AS question

[valleysprincess]

Hi, Is it possible for a child to have AS and still be quite happy being hugged and indeed be very affectionate?

My ds is extemely affectionate and never stops hugging and kissing me but also has severe autistic traits.

Yes, it is. My ds (3 1/2 , asd) is an affectionate child, he will come to give us a hug when we ask him, he does initiate the hug also when we pick him up from nursery,...
But when compared to my ds1 , he shows affection in a more moderate way, i mean he likes cuddles but it's often at our request, and he doesn't kiss or hug people outside very close family.

busybeingmum- My ds does the licking bit also , mainly his nanny s' cheeck or neck who is sooo patient with him and he loves her very much .

My DS is quite affectionate with us now although I had to train him to respond to hugs etc as a toddler. The learned behaviour has become almost 2nd nature. It also combines with his love of physical rough and tumble so a hug often turns into a wrestle and he also likes being constricted in a hug sometimes (he used to LOVE car seatbelts, highchair straps and pushchairs.)

Ds2 (AS) is very affectionate. The first thing he does when he gets up in the morning is to rush over to give me a big hug. In some ways he's like a running walking teddy bear.

yes valleyprincess but if your child is affectioniate and intimate then s/he has already climbed a long way up the mountain.....

i also have a very affectionate 17yr old with AS.

Yes I agree with iwearflairs many AS children are overly affectionate and you can usually spot them at sports day or the school fete giving all the teachers or teaching assistants hugs while the rest of the children run around with their own friends. This is my daughter she hugs everyone, we have actually had to work hard with her to have a more appropriate response to people as it was causing problems. It hadn't as a small child but she is 9 and needed to learn boundaries.

Dd1 has AS and likes hugs from adults but not from other children (unless its on her terms).

Dd2 (ASD) loves hugs.