Shaping Your Autistic Child

Written by Tricia Gray
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[dropcap]Anxiety disorders in children with autism may be expressed through various problematic behaviors, sometimes called “acting out.” The child is acting out the emotions rather than recognizing, managing and expressing the emotions more constructively. Anxiety may lead to aggression, tantrums, bolting, screaming, engaging in stereotypic behaviors, withdrawing, echolalia (i.e., repetition of sounds or words made by another) or even self-injury. It’s difficult to separate behaviors typically associated with autism spectrum disorder from behaviors caused by a mental health disorder such as anxiety. The problem for parents, teachers and other practitioners is how to be sensitive to the child’s obvious dismay without maintaining and strengthening the problem behavior.[/dropcap]

Depending on the situation or the behavior exhibited, we may be tempted to give attention, remove demands or give tangibles in order to soothe or quiet the child. However, this approach presents three negative possibilities:

• While safety is our primary concern, giving undue attention can strengthen the behavior and discourage the child from developing coping skills. 
• Removing the demand or allowing escape reinforces problematic behaviors; it teaches the child to act out to avoid something unpleasant. An inability to cope with demands impedes learning, independence, community involvement and life choices.
• Similarly, using tangible items to stop problem behavior or tantrums also reinforces problematic behavior; it teaches the child to act out to get what he or she wants. This devalues functional communication. Offering “sensory items” or “sensory breaks” should not occur during the tantrum.

Instead, try these positive approaches:

• Give plenty of positive reinforcement and praise—specifically for being calm.
• Practice coping strategies during neutral situations.
• Reward “successive approximations” of the desired behavior. These are behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior.

 

Building blocks towards progress

If the desired behavior is to ask for something using the word “please,” the child may initially be rewarded for pointing at what is wanted, and then the caretaker can then remind the child to use words and say “please.” When the child begins to ask using words, even though not using the word “please,” this new behavior is reinforced as being more similar to the desired behavior, and the reward is no longer provided for just pointing. This gradual process of rewarding successive approximations is called shaping and it allows for more success than an all-or-nothing approach to learning new skills. 

TRY THESE :

Keep it Positive. Do not give undue attention to negative behaviors. Instead use prompts for appropriate communication and then quickly reinforce the positive behavior. 

Be Nurturing. Show love and  concern for the child in a way that is beneficial to the child. 

Use Visual supports. They help children organize their time and understand expectations. These are crucial during stressful times when receptive language skills are most impeded.

Use stories. These prepare a child for what to expect and how to act in new situations.

Reward. Reserve favorite items to reward positive behavior during stressful situations.

Encourage, Don’t Push. Do not have a child “work for” his or her biggest reinforcer. This may cause a child so much anxiety that successful completion of the task is almost impossible.

Create Calm. Use pictures of loved ones, favorite things and favorite places to reassure the child while he or she is calm. Teach and praise the child for accessing these items independently when upset.

Most important. Build a positive and trusting relationship with your child.