One of the notable symptoms that accompanies autism is repetitive and intrusive stimulatory behavior. While there is no one way to approach replacing these behaviors, there are differnet methods that have been known to work. Early interventions in children are found to be very important in decreasing self stimulatory behaviors. Early Interventions are important because the child is able to shed the behaviors before they become set in them as they grow. Of course, when one introduces interventions to deviate from the intrusive behaviors, you may see negative mood and behavioral changes. In order to support positive behavioral growth, though, one must be able to introduce interventions for specific situations. Trying to figure out what interventions work in certain siutations can be a trial and error process. Some of the most important interventions that show the most positive results are-
-Positisve praise and reinforcement (reinforce appropriate behaviors)
-Intruducing appropriate replacement behavior (instead of flapping hands, introduce clapping)
-Redirection (take attention away from stimulatory behavior and direct it towards new/appropriate behavior)
-Verbal prompting
To find what works best for your child will take trial and error, and consulting with a therapist can be very helpful and is highly recommended.
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