How To Work With Your Autistic Child For Social Settings

Current studies indicate that about one out of about 160 children is affected with autism or some type or level of autistic spectrum disorder. One of the biggest problems with having an autistic child is that they do not care to or cannot participate in social functions or social gatherings and they have trouble communicating verbally. This clearly creates problems for the child as they develop and mature because they do not interact with children of their own age group to learn how to act and behave in a social setting.
This aspect presents a very unique challenge to the parents of an autistic child. Needless to say, it is difficult to accept the fact that your child is afflicted with autism, but of course as parents, you want to do everything you can for your child to allow them to lead as normal a life as possible. Some parents are even in denial of the fact that their child has autism, but the quicker you as parents can accept that fact, the sooner you can deal with it and get the specialized help that your autistic child needs at this point in their development.
As a parent, you may need to develop a thick skin. What this means is that some people in the general public will make rude remarks or comments about an autistic child. While most people will accept that fact and be helpful and sympathetic, you need to be emotionally prepared for the occasional thoughtless jerk who makes a rude or crude comment about your autistic child. It does you no good to get angry or embarrassed or to cause a scene, and you need to be pacified with the fact that the jerk who made the comment makes himself look incredibly stupid to others via his remark.
One of the ways to allow your autistic child to learn how to act and behave in the general public is via role playing at home. You can pretend to be at a social gathering such as a school picnic and do role-playing, which will allow your child to become comfortable with this setting gradually over a period of time. Keep your role playing sessions short at home, since the attention span of an autistic child is limited, and forcing them to continue with it after their attention is exhausted will simply put a negative spin on being in such a social situation, which is the opposite of what you are trying to achieve.
One of the traits of an autistic child is that they do not look people in the eye. It is unknown why this is the case but it is thought to perhaps be a function of the child actually realizing that they are not the same as their peers, and this aspect is a reflection of a sign of low self-esteem. While there is no way to prove that via scientific studies, that is a popular train of thought. Whatever the cause though, you may want to work with your child at home, and perhaps even with a reward system for when they are able to look you in the eyes. The model of "proper behavior warrants a reward" has been effective for many, but do not make the reward large, just something very small, like being allowed to play with their favorite toy.
It will take work, but as parents, you have the ability to help shape your child's future. Do not put the entire task on the shoulders of the school, but rather, work with your child at home to create a pleasant and loving atmosphere, and to work with your autistic child to help them function.

For more information about Autism and Autistic Spectrum Disorder please visit our web site at http://www.autism-explained.com

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Asperger's Syndrome Child: Developing Social Skills at Home and School by Teaching Empathy

Many parents feel notice that their child with Asperger's syndrome of high functioning autism shows little if any empathy for others which inhibits their social skills. These children can seem aloof or selfish and uncaring.
But any parent with a child on the autism spectrum knows that outward appearances can be deceiving. Our loved ones with Asperger's syndrome of high functioning autism are very caring and feeling beings. But they often have difficulties understanding the feelings of others which is a contributing factor to the well known autism symptom -- lack of social skills. Often times, we see this inability to understand another person's feelings as a lack of empathy.
How Can a Person with Asperger's Syndrome Develop a Sense of Empathy and Improve Social Skills?
Lack of emotional readiness, sensory overwhelm, and lack of relevant experiences can all contribute and help explain why your child with Asperger's syndrome may seem distant or uncaring of others feelings.
In this article, we will talk about the process of developing empathy -- an important ingredient in improving social skills. Below, a young adult with Asperger's syndrome shares her experiences and feelings to help us understand how those with Asperger's syndrome feel and cope.
If a child with Asperger's syndrome or high functioning autism is disconnected from people when he is young, due to different brain wiring, this sense of difference is likely to persist and cause him to withdraw from people and experiences over the years. The more he thinks of himself as a person who can't connect with other people, the less likely he will be to try.
In order to develop social skills, one must practice. But if a child continually fails in his or her social interactions, they will eventually become discouraged and give up.
Experiences of a Young Adult with Asperger's Syndrome --
I moved to a house with a 94 year old, very vibrant and active roommate two years ago. This woman, Madeline, has the most welcoming smile and presence I have ever felt. I immediately felt calm and comfortable in her presence, which never happens for me. I started spending more and more time with her, watching TV and talking about nothing important -- just soaking up her gentleness and positivity, her utter acceptance of me. Every time she smiled at me, it made me happy.
I thought this behavior -- willingly spending time with another person -- quite out of character for me, but I kept doing it. Madeline was always happy to see me. Merely entering the room could make her face light up. Therefore I started feeling a sense of connection to her.
Some of these principles, especially high affect -- Madeline was a very passionate speaker with highly evident emotions -- as well as pure acceptance, gentleness and meeting someone on common ground are some of the very principles of the autism therapy floortime. (Floortime is a therapy designed to increase emotional and cognitive connections in an autistic person's brain, and to bring the person slowly into the world around them by first joining them in their world.)
Madeline had wonderful social skills. She had the ability to make me feel welcomes and to draw me out.
My Relationship with My Roommate Increases My Empathy and Improved My Social Skills --
After I had been living here about seven months, Madeline had to go to the hospital for about two weeks because of a problem in her leg. The first night she was there, I worried about her constantly. I kept thinking "But she was always talking about how much she hated hospital food!" I hoped she had something good to eat and was being well taken care of.
This probably sounds quite unremarkable, except I had never before worried about someone on quite an emotional level before. I had always expressed sympathy (when I remembered) and felt intellectually things like "I hope so and so gets better soon. That's terrible. Well, I hope it works out," but never really on a gut stabbing, stomach hurting, almost visceral emotional level before.
It rather took me by surprise. While the feelings were of a negative nature, I was so happy to have them (upon later reflection) because they made me feel so much more connected to the human race! I didn't feel so isolated inside myself when I had those feelings.
So That's What They Were Thinking!
Later on, at different times, two of my friends began having severe health problems of the same sort that I had experienced a few years ago. They were both long distance, so I was limited in what I could do to help them.
I had many long phone conversations with one friend, Elaine, trying to provide both emotional support and practical solutions. After the often hour long conversations, I was drained and in emotional turmoil. I felt helpless. I wanted to ease her pain so much. I wanted to make things better for her. I did what I could, but it wasn't much. It almost felt like too much to deal with, but I would never walk away from her.
After a few phone calls like this, I got an epiphany. So THAT'S what my parents and friends were feeling during all of my crisis phone calls to them! Years before I had called them during my own health crisis in tears. They tried to help, but I just felt more alone. I kept telling them "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" I was convinced they didn't care, because they often had a hard time showing their emotions about the situation and I had an even harder time reading what they did say.
I would mention something that was bothering me and be hurt when my grandfather would change the subject without any response. "Why didn't you say anything?" I would ask him. "You know how I feel," he would say. "No, I don't!" I would tell him. "Come on, you know I feel bad for you," he'd say. "No, I don't!" I'd repeat.
I truly felt isolated from those that were trying to help me because I couldn't imagine how they were feeling towards me. Why? Because I had never felt that way towards anyone else. How could I even know those feelings existed, or at least know what they felt like?
Relationships Develop Empathy for a Person with Asperger's Syndrome --
If you can understand how others are thinking, you can feel more connected to them. You can understand their needs more and feel the desire to fill them. This, as I understand it, is empathy. Without the kind of interactions and friendships that foster this awareness (that so many on the autism spectrum don't have), you're stuck pretending to be functioning in a world you don't understand one bit, longing for emotional connection and having everyone around you think you're self-centered and uncaring about others. Without these emotional connections you never really can have sufficient social skills to develop deep and nurturing relationships.
I believe empathy lives in every single person -- but the right experiences and circumstances have to be present to bring it out.
Tips for Parents and Those with Asperger's Syndrome or Autism

• Try to expose your child to social situations and experiences that they haven't had before, within the limits of their abilities. Social groups, summer camps, anything that will offer the ability to foster these forms of relationships. Make sure the programs are well matched to your child's needs, though.


• For children, social stories are also a good way for a parent to focus on development of social skills and empathy. You can create your own social stories with your child by drawing pictures of people and events and adding captions to the stores. Perhaps a relative that your child knows was in the hospital. Maybe a friend fell off their bike and scraped their knee. Think of an event that your child can relate to. By developing a story around this event, you can help your child fill in the emotions that the people in the story felt -- worry, fear, sadness -- to help your child with Asperger's syndrome practice empathy.


• You can also purchase books that are specifically designed to teach empathy and feelings. Check out Amazon.com which has arrange of these books.


• Many therapists can help your child with Asperger's syndrome learn social skills by focusing on developing empathy. Check with your school or a local Asperger's syndrome or autism support group. There may be a class offered by your local education department. So many children with autism and Asperger's syndrome need this type of training that classes are common.


• Consider purchasing videos or audio tapes. Many companies sell videos specifically geared to children to help them understand the feelings of others. After all, practice makes perfect. One good thing about videos is that they can help your child read facial expressions. Children with high functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome often have challenges reading facial expressions. Videos can make a point of highlighting the aspects of facial expressions. And by allowing your child to watch the video many times, they can pick up a lot of clues to reading the feelings expressed by a person's mannerisms, gestures and facial expressions.


• For adults with Asperger's syndrome, try to expose yourself to different social opportunities. Also consider therapy to try to help you work through these issues.

And for further tips and techniques to help your children with Asperger's syndrome live a happy and fulfilled life, go to the web site AspergersSociety.org and www.AutismParenthood.com. There you will be able to sign up for the free Asperger's and Autism newsletter as well as get additional information to help your loved ones thrive on the autism spectrum.

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Tips For Improving Social Skills in Autistic Children

Developing the child's communication and social skills before the age of two prevents the atrophy of any latent skills he already possesses. Using intensive therapy strategies from an early age alleviates communication problems somewhat, allowing the child to develop near-normal social and communication skill levels.
There are many ways to teach autism social skills, and tips for improving the child's social skills are a valuable starting point in the home environment. For example, using pictures to represent what he wants - a toy, his shoes, something he likes to eat - helps connect the external environment to his inner world. The picture represents a concrete object.
A good tip for improving a child's social skills is teaching him how to understand emotions, perhaps the one of the most important areas. Being able to read and interpret facial expression and body language is one of the basic human social skills. These could be taught through the use of pictures previously mentioned, gradually building on this foundation with appropriate verbal cues.
The next most important tip in improving the child's social skills would include developing his conversational skills as a follow-on from the more physical aspects just discussed. Awareness of personal space, listening skills, and staying on a particular topic are natural progressions. Being able to recognize a friend and knowing what is a friend is leads into group integrative play, and so forth.
There is one interesting caveat there, though. Children with autism often have the challenge of generalization to overcome when they are learning social and communication skills. This means, in essence, that the child may learn a social skill at home, but may not be able to make the connection between the skill and a different environment. Thus, a very important tip in improving a child's social skills is to teach him the same skill in different environments, or at least show him that he can tie his shoes in two different situations.
This tip is a key in improving an autistic child's social skills across the spectrum. By developing his or her skills in as many different places as possible, or helping him connect different people with different skills and surroundings, he builds significant connected concepts and steps "out of the box" of his mind.
Whatever the concept that is being taught, it should be done during a time of low stress. The child will be able to focus more successfully and will be less likely to have a meltdown over a secondary issue not associated with learning a social skill.

There are many more resources and information about autism signs, symptoms, treatments, and cutting edge medical research in, Autism: Everything Parents And Caregivers Should Know About The Disorder
Wondering What Autism treatments Work Best? Here's a comprehensive guide about autism to help parents and caregivers avoid a fruitless and frustrating journey when raising an autistic child Knowledge is power! No disorder is as confusing to understand and as complex to diagnose.
To learn more go here now [http://www.whatisanxiety.info/autism].

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Social Skills and Autism - Where's the Best Place for Socialization?

Your child has autism and you've been told that social skills deficits are to be expected. So what can you do to help your child learn how to behave properly, make friends, and get along in the world?
Like me, you may have been told that your child needs to be in a school setting with other children to be socialized. Let's consider for a minute what kind of social skills a child with autism may learn in school.
1. In a school or classroom setting, your child is exposed to both positive and negative socialization. This isn't really debated by any of us who have been in school. The question is whether or not the "good" socialization outweighs the "bad" socialization.
2. There are typically two placements for children with autism when it comes to schools. Each comes with its own drawbacks as far as social skills are concerned.
For those who are lower-functioning, there is the special ed classroom. If your child is placed in a special ed class, they may actually pick up negative behaviors from the other students. Children who have never said a bad word in their lives come home with all sorts of words that the parents know they didn't teach their child. Or maybe a child who wasn't aggressive previously starts imitating the hitting, biting, or screaming of a classmate. That's not what I think most parents are hoping for when they are told to put their child in school to learn social skills.
If your child is higher-functioning, they may be mainstreamed in a regular ed classroom. Will the typical behaviors of their peers be the positive socialization you hoped for? Unfortunately, many times children with autism become an easy target for bullies who cause them physical and emotional harm. Other classmates, who may be nice enough themselves, may still go along with cruel jokes or name calling at the expense of a child with autism just because they don't want to be ostracized from their peers. Whether it's bullying, teasing, or isolation, children who are "different" and don't possess the same social abilities as their peers often experience great difficulties just trying to survive a day at school. These children often exhibit signs of tremendous stress and anxiety, depression, and some even contemplate suicide.
So are there any alternatives? Families who are concerned about the educational and social well-being of their children often choose to teach them at home. Home-schooling offers a better opportunity for positive socialization while drastically limiting the possibility of negative social experiences. Home-schooled children are not isolated or "unsocialized". Home-schooling simply provides the opportunity for parents to expose their children to a variety of social situations when they feel their child is ready to handle them. Most communities have home-school groups that offer park days, sports teams, special classes or lessons, as well as informal get-togethers for home-schooled children.
It must be noted that children with autism do not learn social skills simply by being with typical peers regardless of the setting -- school or home. In order to master social skills, autistic children require specific instruction and opportunities to practice skills first in settings with one other child, then with two children, then in small groups, and then in large groups. To place a child with autism into a classroom situation (or any group situation) and assume that they will learn beneficial social skills just because other children are present is not supported by research or real life (See point #4 in the open letter from Dr. Ivar Lovaas, autism expert, at http://featbc.org/why_lovaas/letter.html).
Common sense tells us that we don't teach a child with autism to swim by throwing them into the deep end of a swimming pool and telling them to start swimming. Likewise, if we want children with autism to "swim" in the social world, we can't just put them in a situation that virtually ensures their failure. We must teach them step-by-step and give them plenty of time to practice their social skills in a supervised setting. We can accomplish this via one-on-one play dates with peers, social skills small groups, sibling/parent relationships, community outings, etc.
So the next time someone suggests that you should put your child with autism in school simply because of their need for socialization, consider exactly what that means for your child. There's not much compelling evidence to suggest that inclusion in school settings is accomplishing positive socialization or excellence in education for most children, especially children with autism. We can do better at home.

Mary Gusman is an educational consultant and an expert in the area of home-schooling children with autism. With over 8 years of personal experience home-schooling her own son with autism, she offers nationwide educational and home school consulting services to families with special needs children. Mary can be contacted via her website at http://www.ochomeschooling.com/specialneeds

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Social Skills Drastically Improve With ABA Therapy

While children with autism spectrum disorders are remarkably intelligent and capable, they learn differently than other children. Because of this, many autistic children have difficulty knowing how to properly behave in social settings. While many schools and outsiders seem to think that punishment or negative reinforcement would help to resolve the problem, parents and doctors both know that this is simply not true. What does work for adapting social skills in people with ASD, however, is ABA Therapy.
ABA Therapy works by changing behaviors at their most fundamental levels. ABA uses discrete trial teaching to produce a specific result to a specific situation. This process is used in conjunction with a system of praise and reinforcements to teach children with autism that only certain types of behavior are rewarded with attention and praise. By teaching these children the very core of good behavior, it helps them to understand the larger concepts and rules of proper social behavior.
ABA Therapy can teach children the skills they need for all aspects of life. Whether they are preparing for school, their first trip to the store, or even the working world, ABA Therapy lays the foundation for proper behavior skills. Behavior modification is a highly effective way of treating autistic children. It is only with this treatment and with a developed set of social skills and proper behaviors that children are able to participate and exist in a classroom environment. ABA truly gives children a chance to prosper and to live up to their maximum potential by building the groundwork for learning and adapting to a social setting.
ABA Therapy teaches much more than just social skills. It truly helps children with autism to learn to understand fundamental concepts. The repetitive nature of ABA Therapy serves to literally rewire the nerve pathways in the brain, effectively teaching these bright children how to learn the way many children do. What is innate for most children, such as the ability to learn new skills through observing others, is something that must be developed in children with ASD, and ABA Therapy provides that.
All children with ASD can benefit from ABA Therapy. Whether they have mild or severe social symptoms, ABA can help to ease children into a social setting by providing them the skills they need to truly thrive. While ABA is not a cure for autism, it offers a chance for hope and gives children and parents the best chance for the normal life they have always wanted.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential Group.
Maximum Potential has developed courses that train parents and school systems how to work with children with autism.
http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com

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ABA Therapy Helps Teach Language and Communication Skills

For many parents, the first sign that their child may have an autism spectrum disorder comes around the time when they should be developing language skills. This is almost always the first sign that parents receive that something may be different about their child. While children in the same age group are often learning to say mama and daddy or asking to go to the potty, children with ASD are often content to play with toys and show no desire to communicate. ABA therapy can help to change this.

There has been a great deal of research completed on Applied Behavior Analysis therapy over the past thirty years. Not only do studies show that it is the most effective form of treatment for autism spectrum disorders, they also show that it can be the best tool for teaching language and communication skills. Research states that ABA therapy is most effective when started as early in a child's life as possible, and children diagnosed at the age of early communication certainly tend to see the best results from the therapy. In fact, many children treated this early are able to communicate on par with their peers by the time they reach school age.

ABA offers more than just a chance at language skills, it offers a chance at a better life. With intensive ABA training, which can be as much as forty or more hours per week, these kids learn to express thoughts, emotions, and concepts in an appropriate verbal manner. This often creates positive patterns of behavior that make it easier for them to integrate and fit into a traditional classroom setting. In essence, ABA can help teach kids how to learn.

ABA therapy is excellent at teaching language and communication, but it can do much more. It can also help these children learn how to recognize patterns and sequences. Learning through the discrete trials and repetition of ABA helps to create new synapses in the brain that can enable students with autism to start learning in much the same way as their classmates. This is certainly quite a remarkable feat, and it has given many children a great deal of hope. If you are the parent of a child with autism or an educator looking for a better way to teach your students, ABA therapy is a great choice. Designed to help teach language, social skills, and academic skills, it can equip autistic children with the tools they need to function both in the classroom and in the world as a whole.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential Group.

Maximum Potential has developed courses that train parents and school systems how to work with children with autism.

http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com

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Here's a Way to Teach Children With Aspergers About Personal Space

In his book, Social Skills Training for Children and Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome and Social-Communication Problems, (2003), Dr. Jed E. Baker provides a helpful exercise called, "Don't Be a Space Invader."

The concept itself is pretty easy to teach. Draw a picture of two stick figures. The rule is, "Stand at least an arm's length away."

The second statement is, "Don't Get Too Close."

Here are some suggested activities to help teach this activity:

1. Role-play with the student a situation in which s/he must change her/his personal space. You may want to enlist the help of another student or a sibling as an outside observer. The observer's task is to say when the two actors (yourself and the child with aspergers) get too close, and when they are the right distance from each other.

People can switch roles. Here are some other situations to role play the proper personal space distance:

a) Greeting others the first time you see them, and saying goodbye when you leave.

b) Standing in line at school or in public (for example, at a movie, or at a store).

c) Interrupting someone to ask a question about what was said, or to ask permission to do something.

d) Riding public transportation (for example, not sitting too or standing too close to others)

e) Requesting something from someone (asking for a snack someone else is holding, or asking to play with someone's game or toy).

f) Using a public restroom (for example, not using the urinal right next to another person if there are others available further away)..

2. Give the student incentives to practice the skill. Tell the student you are going to test his/her ability to stay at least an arm's length away. Then, at random times, get too close to him/her at different times, and see if s/he catches on.

3. Correct inappropriate distance when it happens. Tell the student, "Don't be a space invader because it will make others uncomfortable, and then they won't want to play with you. Keep an arm's length away."

4. Provide rewards for when the children get it right, keeping appropriate distance:

a) Give verbal praise for correct or partially correct distance.

b) Consider giving tokens, pennies, or points for times during the day in which the child maintained an appropriate distance from others. When the child builds up a certain number of points (5 tokens, for example), give a special reward, such as snack, stickers, or privileges to play a special game.

A child with Aspergers can be given 'homework' of maintaining appropriate distance. Here are some good homework questions:

Who will I try this with?

When?

What happened?

How did I do?

About the Author: Stephen Borgman is a licensed clinical professional counselor and author of Prospering With Aspergers ( http://www.myaspergers.net ). Stop by for more hopeful articles about understanding, hope, and solutions for persons on the autism spectrum and their families.

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How Can You Help Your Autistic Child Create Friendships?

Friends are important to people. Having friends and creating friends for your autistic child could be challenging. How will you be able to accept this challenge and help your child who has the disorder of autism, create friendships?

It is imperative to know your child.Know his or her weaknesses and strengths. Consider the social limitations your child may have. Not only participating with autistic children, but non-autistic children. Each child is unique and may need various kinds of help or coaching for encouragement and to gain confidence.

Some autistic children may have difficulty in expressing their verbal language. In addition, not being able to understand verbal language from other children. This can make it a challenge to communicate and create friendships with other children and autistic children.

Therefore, it is wise to determine the limitations your child may have, before you decide, your child should socialize and create friendships.

By taking this action, you will learn what your child is expressing and what he or she is able to handle. This will determine what kind of friends are appropriate for your individual to socialize with, when trying to create friendships.

Set a play date for that is fun for your child and other children. This could be done at school, or outside of the classroom. Take time to find the right situation for your child and other children to participate in.

When you do find the time that will work for all of the children, and the place, keep the time short and limited. This will eliminate stress, frustration and rejection from other children. By being aware of this and taking charge of the situation, your child will probably want to continue this activity or another one. It will help to create friends at his or her own pace.

If your child does not like crowds, bright lights, loud noises, confusing activities, multiple activities, take this into consideration. Do not force your child to take part in areas, where you know he or she will become upset. What is a fun activity or place for some children, could be extremely overwhelming for a child with the disorder of autism.

Another way you can help your autistic child create friendships is, if you have made many attempts for your child to participate in activities, new places, new times, to socialize and it does not seem to be working, perhaps it is time for you to be creative with a new idea or plan.

If you know your child, you will know if he or she needs more time to adjust to other individuals, activities, new places, etc. Be sure you are not placing an enormous amount of pressure on your child, by having too high expectations for him or her to socialize on your terms and thoughts. Instead, take into consideration each individual is different. You will want to evaluate your motives for encouraging creative friendships and socialization for your child.

If your child feels comfortable with one friend and is having fun, that may be all that is necessary for the present time. You may find you do not need to create more friendships or have your child participate in more social activities. Keep the pace simple for creating new friendships. Do not push your child into new friendships, when one or two friends could be enough and it will avoid unwanted stress.

Bonita Darula operates a web sight==> http://www.autismintoawareness.com SIGN up to RECEIVE your COMPLIMENTARY WEEKLY AUTISTIC NEWSLETTER on current TOPICS. For example: How can you help your child create and have friends? Order your Autism updated information from your Complimentary Autistic Newsletter to help your child and you.

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How to Deal With Negative Autism Social Skills

Autism social skills greatly affect the behavior of autistic individuals in social settings. Autism itself can create problems for individuals in their speech, language, or behavior. For some with autism, language may be delayed, speech may be difficult for them, and there are often other behaviors noted such as hand flapping or head banging.

A person's symptoms will depend on many factors. For some individuals the effects of autism may result in less obvious problems, they may speak normally and may exhibit wonderful mastery of language. It may only be in social behaviors that the extent of their autism is truly noted.

Children who have autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have problems in most of their social interactions. This is difficult for the children and for the parents who want their kids to be integrated into many different social settings. Even though these children have some great qualities to offer to the world and other people, their autism social skills often holds them back and some of these kids may never learn to develop true friendships. The autism prevents them from assimilating the normal, fluent "give and take" behaviors of conversation in a regular, everyday setting.

For most people interacting with others, making friends and developing relationships all happen effortlessly. Children with autism social skills suffer utter failure with many of their attempts at any social skills. They truly do not understand what they are supposed to do or say and they are hurt when their attempts at being part of a group are met with failure or ridicule. With autistic children part of the problem lies with their own deficits such as avoiding eye contact, lack of empathy or a diminished ability to infer what is of interest to others.

Some people think that these children are not interested in interacting with others, but this is not true. It is just their inability to work within the typical framework of our social settings that is creating obstacles for them. These children with autism social skills often suffer from increased anxiety when they have to speak with others or discuss something in class. This type of anxiety can be overpowering to the children and often leads to even more pronounced inhibitions on their part.

Most people figure out what creates unbearable stress and we try to avoid situations that create high levels of stress. For people with autism almost every social setting can be fraught with these very stressors. This means that many of them will try to avoid the problem of stress by avoiding all social activity.

When a child continually avoids social encounters, they are also foregoing the opportunity to acquire social interaction skills. With some autistic individuals, social skill deficits will then lead to negative interactions with their peers. Many of these children are met with rejection and they suffer from isolation, anxiety, and depression.

Having a way to help children learn social skills and actually be taught how to make friends and create friendships will help. Parents and teachers need to teach these skills, not just address them with words, and then they must make certain that there are peers around who will accept and understand these overtures from autistic individuals. Through more social interaction with teaching and environmental modification, these children will begin to gradually learn the same social skills that most people take for granted.

The best way to help people with autism social skills is to recognize the problem they are having and gradually introduce them to social settings, very small groups at the start, teaching them that they have nothing to fear. Over time, the size of the group and the length of the social setting can increase as their confidence grows, but it is something that cannot be rushed or forced.

For more insights and additional information on coping with Autism Social Skills as well as finding a wealth of additional resources related to autism, please visit our web site at http://www.autism-explained.com

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How to Treat Sensory Processing Disorder

The body is designed in a way wherein the different sense organs work with the brain for the interpretation of the different senses so that we can exhibit the appropriate responses, both behavioral and motor. However, there are instances when the responses are not proper because of misinterpretation of the senses. This condition is called sensory processing disorder.

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) was formerly known as sensory integration dysfunction was first described by A. Jean Ayres, a neuroscientist who said that this disorder is similar to a 'traffic jam' that occurs in the neurons, wherein some parts of the brain are prevented from receiving the correct information so that sensory information are interpreted correctly. For someone who has SPD, what happens is that sensory information is perceived differently from that which is normal to other people. This will then result in behavior or responses that are unusual, which makes it hard to accomplish some tasks.

The exact causes of sensory processing disorder are not yet known, and are still subject to research studies. There have been results however saying that this is an inherited disorder, but there can also be environmental factors that can contribute to it. When this is not properly managed while a child is still young, it can result to several problems involving the child's emotional, education and social state. Because of the problems with the child's motor skills, he can become isolated from his peers, suffering from low self-esteem. There can also be poor self-concept and failure with academics. Those who are unaware of this disorder will be labeling the child as clumsy, disruptive or even uncooperative. When this gets worse, it will lead to depression, anger problems, anxiety and aggression.

The treatment of sensory processing disorder will warrant the services of an occupational therapist. The occupational therapist will provide sensory integration therapy for the child, wherein sensory stimuli and experiences will be taught to the child. There will also be sensory diet, a therapy where the therapist will plan and schedule activities for the child to address the different needs of the nervous system. There will be different techniques that will be included in the therapy such as calming, alerting and organizing. The treatment for SPD can also include alternative therapies depending on what the doctor says. One of the common therapies is therapeutic body brushing which is ideal for children who are oversensitive to sensory experiences. This will help the SPD patient to learn how to adjust to certain sensory stimulations.

There is no definite cure for sensory processing disorder for the treatments that were mentioned will only help the affected person learn how to adapt and react properly to stimulations. If you are taking care of a child who is suffering from SPD, you have to be patient when dealing with him, since it is not just frustrating for you but it is more difficult to the child. It will take some time before the child can learn the appropriate responses so you will have to assist him and make sure that he learns properly. And of course, you will need to assist him with developing his mental, emotional and social skills.

For more information on Different Types of Diseases, Symptoms and Diagnoses, Please visit: Sensory Processing Disorder and Sensory Integration Disorder.

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Autism Symptoms - The Profound Impairment of Social Interaction Skills

Autism has an array of "classic" symptoms, with a profound impairment of social interaction skills perhaps being the most familiar to the layperson. Parents often notice something is not quite right with their child, often as early as infancy. In most cases, the signs are present within the first two to three years of life, whereupon a diagnosis of autism is made by medical professionals after a thorough assessment and evaluation using a checklist of items.

In infancy or during the toddler stage, the child doesn't make spontaneous eye contact, or actively avoids it. He shows a lack of response to his own name when it's spoken and intuitive reactions to social stimuli are lacking. For example, there is an impairment of exchanging nonverbal social action cues, like returning a smile or reacting to a frown. A "deadpan" expression is common, but not universal, among children with autism.

Another cue for parents is the child's not asking for what he wants or needs. He is more likely point or use a gesture to make his needs known.

The autistic child shows little spontaneous interest in the people around him and does not make an effort to point out things that they are talking about or enjoy. Related to this is a lack of empathy toward others, because he doesn't understand what makes others feel pain or sorrow.

Tantrums and a strong resistance to any change in his routine or environment are usually clues, too. The child may have a certain set of rituals of his own creation that mean nothing to others but have a high significance for him.

At times, the child may appear to be developing normally and then suddenly withdraws from social interaction. There is an inability or lesser ability to make friends with other children. Moreover, there's an impaired ability to strike up and sustain a conversation with other people.

As a follow-on, imaginative and socially cooperative play are lacking. The inability to establish and maintain social interactions tends to isolate the child; however, it would be a mistake to believe the child with autism prefers to remain alone. Personal attachments may be formed but in a limited way. Developing better social interaction for the autistic child often hinges on strategies to enhance his communications skills.

There are many more resources and information about autism signs, symptoms, treatments, and cutting edge medical research in, Autism: Everything Parents And Caregivers Should Know About The Disorder.

Wondering What Autism treatments Work Best? Here's a comprehensive guide about autism to help parents and caregivers avoid a fruitless and frustrating journey when raising an autistic child Knowledge is power! No disorder is as confusing to understand and as complex to diagnose.

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Turning Common Interactions Into Meaningful Social Skill Lessons for a Child With Autism

Do you have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who is challenged socially? Do you realize that you don't have to rely on the professionals who provide services to your child to enhance their social skills. Social skill groups and classes led by experts in the field are extremely beneficial but you also have the power to take every social interaction your child experiences and turn it into a teaching/learning opportunity.

As parents we interact with our children numerous times during the day. Each interaction has a specific reason attached to it, helping a child dress, tucking them into bed, or reading them a story are simple encounters that are almost done by default as if we are on automatic pilot. These can be anything from a greeting, asking them a question or giving them a direction that may be brief yet powerful. When you think of it, every contact we have with our children is a social one and as simple as it might be we can make it even more significant to our autistic child if we take 30-45 more seconds to describe what we are doing.

Children with Autism are very concrete and literal and we should not assume that they are picking up everything we do via watching or observing us. We need to be more mindful and deliberate when it comes to parenting a child with autism because they do not always absorb things just by being exposed to them. Realistically, there is much that is happening that is not being noticed unless we specifically point it out.

The best strategy for turning a social encounter into a meaningful learning experience for your autistic child is to call attention to the manner in which you relate to them and why. This is a simple yet effective way to expand your child's social toolbox. Here are some tips on how to make each interaction you have with your child more meaningful and useful.

- Use the rewind button. After a typical social interaction you have with your child, rewind what you just did and replay it for them in slow motion. Ex. "Did you notice what I just did? I wanted to ask you a question so I made sure I was close to you instead of hollering from across the room." Replay the scene using each approach and ask which one works best. For older children you can also get into a discussion of why that tactic was the better one to use.

- Pretend you need help. All children like being asked to share their opinion - it makes them feel important. When you have time to think ahead, try involving your child in a social skill decision. "I want to ask your dad a question but he looks as if he is busy right now, what do you think I should do?" Then present two plausible options, one more socially acceptable than the other and ask your child what do you think will happen if I use option A, then examine option B.

- Paint a picture of what you just did. "I wanted to make sure I had your attention so I leaned over and looked into your eyes." Then follow up with a specific description of using that skill - "When you want to make sure someone is listening to you, it's best to get in front of them and look at the color of their eyes." Add any specific details that you think your child will need - in front of means an arms length away, not right up in their face, etc.

- Point out your mistakes. Even as adults, not all of our interactions are successful but we often know where we went wrong. This is a great opportunity to share your experience with your child and prompt them to think about what you could have done differently. When asking their advice do not let too much time go by after you pose the question or make them feel pressured by it, simply fill in the answer for them and briefly discuss it, if possible.

Remember, there is no such thing as too much repetition for a child on the autism spectrum. It is always a good idea to end each one of these possible scenarios with a specific description regarding the social skill you are trying to teach and duplicate it as often as you think you need to in order for your child to grasp the skill.

There is always ample opportunity to practice most of these skills because they occur over and over again in our daily activities. The added benefit to this process is that we grow in awareness as to how we utilize our own social skills to communicate and get to practice them more consciously.

Connie Hammer, MSW, parent educator, consultant and coach, guides parents of young children recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder to uncover abilities and change possibilities. Visit her website http://www.parentcoachingforautism.com to get your FREE resources - a parenting ecourse, Parenting a Child with Autism - 3 Secrets to Thrive and a weekly parenting tip newsletter, The Spectrum.

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