Aggression, violence, and other challenging behavior may really be signs of Sensory Issues. Denman, et al. (2016) say… Families of a child diagnosed with autism can find themselves trying to understand their child’s behavior while on the waiting list for ‘formal diagnosis.’ How this ‘parental making sense’ of behaviors affects parenting. Continuing saying that confusions can also occur with children who have insecure attachment patterns and sensory impairments.
Also that it is hard for parents to understand how a slight change in routine can cause a child to have a ‘meltdown’ in the middle of the street. At the same time, parents are concerned about the need to present a ‘positive identity’ to others; while allowing ‘face saving’ while around friends and family members.
< My Thoughts > Uninformed society says, “Bad kid… bad parenting… or both.” Or as someone so appropriately stated… “He’s not giving me a bad time…” “He’s having a bad time…”
What I am offering here are powerful stories which may capture at this moment, what it is like to have this experience.
What Color is Monday? How Autism Changed One Family for the Better by Carrie Cariello, eBooks 2015 Edition; with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker
Focused Excerpts from the book (13% indicates location in the Kindle version of the book, instead of page numbers.)
13% We accepted the diagnosis and forged ahead, getting Jack into as many services as we could. I do think in the back of our minds we both harbored the notion that he would outgrow this, that his symptoms would diminish and he would blossom into a typical child.
14% Jack was very difficult that spring. In his preschool back in Buffalo he’d started biting and kicking both kids and teachers, and everyone seemed at a loss as how to control his behavior. At home he’d started to hit both Joe and I, and to get into mischief…
< My Thoughts > “…he’d started to hit both Joe and I…”
Frea, et al. (2001), tell us that “…exhibiting extremely challenging behaviors can be improved with some sort of intact communication system which allows the child to express choices and preferences, in all settings.”
REFERENCES used here are:
Frea, W., Arnold, C., Vittimberga, G., Koegel, R. (2001). A Demonstration of the Effects of Augmentative Communication on the Extreme Aggressive Behavior of a Child With Autism Within an Integrated Preschool Setting; Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions; Vol.3:4, p194.
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