HANDLING DIFFICULT BEHAVIORS AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
Every parent with an autistic child deals with behaviors in various forms every single day. The following 9 parental suggestions will help to navigate the world of an autistic child’s difficult behaviors :
SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
Many parents become stressed out at the very thought of managing the behaviors of their children with autism. As a result of this anxiety, they react harshly towards their autistic child without even realizing they are “modeling” inappropriate reactions onto them. As a parent, it is important to keep in mind that you will always be your child’s 1st teacher. Hence parents should seek out the advice of a counselor, family doctor (specializing in autism), or mental health professional to get tools to assist better with managing difficult behaviors of their child with autism.
ASK APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS
Avoid asking questions that can be answered with a simple YES or NO response. Most autistic children will simply verbally respond to yes or no questions with NO only. Asking more open-ended questions may help the parent to discover what is causing the autistic child’s behavior. Eg: Can you point to what you need help with ?
OFFER CHOICES
When your child becomes upset, they may feel a sense of having lost control. In such cases, offering your autistic child a choice through your questioning will help them seek a feeling a sense of control again. Incorporate in the saying this statement “ I see you are upset, you can go to your room where it is quiet and listen to some music OR to the living room and play with your puzzle “ instead of your regular saying.
CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT
Sometimes the environment your autistic child is in will need to be addressed for them to de-escalate. Some noisy or new environments may trigger your child with autism to act inappropriately. This is where it will be important for you as a parent to know what triggers your child. Eg: If you know that noise is likely to upset your autistic child, it may be a good idea to pack their noisecanceling headphones when going out.
HINT REPLACEMENT BEHAVIORS
Some autistic children on the spectrum struggle with regulating their behavior. In an attempt to regulate this behavior take a piece of chart paper. Cut out 2 rectangular shape cutouts about the size of the voter ID. Name 1 cut out as I NEED A BREAK and the other cut out as I NEED HELP. Laminate both cards. Instead of screaming, throwing items, hitting, or biting, teach your autistic child to use these 2 cards and get the results they want. So next time instead of throwing a tantrum, the autistic child can show you their - I need a break card and instead of hitting you they can use their - I need help card.
CALMING STRATEGIES
When it comes to implementing calming strategies for autistic children, some kids prefer listening to soothing music while some prefer scented candles. Hence kids with autism can be taught to associate their feelings and emotions by pointing out how they are feeling by pressing on colored buzzers. Eg: If the child presses red buzzer it implies he / she is angry If the child presses yellow buzzer it implies he / she is happy If the child presses blue buzzer it implies he / she is sad You can check in with your autistic child throughout the day to see how they are feeling by simply asking them to press the required colored buzzer.
BEHAVIOR IS THE KEY TO COMMUNICATION
Non-verbal autistic children when displaying self-injurious behavior may be trying to communicate that they are hungry, need to go to the bathroom, are possibly in pain, are hurt, feel sick or simply want a preferred item of choice.
STAY CONSISTENT
Try sticking to routines. If a routine needs to be changed, give the autistic child ample time to adjust to the new routine in prior. Suddenly introducing a change in the form of an unfamiliar routine, person or place can cause great difficulty for the autistic child to adapt with.
MONITOR AND PROVIDE REINFORCEMENT THROUGH ASSESSMENT
Conduct preference assessments to determine which items are highly preferred by the autistic child. Knowing what items work for your child with autism will assist you well in meeting their behavioral needs. Finally, keep in mind that preferences often change. The item that was highly preferred by the autistic child 3 weeks ago may now be something they are no longer interested in. Conducting frequent Preference Assessments with a professional may provide you with valuable information to help with your autistic child’s behavior. Remember when providing reinforcement, it needs to be offered immediately. Positive reinforcement should not be delayed because children with autism cannot wait a week to get their reward.
