IMPORTANT NOTICE: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and continued breastfeeding for as long as possible. Growing up milks are formulated to meet nutrition needs of healthy young children older than 1 year and should not be fed to infants.
Most toddlers can display at times inappropriate behaviors that parents find quite annoying and difficult to handle and address; yet, toddlers with autism are more likely to do so.
Autistic children might for instance, hurt themselves and others, refuse to follow orders, ignore requests, and behave aggressively or in a socially inappropriate manner. They are more likely to do so, either because they are very anxious, they don’t know how to express their wants and needs or have difficulty understanding what is going on around them; and that’s for many reasons, including: sensory sensitivities, inability to transition from one activity to another, discomfort and tiredness.
To be able to handle these types of behaviors, parents shall rely on positive strategies based on determining: 1) the triggers behind each inappropriate act, 2) the child’s response to these triggers, 3) and the rewards or what he gets out from behaving as such.
Once these 3 points are identified, parents shall intervene in order to change the trigger or the reward, following these tips:
- Get your toddler in the habit or routine of following a specific pattern every day.
- Prepare your little one for any change in his regular routine. By way of example, show him expressive pictures or give him a 5-minute warning before starting a new activity.
- Gradually introduce your child to environments that might annoy or irritate him, by taking him for short visits first.
- Clearly interact with your toddler and catch his attention at all times.
- Communicate with your tot using words, pictures or symbols that he can assimilate and understand, particularly when he’s stressed out.
- Train your child on how to ask for what he wants or needs.
- Plan for every situation that might be difficult or overstimulating. Allow your kid to have his favorite toy with him for example, or avoid getting him into new experiences when he’s tired.
- Ignore your toddler’s complaints and protests.
- Praise every good behavior your tot makes.
Try out these effective tips to deal with the annoying and inappropriate behaviors associated with autism if you’re a mother of an ASD child and take a moment to share your experience with us!
Read More: Early Signs Of Autism In Babies
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