Helping Children Meet Their Full Potential Faster
Life with a child on the spectrum comes with its highs and lows, delights and challenges. As a parent/caregiver of a unique child with special concerns & issues, you deal with maladaptive behaviors and unexpected responses/reactions. Preparing yourself to deal with them and have strategies etc makes life easier for all. This ensures that the stress level of all is reduced and the family sails together as a loving unit at all times. Listed below are some suggested techniques that can be used to minimize tantrums, improve understanding, follow instructions, and overall atmosphere at home:
Schedule a few minutes of time before any change of activity. Change doesn’t come easily to many children on the spectrum. They are most at ease with familiar routines, places, and activities. For example, they may not like the idea of going to a neighborhood park or a mall or visiting people. Use short periods of time gap such as 5 minutes with verbal / illustrated instructions before switching to any new activity/task that works in many gaps. These instructions help the child prepare for the new activity. You could say “In five minutes we are going to the neighborhood convenience store." Over time they learn to associate these ‘reminders’ as a signal of the end of one activity and the start of another. Thus, the child gets accustomed to these minute reminders/warnings on a daily basis.
Tantrums in children occur because they don’t get what they want right away. It could be a toy in a shop, a snack in a supermarket, or an electronic device to play with at home. In order to deal with these scenarios, you could use the concept of “first this and then that” to get them to do activities and tasks. On completion of the task, they are rewarded with a treat. An example of this concept is "First we eat our breakfast, then we can and ride our cycles”. Based on your child’s skills and abilities, you could do this verbally or with the help of visual boards. The use of such simple words gives form to a child's mind and allows them to follow instructions. This in turn leads to a reduction in frustration in their minds as they know that to get something, they will have to carry out an expected task or behave appropriately.
Remain calm and possess a sense of humor in all cases. Having contingency plans on dealing with such scenarios ensures that they are addressed well in time with minimum impact for all. Being patient and calm takes time and effort on the part of any parent/caregiver but its rewards are multifold.
Reward good behavior. Positive reinforcement is a pillar of ABA therapy. By offering them treats (verbal praise, candy, favorite toy, or activity) for completing tasks or exhibiting appropriate behavior, reinforces in their mind to continue on this path. The link gets established over time in their mind and needs to be sustained by all caregivers. For example, on completion of their homework, you could offer them a sweet treat they enjoy like an ice popsicle in the summer months.
Being a parent is a rewarding experience with faith that you as a family unit will overcome all odds and that nothing is permanent. We hope the above tips will be useful to you in managing any maladaptive behaviors that they may exhibit.
