Viatouch Teacher Articles
Teaching Tips

Taming the Tantrums
by Geary Smith

Teachers and parents face challenges every day in dealing with students and children with "normal" emotional behaviors and developmental problems. However, it is extremely difficult for some teachers and parents to recognize and to understand the behavior of autistic children. Children with autism may exhibit some or all of the following traits: insistence on sameness, noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity, resistance to change, difficulty in expressing needs, laughing or crying for reasons not apparent to others, difficulty in social interactions, and sometimes most alarming for teachers and parents—severe behavior tantrums.

I have come to realize that from my experiences in working for the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) in Texas for over twenty one years that many children with autism exhibit tantrums simply as a way of communicating their wants and needs. Sometimes children exhibit tantrums because their needs are not being met, and because they do not know any other means of getting attention. That is why it is so important for teachers and parents to spend time with the child to understand their unique perspective of their world, and to channel their tantrums into a positive behavior. I believe that it is very important to ignore the tantrums, unless a child becomes self abusive to warrant immediate intervention. Most students with autism should have had an Admission Review Dismissal (ARD) meeting before enrolling in school, in which Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) or Behavior Support Plans (BSPs) developed by psychologists or diagnosticians have been discussed by parents and teachers. However, there are several other tips that teachers and parents can try in taming tantrums with children with autism:

1. Expectations and Limitations: Teachers and parents must set expectations and limitations, which must be followed and not broken just because a tantrum is being exhibited. One of the tantrum traps that I see parents fall into is the failure to continually enforce expectations and limitations. For example, a mother took her son to the store, and as they passed the candy, the boy had a tantrum. The mother quickly refused because it was close to dinner. The boy continued and the mother quickly gave in and bought some candy.
   
   
2. Emotional Stickers and Posters: I believe that visual cues like posters with different facial expressions (i.e. sad, happy, and mad) are very helpful in aiding children to understand and to express their emotions. Stickers can also be used when children are unable to communicate what they are feeling at a particular time and event.
   
   
3. Flagging Feelings or Signaling Emotions: As many parents and teachers may know, there are times and situations when tantrums can not be verbally corrected. However, with the use of flags or a signal, adults can express themselves and address the child non-verbally when a tantrum flares up. For example, parents and teachers can use a raised finger to their mouth to flag or to signal calm down or quiet time. Whatever the signal or flag is, make sure it is reinforced to make sure it means the same thing in every situation.
   
   
4. Positive Reinforcements: I know from my experience that many times a simple positive reinforcement for good behavior is very effective. For example, take the token system, in which a child can keep and see progress for positive behavior. Teachers and parents can use a tracking card to place gold stars, happy faces, or points for each time period a child goes without exhibiting tantrums. And, at the end of the agreed upon time period, the child is not only given verbal praises, but given the expected reinforcement. So many times, I see teachers and parents focusing on just the negative behaviors, and never reinforcing the positive behaviors.