Learning disabilities: I can learn….

  Parents fear that their child’s language based learning disability will limit opportunities, but with additional supports like speech/language therapy this is not true.   Even if the distinction between learning disabilities and intellectual impairment is made clear to children, they will pick up on the fact that in school they are having more problems than their …

Asperger Syndrome: Nonfiction vs Fiction

 Do people with Asperger Syndrome prefer fiction or non-fiction? It has been suggested that people with Asperger prefer nonfiction because it provides fact-based information related to their special interest. However, I have known people with Asperger syndrome who enjoyed fiction.   The lack of interest in reading fiction usually begins in childhood when children begin …

10 Fruits in 60 seconds: The importance of categorization

“Quick, in 60 seconds name 10 items that go in the category, fruits.”  Generally, this task for typically developing children age 10 and older, can perform this task quickly.  Categorizing information into similar items is a task we often take for granted.  However, for children with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome, classifying and sorting like …

Language is Everywhere

We have all had exhausting days as parents when all we want to do is get home, but at the same time when opportunity knocks its important to seize the moment to teach our children. A child lagging  behind his mother, walking home from school  today was a perfect opportunity for that mom to foster and …