Managing Behavioral Issues
By Gillian Feit
Managing behavioral issues can be a challenge; especially when you are dealing with a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). All children, atypical or not, experience meltdown and tantrums at some points in their lives. Most times, these outburst result from not getting something their way or a build up of anger/ anxiety. Although meltdowns and tantrums may be startling for the caregiver and others around, there are some strategies for dealing with these emotional outbursts.
First, it is vital to understand the cycle of tantrums, rages and meltdowns. There are typically three stages which are; 1) the rumbling stage, 2) the rage stage and 3) the recovery stage (Myles and Hubbard, 2005). The rumbling stage is the first stage of the event and this is when the individual begins to display behavioral changes such as; “clear their throats, lower their voices, tense their muscles, tap their foot, or grimace. Some students engage in behaviors that are more obvious, including emotional or physical withdrawal, or verbally or physically challenging another child or adult” (Myles and Hubbard, 2005). Next, the rage stage is when the child “is disinhibited and acts impulsively, emotionally, and sometimes explosively. These behaviors may be externalized (i.e., screaming, biting, hitting, kicking, destroying property or self-injury) or internalized (i.e., withdrawal). Meltdowns are not purposeful, and once the rage stage begins, it most often must run its course” (Myles and Hubbard, 2005). Finally, the recovery stage occurs after the meltdown and this is when many children may deny that any inappropriate behavior occurred while others may be so exhausted that they need to sleep (Myles and Hubbard, 2005).
Although these emotional outbursts may be jarring, there are many strategies for dealing with them. Some common strategies are; antiseptic bouncing, redirecting, proximity control, signal interference, support from routine, just walk and don't talk, and home base.
Antiseptic bouncing is when you remove a child from the environment where they are experiencing the difficulty. For example, if the child is in a classroom, the teacher may send them on an errand or to simply take a walk in the halls. At home, the parent may ask the child to bring them an object or check on something in another room. This encourages the child to focus on a new task which will take their mind off of the challenge. Antiseptic bouncing is also similar to redirecting which involves helping the child “to focus on something other than the task or acuity that appears to be upsetting to her” (Myles and Hubbard, 2005).
Proximity control is another strategy to help a child who has become upset or angry at something. This is when the teacher moves near the students or the parents move near their child. Even just standing next to the child is calming and makes them feel more supported in the hard time. This strategy “can easily be accomplished without interrupting an ongoing activity” (Myles and Hubbard, 2005).
Signal interference is when the teacher or parent begins to notice initial behavioral changes in the rumbling stage. For example, the teacher may position himself in a location to make eye contact with the student in order to present “an agreed-upon ‘secret’ signal, such as tapping on a desk, to alert the child” (Myles and Hubbard, 2005). This will tell the child that the teacher understands that they are upset in order to show solitude to them.
Support from routine is a technique that helps to provide security to the child so there are no surprises. This allows the child to mentally prepare themselves. Support from routine tends to prevent anxiety and reduce the likelihood of tantrums, rage and meltdowns (Myles and Hubbard, 2005).
Just walk and don’t talk also helps children manage their emotions. This strategy is when an adult walks alongside a child without talking. The adult’s silence is important because a child who is dealing with an emotional battle will likely react to any adult statement and may take their statement wrongly. Instead, the adult is there and will be an active listener to the child if the child wishes to speak about their feelings (Myles and Hubbard, 2005).
Additionally home base is a tactic that is used to help children become calm in a time of trouble. “A home base is a place in school or at home where an individual can escape stress” (Myles and Hubbard, 2005). In school, this place may be the student’s guidance counselors office, while at home, “home base” may be the child’s bedroom “or an isolated area in the house”. The home base should always be viewed as a positive environment and it should be quiet with slim to none distractions (Myles and Hubbard, 2005).
Additionally, when these children are in such a state that they experience an emotional outburst, some may display self-injurious behaviors (SIB). SIB are unfortunately fairly common however, having a caregiver or a more mentally controlled figure with the individual, helps loved ones feel more reassured that the individual is in good hands. It is important to note that “generally SIB starts in early childhood: 50% of individuals showed SIB before 3 years of age, 70% before 7 years of age up to 90% before 10 years of age” and the severity of SIB differs from person to person. The severity of SIB is based on the frequency, duration, form, localization and physical damage. Every child is different in terms of their emotional level and management so it is vital to work with the child and a trusted professional to learn how to diminish SIB (Huisman et al., 2018).
When dealing with a child with SIB or frequent behavioral issues, it is vital to understand how to implement positive reinforcement and behavior management techniques. Caregivers can use positive reinforcement when encouraging good behavior to reoccur. For example, if a child has a meltdown every time broccoli is on their plate, their parents may say that if they do not have a meltdown when they see broccoli on their plate, they can play with their favorite toy for 10 minutes instead of 5 minutes. This gives the child more of their desired interest while also encouraging them to keep calm. Other behavior management techniques include; “physical restraint, ‘Tell-Show- Feel and Do technique’, verbal and non-verbal communication, parent present / absent” (Othman, 2017).
Another way to manage behavioral issues is to help the child to get all of their anger out prior to having a tantrum. Dr. Sherkow often uses “bang-a-ball” to help individuals to release aggression. Implementing combat sports to release aggression are extremely beneficial to the child because it helps them take their emotions out on an object rather than others or by engaging in SIB. “Bang-a-ball” which some may know as ‘pound/whack-a-ball’ is a method that helps children release their strong emotions by being instructed to hit the balls while simultaneously saying their thoughts. They may be instructed to change their force when banging the ball or change their yelling volume. Rather than having a tantrum, this encourages the individual to get their emotions and thoughts out by expressing themselves through their strength on a toy. Dr. Sherkow enjoys this method because it is unharmful and the child is still expressing their emotions which is valuable.
Overall, managing behavioral issues can definitely be difficult but by seeking to implement different strategies and working with the child, emotional outbursts are much more manageable.
References
Myles, B. S., & Hubbard, A. (2005). The cycle of tantrums, rage, and meltdowns in children and youth with Asperger syndrome, high-functioning autism, and related disabilities. In CDROM ISEC 2005 Inclusive and Supportive Education Congress (Vol. 10, p. 05).
Huisman, S., Mulder, P., Kuijk, J., Kerstholt, M., Eeghen, A. v., Leenders, A., Balkom, I. v., Oliver, C., Piening, S., & Hennekam, R. (2018). Self-injurious behavior. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 483-491. https://ern-ithaca.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Huisman_SmithMagenis_SIB_NeurosciBiobehavRev2018.pdf
Othman, B. A. (2017). Behavior Management of Children with Autism. Al-Kindy College Medical Journal, 13(1), 27-31. https://www.iasj.net/iasj/download/593b501fddd6fe8c