Physical aggression can include, but not be restricted to,
such behaviors as kicking, hitting, spitting, pinching, biting, and poking.
Here is a selection of interventions covering agression.
Whether aggression is verbal or physical keep good records
of when it occurs. This can help you determine specific patterns and design the
most appropriate intervention. For example, does it occur more often during
school assemblies when noise levels may be high? Is it occurring at the end of
the school day when the child may be tired and/or hungry? Does it occur
frequently when the child is changing from one activity to another?
In dealing with the behavior of children with
autism spectrum disorders, the following need to be taken into consideration. They
include: receptive language and language processing difficulties, social
language difficulties, social behavior problems, sensory processing
differences, problems handling transitions and change, problems with
self-esteem and/or depression, weakness in organizational skills and task
sequencing, academic and/or athletic skill deficits, difficulty managing stress
and anxiety, and attention problems.
Teach children how to solve problems with words not actions.
Children often fight it out because they lack the language and social skills to
talk things through. Post a list of feeling words that they can refer to.
Respond the first time you see an aggressive act. Don't wait
for a third or fourth time. The child needs a very clear directive from you
that the behavior is not effective. Teach aggression-inhibiting sentences that
the child can say to them-self. Such sentences may include, "Talk, don't
hit" and "Stop and think before I act".
