Rumbling, rage & recovery | Autism PDD

Today I ran across an interesting article by Brenda Myles. I thought the most interesting part was a list of 7 strategies you can use in the rumbling stage (ie agitation and escalation towards a meltdown/rage).

These rumbling strategies included:

- walking together with an adult (the adult is silent but the child can vent verbally)

- "antiseptic bouncing" (giving the child a break by sending her/him on a small errand, for example I could suggest my son run to his bedroom and get one of his Bionicles).

Sometimes those little, unobtrusive strategies are enough to avoid a meltdown, if you know the signs of "rumbling" in your child and can thus use the strategies in a timely manner. Here's the link:

http://www.isec2005.org.uk/isec/abstracts/papers_m/myles_b.s html

We ourselves have had success using a thermometer visual for helping our son learn to manage his emotions. A similar visual/tool is known "the incredible 5 point scale." Here is a short introduction to it, and shows a worksheet where the child identifies what each number on the scale looks like and feels like, and what s/he can try to do.

http://www.autismnetwork.org/modules/behavior/stress/lecture 03.html

Here's something similar with strategies for challenging behaviors.

http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:-PcXrqD4YVoJ:mysamiam.b logspot.com/search%3Fupdated-min%3D2005-01-01T00%253A00%253A 00-06%253A00%26updated-max%3D2006-01-01T00%253A00%253A00-06% 253A00%26max-results%3D14+%22social+story%22+%22change+in+ro utine%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=39

I liked their acronym TEASE to help you systematically go through the potential reasons why a challenging behavior is occurring.

<quote>

T- is for Tangibles. To get food, obtain activities, get toys, or protect personal space.

E- is for Escape/Avoidance. Difficult tasks (bath time, hair cuts, picking up toys), change in routine, Interruption in a desired activity, avoid hugs, affection, or attention.

A- is for Attention. Obtain hugs, Parent Attention, Interactions from others.

S- is for Sensory (Self reinforcement or stimulation). Obtain sensory input, rocking, head banging, hand flapping, spinning somersaults, finger flicking, leg banging.

E- End of reasons. Meaning, once you find out the reason or function of the behavior, it can bring an end to it, or an end to your concern for it.