First, parents need to try to comfort and soothe their children's tantrums / Have a reasonable behavior management strategy: Can pretend not to care (ignore abusive behavior, yelling) if you know it's a bullying behavior to get attention. Pamper your child if he feels really insecure.
If your child is screaming and having a tantrum, keep calm and don't raise your voice. All children learn through imitation, so try and respond to your child's behavior clearly and gently. And now for consistency. Consistency is the key to safe, effective discipline.
The term autistic screeching could be seen as a description of complete sensory overload where those with ASD are verbalizing a sound (or so called screech) to drown out offensive stimuli, to comfort themselves, or just as an expression of their anxiety (they might be in the midst of a meltdown due to extreme stress).
Kids with autism may screech or yell when overwhelmed or frustrated. Some autistic children bolt from the room, hit others, or even injure themselves when upset. Children on the spectrum may not look directly at a person when speaking. Autistic kids may rock, flick, or pace when they are expected to sit still.
Find sensory tools that can comfort a child at times of stress. These may include squeezy toys, weighted blankets, a calming video or book, a swing set, or even a pet. If a meltdown occurs, allow your child the time and space to calm themselves down and learn to self-regulate.
Examples of vocal stims include the following:
Making or mimicking sounds. Groaning or grunting. Squealing or shrieking. Shouting, yelling, or screaming.
Discipline strategies like praise, rules and consequences can help autistic children and teenagers learn behaviour basics. Social and everyday skills can help autistic children and teenagers avoid inappropriate behaviour in unfamiliar or difficult situations.
Sensory overload, changes in routine, social isolation, co-occurring conditions, and lack of support can all exacerbate the symptoms of autism. However, with early intervention, therapy, and support, individuals with autism can manage these challenges and improve their quality of life.
Let them rest and give them time to calm down and relax. If speaking is possible, tell them it's okay to feel this way and that it will go away soon. It is essential to be empathetic, validate the experience, and make sure they know they are not alone.
Nonetheless, medicines such as risperidone and aripiprazole can be beneficial in ways that can ease these core symptoms, because relieving irritability often improves sociability while reducing tantrums, aggressive outbursts and self-injurious behaviors.
One of the difficulties of autistic children is sensory disturbances (sensory sensitivities, sensory thresholds). Noisy environments, too many people around, or annoying people can be unbearable for children. Therefore, children scream to warn and denounce.
Avoid foods that have artificial dyes, colors, flavors, additives, and preservatives. Once again these are good for all people to avoid but especially children with autism as it can cause issues with development. It can also cause stomach irritation as well as being linked to disrupting normal emotional processing.
Lithium is another option for children and adolescents with ASD who present with symptoms of a mood disorder, such as elevated moods/euphoria, mania, and paranoia, whether accompanied or not by irritability.
It doesn't last long but once triggered, there's no stopping it. Meltdowns are emotional avalanches that run their course whether you or the autistic person having it likes it or not.
They deserve care and compassion, never harsh or physical discipline. To help promote good behavior in a child with autism, stick with predictable situations and settings, express your wishes clearly and directly, and practice patience when certain behaviors may seem odd but aren't dangerous.
The model includes six phases: Calm, Triggers, Agitation, Meltdowns, Re-Grouping, and Starting Over.
Although your son's reaction sounds more severe than most, many people with autism struggle with a range of fears, phobias and worries. These can range from a debilitating fear of, say, spiders or the dark to chronic anxiety about making mistakes or being late.
Kids with sensory issues sometimes exhibit extreme behaviors: screaming if their faces get wet, throwing violent tantrums when you try to get them dressed, because the physical sensations involved are overwhelming to them. They may have surprisingly wild mood swings as a reaction to a change in the environment.
At times autistic individuals may stim to meet a specific goal, like balancing sensory input, for example finger flicking or flapping hands to compensate for poor spatio-visual skill. This may be the reason stimming is sometimes defined as automatically reinforced behavior rather than a self-stimulatory behavior.
Many kids and teens with autism make frequent sounds and noises when excited or anxious. These vocalizations — which can sound loud or quiet, high-pitched or low-pitched, happy or upset — are often a form of self-stimulatory behavior (stimming).