How do I teach my 5yr old autistic not to run away..he dsnt like us holding his hand and throws a huge tantrum

Question

in public if we try....he has run away from his special ed classroom, and from the school building, in stores and restaurants he cant keep still. Discipline works in the house but not in public...Im tired of chasing him and Im always scared of losing him or something dangerous happening.

Answer 1

Have you tried a weighted vest or backpack? That might provide some feedback so that he doesn't want to run so much.

Many children with autism need a lot-i mean A LOT-of physical movement. You and his teachers might try to get a small trampoline, a child safe treadmill, an inflatable punching bag, anything that will let him work out his energies. You might request a consultation with a physical therapist or have a sensory integration assessment done.

Also, a lightweight halter strap such as this one...

http://www.4coolkids.com/default.html?src=OVTR&OVRAW=harness%20for%20children&OVKEY=child%20harness&OVMTC=standard

will help when you are out in public. You will need to practice with it lots at home so that he is used to it. There are many other styles to choose from.


Teach him to come back when you call. Think of how you would teach a cuddly puppy to come when you call. I know that your son is not a puppy, but the principal is the same. Let him get a few steps away (at home) and call him. When he comes, lots of hugs and kisses and praise and a small reward (such as 1 M&M or 1 sticker). Do this over and over. Let him get far away and call him.

When I taught preschool kids with autism and other disabilities, I used a whistle and a certain number of blasts. We'd line up. I'd yell "run away!” They'd all run. Then I'd blow 5 tweets and they'd all run back and get a reward. (Eventually they'd all run back.) Someone else might have to run alongside him and turn him back when the whistle blows so that he learns to associate that sound with finding the person with whistle and getting a good reward.

Also, I have heard that some kids with autism are being taught to stop and wait whenever they come to a stop sign. That might help.

As for running out of the classroom....they can use similar techniques. If I were you though, I'd ask them to tell you at what times of the day is he running out and what is going on at those times. They might need to add more interesting activities into the schedule to keep him occupied while he learns to come.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

I'm a long term single parent of TWO Disabled Children -- and ended up divorced when the oldest child was 4 years old (and the youngest has Asperger's Syndrome -- High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder).

In my case, being on Active Duty Military -- it was especially critical that I teach BOTH of my children the proper behavior at school, in the car, around the home, in the parking lots and in public.

I did use the Stuffed Animal type harnesses on each of them -- and (given that one child's name began with R and the other child's name began with L) -- the way I taught them to stay in place was that the R child went to hold My RIGHT hand and the L child went to hold my LEFT hand -- and to stay on those sides of the car, and to put their little hands in either mom's hand, on the door of the car (L side or R side), and to put their little hands on the door of the bathroom when they needed to go or whatever --

This takes a LOT of patience and time -- and yes, the Autistics (my other child is Severe ADHD) both were VERY Active -- so it did take a lot of time and patience to teach them to stay and not run out everywhere -- but given that I ALWAYS did the same thing each time we hit a door, went to the car, when out in public or at a restaurant or shopping center, or going to school -- then it was the CONSISTENCY that led to them learning to stay with me and be safe.

PLEASE get a Bracelet or Necklace with the Medical Information on it too. Make sure it fits correctly, and that the child can't slip it off or in some other way remove it while wearing it. I made sure that my two were wearing this information all the time, and I also sewed into all their clothing one of my business cards -- and marked their names on the clothing as well --

So, god forbid, if anything did happen -- they could be identified and treated.

Glad to say that they grew up safely -- that the early training and consistency with the safety rules helped and they did finish HS and are now in College and although they will always need some kind of help at times, they are living independently right now.

It takes a LOT of effort to be consistent -- and I MEAN EFFORT and CONSISTENT -- and you must do the same things each and every time -- make it a routine for the child to be comfortable and start 'learning' what they just can't do developmentally at this age.

GOOD LUCK. Be consistent, and you will find that the Stuffed Animal Leashes can be a good way to teach them safety -- start with a relatively short leash, and gradually, when they learn to be with you without problems, you can then allow them a bit more freedom to explore. I'd even work with the school to use the child safety leash there too -- with the instructor/their classroom aide, to reinforce the safety lessons that you will be teaching them at home.



PS -- set ANOTHER IEP Interim meeting right away -- it is SCARY in the extreme that the school is NOT watching the child enough to allow him to escape from the classroom and wander away. The TEACHER and the CLASSROOM AIDE BOTH need to be EDUCATED and given Additional Training and Instruction (and Supervision!) on their methods UNTIL they UNDERSTAND That they can't be that IRRESPONSIBLE and to start caring about the SAFETY of ALL their students.

Answer 3

This is a really tough issue for a lot of special needs children. The first thing you need to do is to get your child a medic alert necklace or braclet (if he refuses to wear either of those, you can pin it to his shirt or sew it onto his sneaker laces). In the event he does get away from either you or the school, anyone who finds him will have a plcae to call to get help in getting him back to you. This is absolutely essential if your child in non-verbal, has difficulties being understood by people or may refuse to respond when under stress.

Now the next part has a few choices. You can try a harness of one type or another, This may work fine if your child has no sensory issues from the constraining feel of the straps and if he is not prone to figuring out how to wiggle out! If you know for a fact this is a no go, then it is time to change the behavior, not just control it. This can be done...but it is going to take time and a lot pf patience!

The first thing to do is try and figure out why your son is constantly on the go. Is there a sensory stimuli he is trying to escape?? Does he tend to be more mobile when he is upset or in unfamiliar territory? Does he need to move after being still for a certain amount of time?? Figuring these out can help you decide on a plan. If there doesn't seem to be anything causing him to run, just his joy in doing so, then you move on.

Basically, what you are going to have to do is send a clear message that running off ends any chances of fun. If he runs out of a store, go home. If he refuses to sit in a resteraunt, then he has to go home or wait in the car with an adult while others finish thier meal.When you do leave, chances are he is not going to be happy about it, but stick to your guns, take your leave and don't give in. If at all possible, when you know you are going someplace he will have a tough time with, take him out for a good long run walk before you leave . Be sure to have a backpack of activities and toys to dish out one at a time and try to go with another adult whenever possible. Give your son the chance to get up and move around for a few minutes at set intervals...and give him a stop watch or a watch with the alarm set to go off when it is time to move so he knows the opportunity is coming. Unfortunately, with some kids you simply have to wait for them to work through the stage. That may mean choosing where they go and when carefully, taking advantage of family and friends (or available respite care) when the offer to sit and leaving him safely home. That is a hard choice, I know, but if it means he will be safe and you can do what must be done (or enjoy a few hours away) without the risk of his being injured or lost, it may be worth it.

At school, there is no reason he should be given the chance to get away. If he doesn't have a dedicated aide, this is certainly grounds to ask for one. If he does have one, then it needs to be made clear how close they need to be to him at all times. Whenever possible, the aide or teacher should be positioned between your son and any possible escape route. If this happens again, you need to file a complaint with the special education office of your district. Do it every time he manages to get away.

I personally worked with a family who's son made it out of the school building, out of the parking area, across the road and onto the ramp of a major highway before he was found by a pedestrian. The family got a call from medic alert at the same time the school was calling to report the fact they had no idea where the child was. While that is certainly not the norm, it is an example of what can go wrong when everything goes wrong! Don't allow the school to let it go that far.

Answer 4

I remember watching an episode of supernanny. The family had a young autistic boy. The family was learning helpful techniques
to communicate with their child.

I teach dance to a special needs child. I sometimes need to get her attention. I make eye contact and speak to her. Explain what we are going to do.

Explain to him why it is important that he holds mommy and daddy's hand. I realize that this will not be easy but it might help.

Answer 5

What I have found to be useful in my classroom is using rewards for when the Autistic children do what they are supposed to ie not running away, and rewarding them with rewards and gradually reducing the rewards to intrinsic motivators. I have a simple clothes pin chart that they are in control of, as well as a " big bucks" system that if they have earned so much each Friday and have kept a certain number of clothes pins on their name then they are rewarded.

If one does decide to run, it is imperative to process with the child immediatly, not to let it go... You need to be firm and consistent with whatever method that you decide.

Answer 6

Yeah i have one for my son. At first I thought, A leash on my kid!!? omg that's not right/ embarrassing.

But it's good to have one. When we go out to say a carnival or something where there's a lot of space and people. We just strap the monkey around his chest and the leash is actually the monkey's tail. (the bag is a monkey)

Since we bought it we've seen more and more people using the same one as us. and it's not embarrassing or anything.

Answer 7

you might try the harness that we have all seen on small children in the malls or if that would be a problem try suggesting to him that he hold onto a part of your garment so you will feel him near and he won't have to hold your hand. Or suggest that he hold your had to help you as you might run away and get lost. this might help him to feel more in charge than he really is. Worth a try huh?

Answer 8

I agree with the previous answer. In England way back when, they were called "leading strings," basically, they were leashes for kids (not around their neck, of course!). With very active children, like my younger brother, that are so VERY quick to move, sometimes the only way to keep them safe is to hold onto them somehow. A child leash is not cruel, sometimes it can save their life!

Answer 9

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Answer 10

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