Children with autism often behave in a way that leaves us with a load of unanswered questions…
Why did they do that?
What are they feeling?
Do they want this?
Do they need that?
Is something bothering them?
Are they upset?
What are they trying to tell me?
Take Kieron, a child I once worked with…
Kieron often jumped on the spot and thumped his upper legs.
To begin with, we thought it was his way of expressing frustration. It happened a lot when he couldn’t get us to understand him or when he wasn’t getting his way.
We encouraged and helped Kieron communicate his feelings to us and over time, bit by bit we were getting glimmers of success.
But then one day Kieron was thoroughly enjoying himself playing outside with one of his sisters when he jumped up and down and thumped his upper leg.
Naturally, his mum went over to see if something had hurt Kieron or upset him.
Kieron ignored and moved away from his mum, keen to get back to his game with his sister.
Then another time he was indoors playing with playdoh when he stopped and began thumping his legs yet again.
It was time for us to take another look at this behaviour. And what we discovered was that it had now become a multi purpose behaviour.
Kieron quickly learnt that he enjoyed the feeling of thumping himself and jumping on the spot, so he now engaged in it whenever he could. For no other reason than to enhance a situation.
To an outsider, autistic behaviours can seem confusing and even distressing, but this only happens when you don’t know WHY the child is doing it.
As parents and carers, it’s key that we understand our children so we can help them thrive the best way we can.
Find out more ways to understand your child better and work together with your child by joining the ‘Unlimited Autism Success Inner Circle’ …
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If you’re a parent or carer with an autistic child and you want to get the very best them and see them move forwards in every area of their development… Join now and get full access to helpful tips, insights and heaps of information to start your journey.
Speak with you soon until then,
Live every moment, Love beyond words and make a difference today
Emma Ottaway
The Ambitious Autism Ambassador
