FAQautism

Most of us tend to attempt to come up with solutions for challenging issues before we actually determine the exact nature of the problem. If we take time to scout out the exact nature and cause of various problems, we then have the information necessary for developing effective solutions to the challenging issue without spinning our wheels.

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For example, the family of a 7-year-old girl with autism is struggling with her explosive outbursts in public. When in the grocery store, a restaurant, the school cafeteria, or grandmother’s house, she often drops to the floor and starts kicking, biting her hand, and screaming very loudly, sometimes crying. Understandably, her parents and brothers hesitate to take her into public places, but they don’t want the youngster to be isolated at home.

Initially, her parents were trying to think of ways to stop her outbursts, but, with guidance, they took a step back so they could pinpoint the problem rather than just shooting in the dark. The first step was to explore all the factors contributing to the problem and brainstorm about possible causes. The family assumed she was just having temper tantrums. But, when looking at the situations more closely, they realized other factors may be involved. These are the factors that emerged when they looked more closely at the situation:
1. Maybe she is struggling with sensory overload – too many people, noises, sights, lights, sounds for her to process.
2. Although she is able to talk, maybe she is frustrated because she is unable to communicate clearly that she wanted to leave.
3. Because many 7-year-old girls are attention seeking, maybe she is in that same phase as her typical peers, but just going to rather extreme measures to gain attention.
4. Maybe her explosive outbursts are a combination of all three factors.

By exploring the issue more closely, the family was able to pinpoint the extenuating factors contributing to the problem, arming them with the information necessary for developing more effective strategies for dealing with the explosive outbursts and for helping the youngster remain calm in public settings.

TIP FOR THE DAY: The family benefited from the principles and guidelines discussed in our newly released Pinpoint Problems FAQautism.com Toolkit, a resource filled to the gills with practical, time-tested information for parents, teachers, therapists, medical professionals, job coaches, and others interested in the well-being of individuals with autism. You can take a peek at chapter 1 of the workbook and listen to the accompanying audio discussion by clicking on http://faqautism.com/toolkits/

We welcome your input about challenging issues you encounter and about our new Pinpoint Problems Toolkit. And we appreciate your telling others about our free daily podcasts and new Toolkit series.

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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