De-escalating Tantrums
During our “rough patch”, we experienced LOTS of tantrums with Jeremiah. Of course, we knew that we would experience meltdowns with our children to at some point. Given the fact that Jeremiah was nonverbal his tantrums were elevated! I’m not going to lie, there were many times I wanted to crawl into a hole and act as if things didn’t exist. I became “that mom” that walked around the grocery store with a screaming child.
Over a period of time, I learned a few tips that help both Jeremiah & myself get through our temper tantrum stage. Had I known some of these techniques in the beginning, maybe things would have been less stressful! I would like to share those jewels to keep in your back pocket. Not everyone will have a child with autism spectrum disorder BUT at some point, you will experience tantrums. These techniques can be used for ALL children with or without special needs.
Source: Simplepractice.com
De-escalating techniques for diffusing meltdowns:
- Don’t yell to be heard over a screaming child
- Avoid making demands
- Validate their feelings, not their actions
- Don’t try to reason
- Be aware of your body language
- Respect personal space
- Get on your child’s level
- Use a distraction
- Acknowledge your child’s right for refusal
- Reflective listening
- Silence
- Be non-judgmental
- Answer questions, ignore verbal aggression
- Movement break
- Avoid the word “no”
- Decrease stimulation
- Deep breath exercises
- Calm visuals
Of course, these did not work “ALL OF THE TIME” but I eventually learned what triggered Jeremiah and what de-escalation techniques to use when. Keep in mind that every child is different. These techniques may or may not work for your child. I hope that you’re able to implement some of these tips in your home. Until next time …
