Autistic Logistics by Kate Wilde

Author:Kate Wilde
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Published: 2021-09-21T00:00:00+00:00

Intense energy action checklist

Be aware that our children hit not because they want to hurt us but because they are trying to take care of themselves.

Consider the four major reasons why our children hit:

They are trying to communicate something to us.

They want to see us react to their intense energy in a big, interesting way.

They are taking care of their sensory challenges.

They are trying to protect themselves in some way.

Notice the signs that your child gives 15 minutes before or during the times when they are using intense energy.

Find out which checklist group your child’s signs are in (see earlier in the chapter). It will either be group 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Do the following if you are in checklist group 1:

Think: My child is hitting me in an attempt to communicate. Their actions are not connected to their love for me, or their respect for me. I can help my child by giving another way to communicate.

Move slowly.

Explain to your child that you do not understand their intense energy.

Move fast to other forms of communication, such as verbal communications, sounds, and physically moving you.

Move out of the way when you see the signs that your child is about to have intense energy.

Give your child an alternative if they want something that you cannot or do not want to give them.

Do not give your child the thing they had intense energy for.

Make sure you ask your child to communicate either verbally or non-verbally if you decide to give the thing to them. Tell them you gave it to them because they used this new way of communicating, not because they hit you.

Be persistent and consistent with using the above techniques each time your child uses intense energy.

Do the following if you are in checklist group 2:

Think: My child is hitting me in to get a reaction. Their actions are not connected to their love for me, or their respect for me. I can help my child not reacting in a big way to their hitting and give them something else to react to that will enhance their lives.

Change your reaction to your child’s intense energy.

Change your reaction to a “non-reaction.” Be quiet, calm, and non-interesting in your response.

Explain calmly just once that you want your child to be gentle, and that you do not understand what their hitting means.

Give a big, fun, over-the-top reaction to all the times when your child is gentle.

Do the following if you are in checklist group 3:

Think: My child is hitting me in an attempt to take care of their sensory system. Their actions are not connected to their love for me, or their respect for me. I can help my child by giving them more sensory input to help them balance their bodies.

Squeeze the part of your child’s body that needs sensory input. This could be their head, the feet, legs, or hands.

Explain to your child that they could give you the body part that they need squeezing and you would squeeze it for them.

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