During tantrums, the youngster may weep, stiffen up, yell, kick things, tumble down, or flee. Some youngsters hold their breath, while others puke. They could break anything around the house. When autistic children have tantrums, they might become violent. Sometimes they try to kill themselves.
Autistic people do not feel emotions such as joy, anger, or sadness. They can understand what others are feeling but cannot communicate this information to others. As a result, an autistic person's behavior is unable to convey emotional content. For example, an autistic person who is angry with someone may go into his room and slam the door. This action would be understood by anyone else in the family as indicating that he is angry, but it would not make him stop being angry. He could do something about it later when he is calm.
Tantrums usually start between 18 months and 3 years of age. Youngsters may have several episodes of temper tantrums per day. Parents of an autistic child should not worry if their child has more than one episode of temper tantruming daily or even weekly. It is normal for young children to experience more frequent mood changes - from happy to sad or vice versa - than adults. Tantrums can be very intense experiences for young children, but most cope well with them.
Autism tantrums are different from ordinary childhood tantrums in many ways.
Temper tantrums are violent emotional outbursts that occur as a result of irritation.
During a tantrum, children usually have some control over their conduct. A tantrum usually ends when children obtain what they want, get out of doing what they don't want to do, or give up. (However, outbursts can escalate into meltdowns.)
A meltdown is a serious behavior problem that requires intervention by someone who has knowledge of autism spectrum disorders and effective behavioral management techniques. Although parents of autistic children learn about managing behaviors on an ongoing basis, there are times when certain behaviors become so severe that they require intervention from an outside source.
Tantrums and meltdowns affect everyone involved with the child-parent pair, including siblings and other family members. As such, it is important for families to understand the factors that may be leading up to these violent behaviors so that appropriate measures can be taken to prevent any further escalation of the situation.
Concerning temper outbursts Tantrums occur as a result of children's still-developing social and emotional abilities. Children frequently lack the ability to articulate their feelings. They might be putting their burgeoning independence to the test. And they're realizing that they can have an impact on how other individuals behave. All this leads up to the tantrum.
The most common cause of a child's violent tantrum is when he or she feels rejected by another person. When this happens, the child may try to get attention by acting out aggressively. He or she may throw a fit if you ignore them, or simply go about your business.
If this scenario describes your child's behavior, don't worry. It is very common for young children to struggle with self-control and to show their emotions without thinking through the consequences. As they grow older, they will learn better coping strategies for dealing with strong emotions.
Tantrums may also be caused by physical problems such as allergies, ear infections, or stomach viruses. Emotional problems such as depression or anxiety may also trigger violent outbursts. If you think your child is suffering from any of these disorders, talk to his or her doctor so appropriate treatment can be given.
Finally, children may have violent tantrums because they are angry about something you did not know about.
Temper outbursts can be caused for a number of causes in kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Because many autistic children have difficulty expressing in socially appropriate ways, they may act out when they are confused, fearful, nervous, or agitated. They may also use their hands to express themselves, which can lead to self-injury and aggressive behaviors.
Cognitive problems may also cause a child to act out. If he is unable to understand why she is getting upset or refuses to understand the consequences of his actions, he will not know how to control himself.
Autistic people tend to focus on details that others ignore or forget. This could explain why some individuals get so caught up in an activity that they become oblivious to what everyone else is doing. When they stop what they're doing to listen to you or look at them, they often don't realize it's time to switch activities.
Some researchers believe that tantrums are an attempt by autistic people to communicate. Although non-verbal, they still want others to pay attention to them. By screaming, kicking, and flapping your arms, you are telling others that there is something you need them to help you with.
Tantrums can be very frustrating for parents of autistic children. However, by understanding the reason behind them, you can help your child cope better with them.