Autism Behavior Solutions
His nanny , who adheres to the principle “ The most important thing is that the child does not cry ,” approaches the boy who owns the car , and asks whether the hysterical child can play with it . After thanking the owner , the nanny hands the toy to the child . The child , having received the car , magically calms down .
This example illustrates how the child resorts to hysteria because he / she does not yet possess the communication skills to request a turn with a toy . In this case , the child should be taught to communicate his / her desires with words or gestures . The child ’ s request should only be fulfilled once he / she communicates such wants in a calm way , whether it be through verbal or nonverbal communication .
The events unfold , as in the previous example , until the owner of the car responds . This time , he says “ Look , I can ’ t give it to you . It ’ s my car ; I don ’ t give it to anyone .” This follows with the nanny and the child behaving in the same way as in the previous example , but to no avail . The mom of the boy with the car takes him away from this playground . In this example , the child needs to be taught to accept rejection . This is difficult for a child , and the appropriate skillset may take a while to acquire .
In the last example the child may have a tantrum not because they really want to play with the car ( this may only play a secondary role in causation of the tantrum ), but because of hunger , thirst , tiredness , or sensory overload .
In this scenario , the child should be taught to communicate his / her needs . Parents should be aware of tantrum triggers like hunger and sensory overload — by helping the child communicate when he / she feels overwhelmed , tantrums may be avoided .
In this scenario , the child ’ s daily routine plays an extremely important role . Older children should be taught to independently control the regularity of drinking and eating according to a visual schedule or a timer signal . Hyperactive children should be provided with a sufficient amount of physical activity .
To explain how this function of a tantrum may play out , let ’ s look at the following example .
A teacher asks the child to put blocks back in the box . The child refuses and screams . The teacher then collects the blocks with some of the other children who are willing to help her .
In this situation , the teacher is not really helping the child long-term . The teacher , by picking up the blocks , may be encouraging screaming and non-compliance .
The child tried to get out of helping to clean up . The tantrum worked as he / she did not have to put the blocks away because the teacher took over the duty . The behavior will continue as the child will perceive that the function behind the tantrum was successfully achieved .
In this scenario , teachers may need training in ABA principles to encourage desired behavior like helping to clean up . Aids like social stories , visual schedules , and making a fun game of cleaning up could help the teacher in this scenario .
It is also pertinent to examine whether the child ’ s behavior was really motivated by getting out of cleaning up . Often , children tantrum in educational settings to get the teacher ’ s attention .