HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM
Autism has been declared a national health emergency (Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, 2009) High Functioning Autism (HFA) constitutes the fastest growing segment of this population. Deficits in social skills and difficulties in socialization are core features of HFA and have been associated with challenges in cognitive, social and emotional development. Impairments associated with AD/HFA increase throughout the course of the disorder and are cumulative, beginning in early childhood and continuing into adulthood. Youth with AD/HFA display significant difficulty with conversational pragmatics and social communication. The social awkwardness and deficits in conversational pragmatics interfere with their ability to achieve typical developmental milestones such as establishing satisfying peer relationships.
Autism has been declared a national health emergency (Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, 2009) High Functioning Autism (HFA) constitutes the fastest growing segment of this population. Deficits in social skills and difficulties in socialization are core features of HFA and have been associated with challenges in cognitive, social and emotional development. Impairments associated with AD/HFA increase throughout the course of the disorder and are cumulative, beginning in early childhood and continuing into adulthood. Youth with AD/HFA display significant difficulty with conversational pragmatics and social communication. The social awkwardness and deficits in conversational pragmatics interfere with their ability to achieve typical developmental milestones such as establishing satisfying peer relationships.