NetWellness Autism

Adult Son with Aspergers Felt Like Burden

L Arnold MD, MEd — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 21:12:00 EST

Question: For the past several years he has attempted suicide, in part it was because he felt he was a burden on us and if he ended his life it would end our burden. He was put in a institution for a short period of time. He told us once he got home, he knew what to do and what to say in order to get out an . . .

Answer: A child with any kind of disability multiplies the angst that any parent goes through with any child leaving the nest. If the adult child is obviously incompetent, a parent might apply for guardianship. In this case it sounds like this young man is making some positive moves to take responsibility . . .

Ask an Expert: L Arnold MD, MEd, Autism

My 8 yr Old Grandson and Bowel Control

Luc Lecavalier PhD — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:04:00 EST

Question: Although my grandson has not been diagnosed, we are beginning to suspect Aspergers Syndrom. He has always had issues with bowl and urinary control, although my daughter has had him examined by his MD, he seems to think it is behavioral. His patents have recently split up and there are now a lot of . . .

Answer: Asperger's Disorder is one of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although there are many children with ASD who have toileting difficulties, most of them with toileting difficulties have delays in intellectual and adaptive functioning that are not seen in Asperger's disorder (mental retardation or . . .

Ask an Expert: Luc Lecavalier PhD, Autism

Speech Stimulation Techniques

Paula Rabidoux PhD/CCC-SLP — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:02:00 EST

Question:

Respected Maim, Can you please explain to me, what is prompting and cueing which are used as a speech stimulation technique and also the basic difference between the two.I hope you will clear my doubt. Thank you.

Answer: These terms are often used interchangeably. However, some people suggest prompting refers to direct efforts to guide a person (such as touching him/her to provide a response). We talk about fading cues/prompts or reducing the intensity and frequency of the prompting over time until the target beha . . .

Ask an Expert: Paula Rabidoux PhD/CCC-SLP, Autism

Aspergers Violence

Luc Lecavalier PhD — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:07:00 EST

Question: Hello I wonder if someone can offer advice as I am at a loss what to do. I have 2 children, 10yrs & 7yrs. The eldest was finally, formally diagnosed with aspergers over a year ago. Although he loves his brother he is extremely dominating, often dictating how & which game should be played. If . . .

Answer: I congratulate you for seeking help. In many situations, oppositional and aggressive behaviors respond well to behavior management strategies (for instance, reward systems or time-out). These behavioral strategies are more complex than they sound and should be developed/monitored with the help of a . . .

Ask an Expert: Luc Lecavalier PhD, Autism

Autism and Oral Fixations in the Classroom

Luc Lecavalier PhD — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:05:00 EST

Question: I will be teaching third grade next year, and one of my students is autistic. He puts ANYTHING in his mouth and consumes it - pencils, crayons, pen and marker lids, paper, etc. I am concerned about him choking and other health issues associated with this behavior. What are some interventions I can p . . .

Answer: This behavior is called "Pica". It can be challenging to decrease. A behavior specialist or behavioral psychologist should be involved in the assessment and intervention. Pica behaviors are usually maintained by what behavior specialists call "internal reinforcement" (the "intrinsic" pleasure derive . . .

Ask an Expert: Luc Lecavalier PhD, Autism

Baby Stopped Babbling After Immunizations

Paula Rabidoux PhD/CCC-SLP — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:05:00 EST

Question: My baby girl, who is 5 months old now, used to babble constantly at 3 months. After her vaccines at 4 months, she went silence ... no more babbling or cooing. It's been 6+ weeks and it's the same still. She still smiles and just learned to roll over. What should I do? Please help!

Answer: Dear Parent: If your baby has stopped babbling for more than 6 weeks, as a first step I would contact your pediatrician and ask to have his/her hearing checked. Children often fluctuate in their developmental milestones and progress, so it is not uncommon for a child to make sounds for awhile and th . . .

Ask an Expert: Paula Rabidoux PhD/CCC-SLP, Autism

Rett Syndrome

Daniel Coury MD — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:05:00 EST

Question: Males are affected by all the autism spectrum disorders more than females except for Rett syndrome. Rett syndrome is only seen in females and also it is rare. And throughout the world, only 1000 something cases are reported. Could you please tell me what is the reason for that?

Answer:

Rett syndrome is a much rarer condition than the spectrum of autism disorders. In the current classification system, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th edition (DSM-IV), Rett syndrome is classified as one of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders along with other autism s . . .

Ask an Expert: Daniel Coury MD, Autism

PDD

Patricia Cloppert BSFS — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 23:04:00 EST

Question: Please help me, I'm very confused and don't know where to go next. My son Brian, who is now 23, was diagnosed with ADD and PDD and according to his therapist is on the autism spectrum but with mild symptomology. He has been under the care of a Psychiatrist for the past 10 years. His IQ is normal, as . . .

Answer:

In addition to working in the autism spectrum disorders diagnostic clinic at The Ohio State University's Nisonger Center for almost ten years, I am the mother of three grown sons, two of whom are on the autism spectrum. My youngest son is 27 and has Asperger Syndrome and ADHD.

The diagnos . . .

Ask an Expert: Patricia Cloppert BSFS, Autism

Question on Toddler

Daniel Coury MD — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:04:00 EST

Question: Hi, Thank you for this service. It's much appreciated, especially to a worry-wart like me! It's too easy to surf the Internet and get conflicting information, so I thought maybe you could help. My son is 2 years 11 months old. Up until about four weeks ago, he seemed fine. Perhaps a month or t . . .

Answer: As you have already noted, your son is displaying a few behaviors that are often seen in children with autism spectrum disorders. As you also note, he has a great deal of normal behavior that strongly suggests he does not have a spectrum disorder. Finally, as you are aware, making a diagnosis via th . . .

Ask an Expert: Daniel Coury MD, Autism

Tics vs Stereotypies

Daniel Coury MD — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:03:00 EST

Question: Is there a difference between tics and stereotypical behaviors? We are not sure what my son has, possibly Asperger`s, sensory issues, ADD, anxiety, etc. Could be some Tourettes in the mix. Anyway, he is taking ADD meds, despite the warnings about tics and doing much better in school, but the movemen . . .

Answer: Tics and stereotypical behaviors are different. Tics are involuntary movements, while stereotypical behaviors are more ritualistic or habit-like. They can be hard to tell apart sometimes. Tourettes is a variation of a tic disorder that includes vocal tics or utterances, so again, this can be hard to . . .

Ask an Expert: Daniel Coury MD, Autism