When Thomas Frazier, PhD, works with parents of children with autism, he knows what they’re experiencing firsthand. And he has plenty of empathy and advice to offer.
Tag: ASD
How to Help With Your Child’s Hyper — or Dulled — Senses
For many kids, spotting a fire truck might be a high point in the day. But what happens when the blaring sirens or flashing lights trigger sensory overload? That’s often the case for children with autism. Many experience what we call “hypersensitivity” when it comes to hearing, vision, touch, smell or other senses. It’s even … Read More
How Tech Can Help Your Child With Autism ‘Speak’
A lack of speech is one of the biggest anxieties parents have about children with autism. In some cases, when a child is struggling to develop verbal skills, help comes in the form of technology. Speech-generating devices have long been available for children with autism, and the era of tablets and apps has expanded those … Read More
5 Ways Family Can Get Involved in Autism Care
For parents raising a child with autism, an offer of help from a grandparent, aunt, uncle or other family member means a lot. The good news for families: If you want to help, you can. Whether you live nearby or far away, there are ways for extended family members to get involved in caring for … Read More
5 Ways to Help Your Child With Autism Make Friends
Making new friends can be challenging for any child. There’s always a bit of anxiety in approaching people, introducing yourself and building a new relationship. Now imagine trying to make friends when you have a tough time reading social cues: figures of speech, body language, hand gestures and facial expressions. This is the challenge for … Read More
How Genetics Affect Head Size and Brain Development in Autism
It started with an observation: Children with autism who also have a certain gene mutation tend to have especially large heads. That observation led to some of the first research linking the PTEN genetic mutation to developmental issues in a group of children with autism. Researchers Thomas Frazier, PhD, and Charis Eng, MD, PhD, published … Read More
If Your Child Has Autism, Perception Matters
Imagine I’m having a light-hearted conversation with a friend who says something silly. I gently joke, “Your head is full of rocks.” I don’t mean that literally. If you are a neurotypical person, you understand I’m joking. You hear it in my tone of voice and see it in my body language. But if you … Read More
How to Manage Challenging Behavior in Children With Autism
Aggression toward a sibling or classmate. Self injury. Wandering off without warning. Many children with autism exhibit these challenging behaviors. When they do, parents get frightened — understandably. We see it frequently in the children and parents we work with, and we take such behavior very seriously. Anxious parents want to know, “What can I … Read More
Can Medication Help With Your Child’s Autism?
“I’m at my wit’s end.” Many parents of children with autism have uttered these words when faced with challenging symptoms. Some children are prone to self-injury — or even aggression toward others. Some children are likely to wander off, so parents have to watch them 24-7. Still others suffer from attention deficits that keep them … Read More
What Autism Changes Mean for You and Your Children
Nearly a year ago, the world of autism diagnosis changed. When the American Psychiatric Association published the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) in May 2013, the way we identify autism was one of the biggest changes by far. Since then, DSM-5 has brought its share of controversy — and questions … Read More