Children with autism have temper tantrum problems - also called a meltdown, when it happens, they throw themselves on the floor, crying, screaming and kicking as a means of getting across that things are "not right". Normal kids have temper tantrums too, but it's not so difficult to deal with as autistic children. Here's some tips for parents on how to tame "temper tantrum"-like behaviors of children with autism, which also work for normal kids.
1. Transfer the child's attention. When the child shows signs of a tantrum, try to attract his attention to something else that he would be interested in.
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2. Ignore the tantrum. For a preschooler, ignore his tantrum but stay where he can see you; for a older child, tell him to return to his own room after he calms down.
3. Control yourself. Set a good example for your child, even in a tantrum, the child is learning from you.
4. Avoiding injury is the top priority during a meltdown. If the child starts to hurt himself or others, you must intervene and move the child to an safer place.
5. Describe the tantrum behavior to your child with "you lost control", not "you are too bad".
6. Find chances to give lavish praise for the appropriate behaviors. Once the child stops the tantrum, praise him for the next appropriate behavior.
7. You can comfort the child, but don't satisfy any unreasonable demands of them.
8. Avoid meltdowns in public places, people who don't know that your child is on autism spetrum will make presumptions about your parenting skills.
Hope these tips are helpful for controlling temper tantrums of autistic children.
How To Manage Temper Tantrums Of Children With Autism
http://www.autism-world.com/index.php/2008/04/07/how-to-control-temper-tantrums-of-children-with-autism
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