of high functioning autism are more subtle than classic autism and may go unnoticed until your child is older and there are more social demands.
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“I have a 17 year old daughter with aspergers. She is a good student (high functioning) now that she is doing her high school online through a public charter school. However, she has no concept of time so she is often cramming at the last minute to finish her assignments. How can I help her manage her time better so that she can do her work without stressing out about it?” While some teenagers are just natural procrastinators, others, like your daughter, have a genuine problem understanding the concept of time, which is a common trait of Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA). Online schooling is a great option for AS and HFA adolescents. Removing the classroom distraction will do wonders for your daughter's thought processes. The lessening of sensory over-stimulation, the one-on-one instruction, and no bullies are definite advantages. However, as a side note, you may want to consider social skills group classes and other social outlets to prevent total isolation. Clubs and community groups that are geared towards her special interests will provide much needed social skills practice in a comfortable environment. Organization and time-management are weak areas for AS and HFA teens. Since these young people are prone to struggle with depression and anxiety, the addition of poor organizational skills can cause real problems. Organizational skills are crucial for young people. Teachers and college professors expect students to contribute acceptable work in a timely manner. Finding solutions that work now will lead to positive changes and less anxiety in the future. Here are a few ideas to help your daughter manage her time better: Create a routine. As a teenager on the autism spectrum, your daughter probably craves routine and order. A daily routine will set her on the right path. She may need guidance to develop a routine. Work with her to create a smooth flow to her day. Design an ordered workspace. A designated place for everything, comfortable seating, quiet surroundings, and a calming decor will help reduce distractions. Use visual schedules. Use lists and reminders to keep your daughter moving along. Encourage her to keep a daily, weekly, and monthly calendar. To do lists, written schedules, and assignment lists will give her the structure she needs to begin organizing her life. Use visual timers. These timers have a colored line that gets smaller as the time passes, giving your daughter a true visual image of running out of time. Each daily task and/or school subject can be timed with the visual timer. High school can be very overwhelming for AS and HFA teens. With your guidance and a plan of organization, your daughter is sure to finish high school and move on to college ventures with confidence and control. More resources for parents of children and teens with Asperger's and High-Functioning Autism: ==> Preventing Meltdowns and Tantrums in Asperger's and HFA Children ==> Discipline for Defiant Asperger's and HFA Teens ==> Teaching Social Skills and Emotion Management ==> Launching Adult Children with Asperger's and HFA: How to Promote Self-Reliance
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The signs of high functioning autism are more subtle than classic autism and may go unnoticed until your child is older and there are more social demands.
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The signs of high functioning autism are more subtle than classic autism and may go unnoticed until your child is older and there are more social demands.
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Back when he first received his diagnosis, homeschooling a child with Asperger’s was certainly never anything I saw coming. The reason why we'd homeschool was even less expected. Homeschooling a child with Asperger's may be easier than dealing with IEPs.
The question of how to handle non-compliant kids on the autism spectrum is something most moms and dads have struggled with at one point or another. Non-compliance is a common problem for young people with Asperger’s (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA), and takes many forms (e.g., testing the limits and your authority, exerting control over a situation, declaring independence, arguing with you or not doing something you asked – or doing it very slowly). Non-compliant behavior that persists for a prolonged period of time and interferes with your youngster’s performance at school and relationships with family and friends can be a sign of something more serious (e.g., ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder). In some cases, what appears to be non-compliance may simply be a youngster who is preoccupied with his or her special interest (e.g., a computer game). Understanding what is behind your youngster’s behavior is an important part of addressing the problem of a son or daughter who seems to be defying you. Below are 9 crucial interventions that parents can implement that are especially helpful for resolving non-compliance in AS and HFA children and teens: 1. Organizing the environment: This compliance technique encourages the AS or HFA youngster to do what is asked because the “response effort” is made easier. You can have a cooperative child in your home – it's just a matter of putting some simple techniques into practice, for example: making use of organization products (totes, foldable drawer organizer, cap racks, etc.) making sure the child’s bedroom has a trash can and hamper where they can be easily used bundling an entire outfit with underwear, socks and everything so that it is very easy for the child to go to the closet and pick out what she should wear that day 2. Simplifying tasks so they are easy to understand: Rather than simply asking your youngster to do something in general (e.g., “Go clean your bedroom”), describe three specific tasks (yes, only three!) that would result in a cleaner bedroom (e.g., “Put these papers in the trash, put these clothes in the hamper, and make your bed”). Be very concrete and specific! 3. Creating a picture schedule for your youngster to view each day: Arrange laminated pictures of certain tasks on a Velcro strip. Go over the schedule at night before bed explaining what will happen the next day, again in the morning, and then continue to cross or check off each item as it is completed (you may want to include some fun things to do, too). Here's an example: Picture Schedule for "Bedtime" (smiley faces indicate task completion) 4. Making sure when a request is made that you follow through with your youngster: If you are always making requests that don't get completed, then your youngster learns that what you are asking is not important – so why do it. An example of “following through” would be a scenario where you facilitate a request for your non-compliant youngster to pick up his toys by handing him the toys and telling him where they need to go (while giving a lot of praise as he complies). ==> How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Asperger's and HFA Children 5. Giving a 7-minute “heads-up”: This compliance tactic is one that works as a great transition technique. If you let your youngster know that in 7 minutes you want a certain task completed, this gives her time to finish what she is doing and provides some time to process the request. 6. Providing fun activities that occur after frequently refused tasks: By arranging the day so that tasks often refused occur right before preferred activities, you may be able to eliminate non-compliant behavior and motivate your youngster to honor your request (e.g., “After you complete your homework, it will be time for you to get on the computer and play your favorite video game”). 7. Establishing an ongoing, consistent routine: Developing a routine helps your AS or HFA youngster to know what to expect and increases the chances that she will comply with completing tasks like chores, homework, personal hygiene, etc. When undesirable tasks occur in the same order at prime times during the day, they become habits that are usually not questioned and done without thought. Kids think about what they plan to do that day and expect to be able to do what they want. So, when a parent comes along and asks them to do something they weren’t already planning to do that day, this often results in automatic refusals and other non-compliant behavior. But, by establishing a consistent routine and keeping it in place over time, the youngster expects to complete formally undesirable tasks almost every day in the same general order. 8. Provide acknowledgement and praise when your child cooperates: When you acknowledge and praise your youngster’s compliance, you are providing positive attention, which is a great reinforcer for appropriate behavior. For example, “I noticed you put your dirty dishes in the sink without me having to ask (acknowledgment) …that’s you being responsible (praise).” When you do this consistently, your youngster will be more likely to repeat that particular behavior in the future. ==> How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Asperger's and HFA Children We’ve saved the best for last… 9. Creating a social story: A social story can be created by a parent or teacher, and is specific to the youngster and the particular situation he is having trouble with. Here’s how to create social stories: Start by identifying the behavior you are trying to address. For instance, your youngster may become very frustrated and angry when confronted with a minor problem (e.g., inability to tie his shoe). Monitor your youngster's behavior and document the frequency of instances where he reacts inappropriately to the shoe tying. The social story must reflect the shoe incident specifically in order to have the best impact on your youngster (he may not make the connection that his behavior should be modified when dealing with an untied shoe if the social story is about how to react to loud noises, for example). Once the behavior is evaluated, write a series of sentences that are age-appropriate and serve the following purposes: (a) a descriptive sentence explains the situation or environment where the problem is occurring (e.g., "Every morning, I need to put on my shoes and tie them"); (b) a perspective sentence gives the perspective of the youngster or others on the situation (e.g., "When I can’t tie my shoes, I get upset"); and (c) a directive sentence gives the youngster specific instructions on what to do or not do (e.g., "When I get upset because I can’t tie my shoes, I need to get up and ask my mother for help"). Feel free to include additional sentences to clarify the point (e.g., another perspective sentence that says, "It makes my mom unhappy when I yell instead of asking her for help”). Now that you have your social story sentences laid out, go ahead and make the book. You can create you social story in book form by folding pages to make a booklet. Include one page for every sentence. Print each sentence on the top of the page. Include pictures to help your youngster better understand what the words are saying, making sure the pictures are specific to your youngster. Below is an example of a social story about "being dependable." The goal of the story is to get the child to try to do what he is asked, control his feelings, and ask for help if needed: “Sometimes I am asked to do things that I don't want to do. Everyone has to do things they don't want to do sometimes. This is what it means to be a dependable person. It may not be fun, but everyone has to do things they don't like to do. Sometimes my mother has to cook dinner when she doesn't want to. This is her job. Sometimes my father has to go to work when he doesn’t want to. This is his job. Sometimes I have to do homework that I don't want to. This is my job. Even though I don't want to do my homework, it is usually best to be dependable and do what is asked. Everyone has to do things they don't like to do some of the time. This is what it means to be dependable. When it is time to do something that I don't want to do, I may feel like doing something else instead. It sometimes makes me feel angry when I have to do something that I don't like to do. Even though I feel angry, I need to remember that if I just go ahead and do the thing I don’t want to do, it will make everything better in the end. My parents will be happy that I did my best even when it was something I did not want to do.” All kids are non-compliant from time to time, particularly when upset, hungry, tired or stressed. They may talk back, argue and disobey moms and dads. But, openly hostile behavior becomes a serious concern when it is so frequent and consistent that it stands out when compared with other kids of the same age. When non-compliant behavior affects your youngster’s social, family and academic life – it’s time to utilize the steps listed above in a highly committed way. ==> How to Prevent Meltdowns and Tantrums in Asperger's and HFA Children
Is it the autism or just bad behavior? It’s hard to know for sure, but if you struggle with autism and discipline, we’re sharing 13 practical tips to teach you how to discipline an autistic child at home and in the classroom.
The signs of high functioning autism are more subtle than classic autism and may go unnoticed until your child is older and there are more social demands.
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The connection between our children's gut health their brain is amazing. Gut health and autism are connected and what you feed your child will effect them.
Anxiety and Autism in chidlren and adolescents: 24 ANXIETY TRIGGERS for Autistic Kids and Teens + 23 effective CALMING DOWN STRATEGIES.
