Teaching a child with autism can pose certain challenges best resolved through consideration for the child’s feelings and state of mind, alertness and preventive measures. Teachers at autism schools are often required to deal with behavioral challenges as an autistic child may lack the ability to understand and regulate their emotions.
Behavioral challenges at an autism school
A child may exhibit anxiety, frustration or rage if presented with the following circumstances at school:
- Changes in the daily routine or the environment
- Discomfort caused due to hypersensitivity or under-sensitivity to stimuli such as light, sound or touch
- Being unable to grasp what’s being taught in the classroom
- Being unable to get assistance when needed
- Social situations in which the child is at a loss for what to do or say
- Being asked to perform a task that overwhelms the child
A student with autism could get anxious in the face of such stressors and may resort to fidgeting, tensing up, having tics or getting off one’s chair. In some cases, these emotions may overwhelm the child to the point of triggering a meltdown.
What is a meltdown?
An autistic child’s meltdown is an impulsive or emotional reaction to stimuli, tasks or situations that they are unable to deal with. A meltdown is not a deliberate attempt to “get back at” a teacher or fellow students, even though it can seem that way because of the aggressive behavior involved. Meltdowns are merely a reflection of a child’s inability to cope with the environment or their resultant emotions.
A meltdown usually occurs in the following three stages:
- Rumbling
In this stage, the student begins to experience discomfort and anxiety. The student may exhibit any of the following warning signs of a meltdown:
- Talking under their breath
- Talking louder than they usually do
- Sweating or a flushed face
- Swinging their legs
- Drumming fingers on the table
Signs of a possible meltdown can differ from child to child. Keen observation and maintaining good communication with parents can help teachers at an autism school recognize the usual signs and symptoms of being at the verge of a meltdown associated with each child.
Employing strategies to calm a child down at this stage can prevent an explosive reaction.
- Rage
This stage refers to the meltdown itself. It may involve screaming, kicking and other forms of aggressive behavior. The child may also withdraw from teachers and peers.
- Recovery
This is a vulnerable stage in which the child has calmed down but is still recovering from the meltdown.
Strategies to preempt or deal with a meltdown
- Antiseptic bouncing
Antiseptic bouncing is the act of sending the child away from their immediate environment in a non-punitive manner. Teachers at autism schools can adopt numerous ways to do so such as asking the child to drop some papers off in another classroom or by asking them to have a drink from the water cooler. Being removed from the environment helps distract and calm a child.
- Sending the child to a “cool zone” or “home base”
Having one or several rooms in the school that you can send a student to when they are anxious is useful for helping get them some space to feel more organized, cool and collected. A “cool zone” could also be a room that belongs to a counselor, speech-language pathologist or an occupational therapist. The aim of designating a “home base” is to let students know that there’s a safe haven where they can head to if they feel a slew of negative emotions.
- Teaching the child to recognize and modulate their emotions
An autistic child could lack self-awareness or an awareness of their own emotions. Teachers at autism schools can take to teaching a child how to recognize and manage their emotions. You could tell them that if their breathing becomes shallow or if they feel fidgety, they may need to take a break or ask for assistance. Teaching students effective coping strategies can enable them to modulate their emotions even outside school.
Certain autism schools employ staff that is trained to manage behavioral issues. Rebecca School is an NYC school for children with autism and similar developmental disorders that has a well-informed and trained staff to cope with behavioral challenges. To know more about Rebecca School, you may visit: www.rebeccaschool.org
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