Positive behaviour
Positive behavioural support is an approach that aims to work with the grain of the individual’s nature. It is a framework for supporting people with a learning disability and/or autism.
Positive behavioural support is an approach that aims to work with the grain of the individual’s nature. It is a framework for supporting people with a learning disability and/or autism. Click icon for a clear outline from the NHS.
The Challenging behaviour foundation offers more detail in their practical guide to support family carers to understand how to reduce challenging behaviour.
The approach is used by the National autistic society and Options autism.
OCD
The National autistic society has a page about Obsessive compulsive disorder and Autism. They say that autism shares some similarities with OCD but point out significant differences. Click icon to view. It has links specifically about OCD at the bottom, including from Mind and the NHS.
Parenting difficulty
It can be difficult to talk about a child lashing out at parents. Jo Glanville talks to parents, practitioners and researchers about what happens in families in such cases. Click icon for a 37 minute Radio 4 programme about this.
One of her interviewees is Helen Bonnick, a social worker who went on to research Parent abuse as part of an MA in Child studies. Her blog includes information for parents and sound and vision.
Meltdown vs tantrum
Understood for all is based in New York. It sets out a clear explanation of the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum. There are some quick tips at the top of the page and some next steps at the bottom. Click icon to see.
The National autistic society offers more detailed guide.
What a meltdown feels like
Fifteen people on the Autism Spectrum describe what a meltdown feels like. For example, It literally feels like my head is imploding. Building up to it gets overwhelming, but an actual meltdown is just like your brain is ceasing to exist.
Also, two autism mums have written in detail about how they experience their children’s meltdowns and what they think may be worth considering in order to help. See:
ODD
Verywell website has a very readable page of resources for parents of children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder that may look helpful. Click icon to browse. Also, the Good schools guide sets out the basic causes of ODD, practical tips and differences to similar conditions. See: article
Thanks ‘cool guy’
Here is a story by a father about a plane journey one which a fellow passenger realized his son has autism. Click icon to view.
Autism & the law
The National Autistic Society has produced a page to help you to help your child to stay safe and get the right support from the police.
Also, autistic people are more likely to be victims and witnesses of crime than offenders. If your child is a witness a crime, or are the victim of a crime, they might be interviewed by the police and go to court. Click icon to view this page.
Here is a detailed but readable article aiming to help the reader to understand better the relationship between Asperger’s syndrome & criminal behaviour. They touch on a few recommendations to improve things towards the end of the article:
- Identify the needs of the young person
- Identify triggers for behaviour that might get them into trouble
- Social stories may help young people to understand the issues
- Actions and reactions can be misunderstood by police etc.
An ID card could help to reduce misunderstanding. Canadda, based in Lincoln, can provide ID cards to young people in the Grantham area. See Neuro-diversity ID cards.
See also about Awareness cards on our Handy stuff page.
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