Living with a child with autism presents its own set of challenges that require a special amount of love and care. When negative behaviors begin, it is vital to understand how you can help your child get through the temper tantrums with the help of behavior analysis programs to help them learn critical skills to cope with stressful moments.
At Camp Worth, we understand that there will be times when your child’s behavior will get out of control. You will need to know how to mitigate these negative behaviors through our counseling and behavior analysis program for autistic children.
What Is Behavior Analysis?
Behavior analysis is a clinical, research-based approach to teaching your child the skills they need to lead an everyday life as best as they can. We learn more about the child’s behavior and how they react in different environments. It can help identify specific conditions that can lead to an outburst and help teach your child how to cope with new environments and other essential skills, such as:
- Improved social skills
- Enhanced learning capabilities
- New coping skills for bad behavior
- Learning to adapt to new situations
- Better motor skills
A behavior analysis program can have many benefits to your child’s growth and education, and at Camp Worth, we have your child’s best interest in mind with our therapies for autism. Our child-led, play-based therapy programs work with your child’s unique needs in mind.
When your child is stressed to the point where they cannot cope, they can act out in many different ways, including:
- Withdrawing or zoning out
- Repetitive movements
- Uncontrollable crying, stomping, or growling
- Holding their breath
- Aggression
When your child begins to act out, you may stress out, causing you not to think clearly. The last thing you want to do is yell or show any anger or frustration. These situations need to be handled calmly with compassion and love, which is sometimes hard when your child is acting up. Our Camp Worth team has compiled some of the best tips for mitigating negative behaviors in a child with ASD, especially with our parent training program as well.
3 Tips for Mitigating Negative Behaviors in a Child with ASD
1. Remain Calm
If you need to take a couple of breaths first, do so. You need to remain calm until your child returns to normal. Keep your voice even and face relaxed as they will pick up on your feelings. If you are upset, yelling, and looking angry, this will only make the situation worse.
2. Make Them Feel Safe
Stay close to your child and do all you can to make them feel safe. In stressful situations, they may not hear or process what you are saying at first. Be patient, and eventually, they will begin to process and respond.
3. Keep a Sensory Toolkit Nearby
Distracting your son or daughter can help them focus on something other than what’s causing their inappropriate behavior. Fidget spinners, chewing toys, noise-canceling headphones, and weighted blankets are excellent ways of helping calm your child down when they begin to act out.
After your child has calmed down, take the opportunity to teach them about their negative behavior in a positive way. Turn a meltdown into a learning opportunity when you can by showing them coping techniques like breathing exercises.
Partner with Camp Worth to Help You Mitigate Negative Behavior
By enrolling your child into a behavior analysis program, you give them the best opportunities to curb their negative behavior. Also, our team wants to teach you how to be there for your child when they are acting out.
At Camp Worth, we dedicate ourselves to helping families learn the coping skills necessary to lead a happy and successful life. Call 855.915.2545 today to speak with our behavior specialists about our behavioral analysis program.
