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Aspergers violence can be a real problem. It still remains to be seen if outbursts of violence are a direct result of Aspergers. There is also evidence that these outbursts could be caused by the presence of a co-existing psychiatric disorder. Either way, parents need help dealing with their child and Aspergers violence. There are some ways to do this. When a child behaves inappropriately, he is fulfilling the need to do one or more of the following:
1. Avoid something that needs to be done, such as obeying a parent.
2. Get something his or her way
3. To get attention
4. To manage pain and reduce feelings of psychological hurt of physical discomfort
5. Fulfill a sensory need, perhaps feeling hot, cold, thirst, hunger, etc.
To deal with these issues you will have to be very concrete with your child. Trying to reason or debate with your child will not work to curb Aspergers violence. You child needs to satisfy their needs, not acquiesce with your wants. You child is not likely to empathize with you or acknowledge objections to their behavior. Simply tell your child that what they want is not appropriate or that their behavior is unacceptable. Emphasize that they are expected to follow the rules and this will help in modifying the behavior. Don't give in to hitting, throwing things, or yelling.
Another way to stop aggression is through the use of behavior modification. Determine what need is not being met when the unacceptable behavior comes up. Then offer a replacement behavior for the Aspergers violence. For example, if your child wants a glass of water, teach them to ask for it by name or point to it. Also, you can design an emotion card which shows a glass of water and your child can point to it. Some children use a non-verbal system of communication to indicate their wants and needs. One such system is called PECS.
The maintenance of a daily routine is very effective in preventing incidence of Aspergers violence. Consistent behaviors, obligations and routines will help your child. The stability provided by a routine is comforting and it helps to lessen their need to make demands on you. When you eliminate some of the situations that trigger your child to be demanding, you can eliminate some of the stress that causes you child to show aggression to get your attention. Children who get what they want with Aspergers violence or aggression are likely to continue to use that violence. Your child must learn to communicate appropriately to get needs met. This may take some time, but training your child out of this behavior is possible.
A behavior modification program could be very helpful. A program such as this is designed for the individual, since Aspergers children vary so widely from one to the other. Remember that some treatment approaches can work in some cases but not others. Also, children with Aspergers can have a difficult time generalizing their learning from one setting to another. Aspergers violence might be modified or cured at home, but then it might still be a problem at school. Work with teachers to address the behavior at school.
It is clear that at times Aspergers and violence can appear together. As a parent there are various approaches that you can take to attempt to reduce the problems that this can cause. First of all try to adopt some of the tactics mentioned in the article, and also seek the appropriate professional help.
