How to Calm an Autistic Child
Having an autistic child can sometimes prove overwhelming and challenging, and while this doesn’t reflect on your abilities to properly parent your kid, or your ability to understand them, children who exist on the spectrum do require different levels of care. However, by understanding and implementing the right strategies and techniques on how to calm an autistic child, you can help provide the best quality of life for everyone involved.
Below, we’ll cover some of the best techniques, strategies, tips, and ways that parents, friends, and other caregivers can provide that will help create the most ideal situations and experiences.;
Keys To Success: Calming Techniques For Autism
When implementing various calming techniques for Autism, it’s best to keep the following in mind.
- Choose your approach wisely
Think about your child's strengths, challenges, and sensory preferences before selecting an Autism calming technique to try. Some techniques may be amazing for your child, and some may not work for them. Try one at a time, to see what works best.
- Practice ahead of time
Plan ahead and practice behavioral strategies when the child is calm. It is important your child knows what the strategy is before it is needed.
- Assess
After trying calming techniques, reflect on what went well and what did not. Involve your child in this reflection if possible.
Sound information equals effective treatment, so taking the time to have your child’s behavior observed and assessed by professionals can have even deeper benefits than these techniques. Check out further information on our professional assessments.
Autism Tantrums Behavioral Strategies
Here are the top five behavioral strategies that you can start implementing today.
- Sensory play
During the beginning of a meltdown, engaging in a sensory activity can bring anxiety relief. Sensory activities include such things as sensory tables, sensory bottles, edible jewelry, and clay sculpting.
- Blow it out
Taking a deep breath can have tremendous benefits. Pretending to blow out a candle (hold up a finger), or blowing bubbles are ways to help focus breathing and kick off calming effects.
- Engage muscles
Activating muscles and doing some heavy exercise can provide sensory input and potentially generate a sense of calm. Choose an appropriate exercise for your child such as, using an exercise ball, carrying a backpack with soup cans, or pushing on the couch.
- Emergency exits
Make a plan and provide an option for your child to remove themselves from the situation to deal with anxiety or frustration.
This can be as simple as talking about the ability to take a break in another room, watch a favorite television show, or go to a designated safe and comfortable space if needed.
- Deep pressure
Our body’s ability to sense pressure is tied to the proprioceptive sensory system. This system when activated can help manage responses to sensory stimuli.
Deep pressure can be provided with big squeeze hugs, weighted blankets or vests, or compression clothing.
*Some Autistic children hate deep pressure. Know your child's sensory preferences before trying this activity.
Join Us In Supporting And Empowering: Caregivers And Children with Autism
Parenting an Autistic child is not easy, though there are techniques and Autism behavior strategies which offer support and empowerment for caregivers and children with Autism. We hope the techniques shared here are helpful, and encourage you to learn more about Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) training and our Autism Caregiver Training.
References:
George, K. (2018, October 12). 5 calming strategies for Autism meltdowns. AutisticMama. https://autisticmama.com/calming-strategies-for-autism-meltdowns/
Milam, S. (2018, April 18). When my son with Autism Melts Down, here’s what I do. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/autism/what-to-do-autism-meltdown
Rudy, J.L. (2020, November 10). How to calm a child with Autism. VeryWellHealth. https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-calm-a-child-with-autism-4177696