There are many days I am sure you have had frustration, especially if you try to manage an autistic person, with a defiant behavior. I did not know what that term defiant behavior meant? I thought it was a child or person who was out of control and was not listening to instructions.
I decided to take charge and learn what was meant by defiant behavior in an autistic person? I was shocked to learn the term meant "open resistance to authority." The meaning was defined in Webster's New World Dictionary.
There are many complex challenges that are faced with an autistic child who has a behavior of defiance. You may be challenged by an individual who has autism with this kind of behavior. For example:
* Anger
* Temper tantrums
* Throwing objects
* Pushing
* Kicking other people or other objects
* Rocking back and forth
* Banging his or her head on a hard surface
* Laughing out loud for no apparent reason
* Turning switches off or on, with continuous repetitious action
* Throwing food, silverware and other objects in restaurants
You as parent(s), caregiver(s), are probably asking questions about yourself, and taking into consideration, if you are qualified to be good parent(s), or caregiver(s).
You are wondering why your child is displaying this kind of defiant behavior? You start to question the problem.
Is this person you know who has autism looking for attention or is it your fault this kind of behavior is taking place?
Some indications or thoughts, that I have considered with a friend of mine who has an autistic child, and was constantly showing defiant behavior was:
* What is the request of this child who has autism? What is he trying to tell me?
* Is the surroundings too stressful?
* Are conflicts involved with siblings and other family members?
I have experienced from interacting with other children who have autism, that a defiant behavior seems to be processed as a result of the autistic person asking for a request, but does not know how to properly express it.
Many people who have the disorder of autism, do not know how to ask for what they want, need or express themselves. This could contribute to having a defiant behavior.
I found for myself, it is easy to give into a defiant behavior, if you choose not to control it or try to understand why your autistic individual is having the defiant behavior or what is contributing to it.
Find out what kind of attention your child is seeking and make choices to provide an understanding of these choices and relate them to your child.
Some individuals with autism are often hyper-sensitive to stimulation and can be limited to changes or do not understand what the changes mean. They become defiant to new changes and their behavior can become a challenge for you to understand.
If you are aware of behavior problems, because he or she is overloaded from having too many changes, overwhelmed with stimulations that is too quick and fast, it is wise for you to be calm and to keep your child calm through this process.
You might want to have a plan available, if the behavior of defiance continues. You could bring your child to a room that feels calm, dim the lights, play soft, soothing music, keep loud, sharp noises and bright lights at a minimum.
I have discovered, if you know there are situations that will create a defiant behavior in your child, either avoid those areas, plan for them and be prepared to change the surroundings if possible.
Progress for your child who has a defiant behavior can be slow, and may only show in limited phases. In time, and with the growth of age, your child will probably have this kind of behavior under control.
Are you willing to take the time to understand why the defiant behavior is happening and can you change it?
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