Strategies for Managing Challenging Behaviors in Children With Autism
When children act out, it’s easy to chalk this down to ‘misbehaving’. However, this is not always the case. For example, among children with autism and related conditions, challenging behavior is often their way of responding to feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed. As such, whenever your child begins to act out, remember that this is not intentional on their behalf. They’re simply trying to find a way to regulate their emotions or express their discomfort relating to what is happening to those around them — not to get a reaction out of you. What are some of the challenging behaviors associated with autism? When caring for a child with autism , you may notice that they begin to exhibit challenging behaviors whenever they feel overwhelmed. This could include stimming and actions typically associated with a meltdown. Stimming refers to “self-stimulating”, repetitive behaviors that help autistic children “manage excess energy and self-soothe.” Mostly, this involves gestures such as a...