Managing Behaviors

In this video, Shannon Penrod talks candidly about tantrums and meltdowns, including the difference between a tantrum and a meltdown, how communication challenges in autism lead to tantrums, and how tantrums always serve a purpose in a person’s ability to communicate their wants and needs.

This video shares four tips from an autism mom that parents and caregivers can use to help avoid, prevent, or minimize meltdowns. Tips include looking for cues, redirecting, using a weighted blanket, fidgets, and other things.

In this video, Indie Andy, who is autistic himself, gives 10 tips to help you stop – or – help prevent meltdowns. As an autistic adult, Andy talks about meltdowns as being one of the hardest autism traits to deal with and how meltdowns can occur regardless of age.

Mary Barbera, a nurse practitioner, behavior analyst, and autism mom, discusses medication and dietary supplements for autism and whether you should use them or not.

Shannon Penrod, autism mom and former classroom teacher, talks about the best ways to reduce challenging behaviors in the classroom and on the school yard-so teachers can get back to doing their jobs.

Courtney, a behavior analyst, gives examples of 3-key strategies for reducing unwanted behaviors to learn tools for replacing them with desired behaviors, including, consistency, avoid giving attention to undesired behaviors, and teaching alternative behaviors.

Dr. Mary Barbera is an autism mom, Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, and best-selling author of The Verbal Behavior Approach. In this video she discusses positive approaches to replacing undesired behaviors with positive ones.

In this video, Dr. Mary Barbera discusses aggressive behavior exhibited by some children with autism which can be difficult for even trained professionals, as well as parents to address.

In this episode of Autism Live, Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Angela Persicke joins the program to discuss “extinction” procedures and their ability to address challenging behaviors in children with autism.

In this Ability Life Solutions Video Favorite, Stephanie from Our LANDing Crew discusses some reactions to her children’s meltdowns she has had in the past, and some strategies she has learned to more effectively handle them now. She discusses different situations such as being out in public or at a family gathering where her children …

In this video, Board Certified Music Therapist Ryan Judd takes us into a session with him and a client to illustrate strategies he uses to help his patients feel calm. He has calming ambient music playing at a resting heart rate (60 BPM) when the patient walks in the room. He fulfills sensory needs for …

In this video, Stephanie from Our LANDing Crew discusses tips to minimize the potential for harm to a child having a meltdown or to others when one occurs. If possible, she suggests moving the child to somewhere that is safer and quieter. Another strategy that can work at times is to redirect the child’s attention …

In this video, Developmental Therapist Rebecca O’Neill discusses the need for children, especially those on the spectrum, to develop strategies for coping with stressful situations. The strategy that works best is specific to each child, but O’Neill shares one strategy that works well for many individuals, which is belly breathing. By taking large breaths in …

In this video, Stephanie from Our LANDing Crew talks about discipline for children with autism, and understands that it is a difficult complex subject. Stephanie discusses contexts where she won’t discipline her children and methods she won’t use to discipline them, which are important to separate out from appropriate discipline. For example, she won’t discipline …

In this video, Kevin Chapman reflects on his experiences with his son on back-to-school day, from having a meltdown two years prior to being excited for school the previous year, and what strategies you can employ to help ease the anxiety in children with autism about going back to school. Gathering information about the upcoming …

Don’t be vague when presenting expectations to your child. Billie Harber, M.Ed. a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, supports parents and carers to set clear, specific rules and expectations beyond merely telling them to behave. To help avoid unpredictable, stressful situations for both you and your child before going out into the community, it’s important you …

Billie Harber, M.Ed. a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, supports parents and carers to mindful bedtime routines for your child. Consistency is key in supporting your child to understand the routine you set up. Dr. Harber will show you how to begin making a list of routines and making a visual schedule. Knowing what to expect …

Tantrums are not just difficult for the child, they are a challenge for the whole family. Because autistic children have social and language communication issues, they are more easily frustrated than a typical child experiences. This is a huge piece of the reason why they might have a tantrum in the first place. Preempting it …

In this Ability Life Solutions Video Favorite, Rachel Wise, a school psychologist and licensed behavior specialist explores 15 strategies to support autistic children. Wise’s 20 years of experience, bases her suggestions in this video on her work in this field. Some of the things you’ll learn in this video are how to help your child …

In this short animated video, several concrete techniques are provided to help you help your child learn new, replacement behaviors, express frustrations, creating “house rules” with examples you can write down and post on your refrigerator. All behaviors are a form of communication, yet the feelings, needs and wants of an autistic child might not …

In this video, Dr. Mary Barbera discusses strategies one can use to help reduce problem behaviors for children with autism, such as hitting themselves or others. Dr. Barbera stresses the importance of including a medical and behavioral health professional to help address aggressive behaviors, and gives tips for working with such children. An important part …

In this Ability Life Solutions Video Favorite, Shannon Penrod, autism mom and former teacher, delves into the function of behavior, including the four usual suspects, attention-seeking, escaping or elopement – trying to avoid, access to someone or something, and the toughest to solve, are sensory challenges. Possible sensory dysfunction can be difficult to understand as …

In this video, Dr. Mary Barbera addresses her most requested topic from parents about their children with autism, how to address their child’s aggressive behaviors. Dr. Barbera stresses the importance of beginning with an in-depth assessment of the behavior, and including a medical and behavioral professional in the process. Dr. Barbera offers a free 3-part …

Dr. Mary Barbera is an autism mom and a Board Certified Behaviorist. When and where does the problem behavior happen? Who, what, where, are the questions to ask. What happens right before the behavior occurs – called the antecedent. What do you do when the behaviors occur? What are the consequences? Dr. Barbera teases out …

In this video, Sally Thibault shares her experience with dealing with meltdowns while raising her son David, and strategies which she learned which have been useful for David to deal with these emotions which he uses to this day. It is important to remember, says Thibault, that everybody – autism or not – expresses emotions …

In this video, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Barbara Lester discusses strategies which parents can employ to help their child with autism get through a meltdown. Lester discusses phases of a meltdown, starting with the trigger. Although it’s best to avoid situations which might trigger a meltdown, it isn’t always possible to do so. The …

In this video, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) Emma McAdam discusses neuroplasticity and our ability to rewire our brain to better handle anxiety. The process for rewiring our response to anxiety is to understand what anxiety is. Anxiety is an emotion we feel when we prepare for an important decision or event. Understanding what …