Autism Behavior Solutions
How to Deal With Tantrums
By Donald Mena
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A psychologist ’ s advice for dealing with temper tantrums .
Children behave well when they can ,” writes Professor Ross W . Greene . For children with autism spectrum disorders , this statement is also absolutely true .
How do adults like parents , relatives , or even a babysitter act in a situation where a child has a tantrum ? Many adults do not tolerate loud noises well , so their priority is to stop the screaming as soon as possible . Sometimes , the child screams , becomes purple-red , arches his / her back , or causes such harm to him or herself that the adult becomes afraid for his / her health .
A child ’ s tantrum is certainly a serious test for the adults around him / her . It will be up to the adults ( parents or caregivers ) to determine how this type of behavior will be handled in the future .
Within the framework of applied behavior analysis ( ABA ), the work on any behavior begins with the definition of its function . In other words , it is necessary to understand why the hysteria happened .
Parents are strongly encouraged to constantly “ collect data ”. This data will help them determine the following important factors :
� What preceded the tantrum : the circumstances and environment around the child before the tantrum commenced
� How it occurred : the nature of the tantrum and the child ’ s behavior during the tantrum
� The consequences of such behavior ( a tantrum )