[Tandah]

My oldest daughter, who just turned 4, was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.

She was going to Speech Therapy before we found out, so in a way, we are ahead of the game, I think. We are on a waiting list of up to 3 months or longer to actually talk to someone about what we can do to help her at home.

She is supposed to go to school next year, but I'm afraid she may not be ready. Is there any advice anyone can give me? Things I can do with her at home?

[CliffARobinson]

I am glad to hear you are taking a proactive approach to the diagnosis and maintaining such a positive attitude. I used to work with Autistic Children who were wards of the state, and your involvement is to be commended when I think of the way this Developmental Disorder used to be treated by society, medicine and parents alike.

There are some great resources available nowadays to help you and your family provide for a stable and productive environment for your child. I am going to list a few key articles from The Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support (OASIS) center & MAAP Services for Autism and Asperger Syndrome, (http://aspergersyndrome.org)

This is a great primer for you as well as a great way to introduce parents, family and caregivers to the ways in which your child sees the world around her.

The following guide was prepared so that families could have a short description of AS and its behaviors to share with their children's teachers. Since all children are different please feel free to use those items which are appropriate for your child and/or make changes and additions as necessary. Cut and paste all or part, make it you own. The parents of AS children who put together this list hope that it will help teachers to better understand some of the characteristics of our children

Read More.


This is an article on how Teachers can most effectively educate and interact with children diagnosed with AS. This may help you at home as well:

Many of the strategies for teaching students with autism are applicable for students with AS. The professional literature often does not differentiate between high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome when outlining recommended practices. However, it is important to give consideration to the unique learning characteristics, to provide support when needed, and to build on the student's many strengths. The following identifies the specific learning difficulty and suggests a number of possible classroom strategies

Read More

Lastly, here is an article on helping your child through social situations like Holiday Parties and the like. These three articles are just a sampling of what you can find on this site, and others dedicated to helping people with AS & Autism live a more rewarding life:

Birthday parties, religious holidays and New Year's celebrations are often occasions where large groups of family and/or friends gather. These events can leave behind lifelong memories…or lifelong nightmares. The events can be very stressful for people on the AS spectrum and for their immediate family as well. We offer some suggestions in hopes of making these occasions more pleasant for one and for all. Many thanks to those on the AS spectrum and their loved ones for sharing many of the following points below with us through the years.

- Read More

I wish you and your family best wishes, I thank you for trusting our site to ask your question, and I hope you update us in the future about the great accomplishments I know your daughter will make.

Happy Holidays