FAQautism

Sometimes the most effective way to deal with tenacious and potentially harmful habits is the “cold turkey” approach. In the long run, we want to implement strategies to teach more appropriate behaviors. But, meanwhile, it is often necessary to take some immediate, cold turkey steps to prevent serious problems from arising.

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1. Obsessive eating. Sneaking into the kitchen at night to devour every cookie, candy, or other sweet treat in the pantry is detrimental to a person’s health in the long run. Some of my friends with autism seem to be obsessed with eating foods that are particularly harmful to their health because of food allergies or other issues. When all else fails, consider this cold turkey strategy: simply do not keep these forbidden foods in the house.

2. Destroying items. Some individuals with autism tend to tear magazines and books or break electronic items such as remote controls, cell phones, or DVD players. In this case, the cold turkey strategy that yields results is to ALWAYS keep these items locked away out of reach and out of sight of the “destroyer.”

3. Persistent hitting. A cold turkey strategy may be in order if a student with autism tends to strike out at anyone within arms reach in the classroom or lunchroom. It is certainly in the best interest of the student and classmates to always keep the youngster’s chair or desk out of arm’s reach of others. The same strategy works for individuals who persistently knock over chairs, sweep items off the table, or kick chairs or tables. The best prevention strategy is to keep people and items out of reach without fail.

Tip for the day. Emotional outbursts or explosive tantrums can be avoided or minimized if you implement your cold turkey strategy without fanfare. Don’t make a big issue over banning oreos or moving a person’s chair out of reach. The cold turkey strategy is not a punishments, but rather as a method of protecting your friend with autism and people around him.

One final thought – I really depend on word of mouth to spread the word about FAQautism.com, so I appreciate your taking a minute to send a link to people you know who are interested in the well-being of individuals with autism http://FAQautism.com

NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com

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