Every child will tend to misbehave. When a child misbehaves, he or she would usually get punish or scolded by their parents. But, when it comes to autistic children, you will need to discipline them with a unique and different kind of approach.
Traditional discipline approaches are harder to implement when you are dealing with autistic children. Some children with autistic disorder may not understand the consequences of his actions. So what can you do to discipline them? There are a few strategies that may be helpful so that you can teach him how to manage his behaviour.
1. Educate yourself
Symptoms of autism vary greatly. Therefore, it is important to educate yourself to have a good understanding of your child’s needs. Most autistic children are not able to control and manage their behaviour.
2. Teach self-calming
A child with autism is more difficult to calm down when they have meltdowns. Teaching your autistic child self-calming techniques may help him or her calm down. This technique will work well on older children compared to younger ones.
Teach her to breathe in and out through her nose slowly. Close her eyes and think of something pleasant. Another way is to hug her until she is calmed down.
3. Positive discipline
Use positive discipline towards autistic children because they respond better to discipline techniques that focus on the positive. You can try rewarding your child by using visual tools, such as stickers. You also have to praise him a lot when he or she acts positively. Whenever he or she starts misbehaving, tell you child directly on what he or she shouldn’t do.
4. Safety first
If your child is in an unsafe situation, emotionally or physically, remove him or her immediately. Observe how your child reacts when you take her out of the position.
5. Be consistent
Consistency is the key. This does not only apply to children with autism but for all kids. It may take time to teach your kids what you are expecting, but they will learn along the way.
Every child needs clear, consistent rules and also discipline. I know that it’s not easy to raise a child with autism, but you can discipline them by being gentle and by using positivity.
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