How to Handle an Autism Tantrum | Autism Video Lecture | Understanding and Treating Autism - Health & Fitness

so how do we handle an a child with
autism having a tantrum and I think the
way to look at it is how do you handle a
tantrum firstly you know some of those
techniques are ignoring for example or
holding or actually most important is
getting down to why this child has or
has is having a tantrum for example and
I think with children with autism
because they have social and language
communication issues they are more
easily frustrated and that's a huge
piece of the reason why they're having a
tantrum or possible reason so
pre-empting it or getting to understand
what's causing the tantrum is it a valid
communication issue is there discomfort
is it when a child who wants sameness
and you're changing their their behavior
in a way that they do want changed they
want to stay with the activity for
example or is it just being oppositional
which is what a lot of kids do you know
they don't want they want what they want
and how do we work with redirecting them
well as I said get to what is bothering
your child and then they are strategies
based on that that you can possibly for
example redirecting them having a timer
and seeing you know giving them
transition time helping them sensory
regulate a lot of times kids having
Tantrums just need to be held tightly
and some kids need to be ignored let
them have their meltdown as long as
they're not hurting themselves that's
the typical way that parents are told
about Tantrums that that's is really
considered bad behavior but with kids
with the autism I would be a little bit
more sensitive to the fact that these
children have communication issues and a
lot of their Tantrums comes from
frustration and not just a matter of
being oppositional sometimes a tantrum
could be pain and they're having reflux
and something is hurting them and we can
you know misunderstand that as tantrum
so look as to you know it's a matter of
analyzing each behavior you know seeing
what caused it what made it go away and
that'll help you prepare for next time
preventing that happening possibly some
kids are just get soothed by rocking and
holding and you have to know your child
individually to see what works with that
tantrum because a tantrum I hear is like
a cry for help
or frustration it is a communication and
we need to understand that communication
it is uncomfortable you want to make
sure the child is safe and people around
us safe children often having Tantrums
not only can throw themselves on the
floor start self-mutilating and hurting
themselves or throwing chairs and toys
or hurting other siblings for example
and I think that's where limit setting
is important holding the child so that
he is safe or she is safe and being very
clear and structured so you can help the
child calm themselves down and
self-regulate and actually deal with
what the issue is and you know if it's a
tantrum about wanting more of that ice
cream for example or something that the
child wants well you know you deal with
your regular child and you sort of have
to deal with some of the frustration
that's part of life but as long as
you're not missing out on some core
discomfort or frustration that can
really be addressed and the Tantrums can
hence be minimized