How do I get my child to wind down?
June R. from Hartford, CT asks:
“I have a 10 year old son diagnosed with Autism. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to get him to wind down after he becomes excited. How can I help him wind down?”
Hi, June! We understand helping your son wind down after an excitable moment is a challenge. Here are a few tips to that many parents find helpful! Every child and family is different, so this is always something that you need to trial and use your best judgment on for your family.
Try to remain calm and limit your reaction to your son’s excitement.
Preview anticipated exciting activities and expected behavior. Ask him to tell you what is expected before it happens, more than you telling him.
Develop an agreed upon wind down plan in advance.
Use a visual symbol for calm, such as a “stop sign” or a “slow down” sign.
Put together a simple comic strip or story about a child who is able to go from excited to calm and how proud he and his parents are of him. Read it regularly and before exciting activities.
Notice and reward any effort he makes to take it down a notch.
Notice and point out others people around him (especially peers) who are behaving calmly.
Have a preferred “calmer” toy or activity waiting for him to help transition.
Walk/turn away for a short time.
Give him a special job to retrieve a highly preferred activity deliberately left in an easily reached area.
Put on some low-keyed music to support a transition to calm down.
Have him give himself or hug..
Ask him to make eye contact (assuming that doesn’t arouse him excessively).
Try changing the environment. If you are in one room, try changing to another.
If you are standing, sit down, and vice versa.
Practice slow breathing exercises (maybe even make it a contest – who can breathe slower!)
Since every person and family is different, and what works at one time may not work other times, ABA Telehealth Professionals can provide an objective view that helps understand patterns of behavior and strategies that teach self-soothing and calming skills. Consider calling so we can brainstorm more ideas with you.