How can we discipline five year old autistic (aspergers) student at school?

Question

He can't even begin to understand or comply with "time out." He never sits longer than 2 minutes, has started just walking up and shoving students and teachers (including me-ouch!). He must be given extremely simple 1-2 word commands (John-no push; John-stand; John-no computer;John-no teachers' desk). HOWEVER, he walks around and makes repetitive statements, as most autistic students do, & they reflect his intelligence-"Windows XP," (he throws fits because he can't get on the teachers' computer), "Start Menu," "Water-Oceans," "United States America," "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday," "Read Book," (then he states book title) Today he read four pages, then threw himself back down in the floor to kick everyone. He often lays in the floor & makes repetitive sounds (numnumnum..) He has to learn not to hit, kick, throw things . I have a bruise from one of todays' kicks & he went to 2 students' desks & shoved them. Any ideas? Thanks

Answer 1

You just described my son at 5. He did everything you mention above..at school and at home. And you are right when you say there is very little you can do discipline wise as many autistic kids have a very tough time with understanding cause and effect (you hit Jenny, so now you need time out), so punishment must be in a way they can understand and last only as long as they can remember why they are being punished...which from what you say is two minutes max.

My first question would be if this child has a dedicated aide? If not, then I suggest you speaking to the administration and the parents about updating his IEP to call for one. A dedicated aide will be able to run interference, re-direct him and in general provide the extra eyes and hands to prevent some of the negative behaviors. Prevention and redirection are two thirds of the battle with autistic kids at this age.

My next question would be how is his behavior affecting the child's ability learn and be taught, as well as how it is affecting the ability for the rest of the class to learn. If all of your time and energy is directed towards this one student, it may be time to consider another placement. I support every child's right to be mainstreamed, but only if it is the best place for the child, the teacher and the rest of the class. We quickly decided a tradtional classroom with 26 students was not the place for our son (even with a dedicated aide) and the school agreed. My son was moved into a non=public placement, in a program with a class size of 6, with a minimum of three adults in a class at all times,. The program covers cognitive learning, but the focus is on behavioral issues. It has been a godsend.

Of course, none of this will do you any good when you go to work tomorrow! Asides from talking with both your school admin, the special ed liason for the school and seeing if you can have the psychologist or behavior management specialist come in and offer some suggestions, the best you can do is:

- Any sort of discipline has to be immediate and over within the child's two minute attention span. ANything longer and your student will simply forget why he is in time out and any attempts to keep him there will seem like you are just being "mean". Since there are some language issues, try using visual cues. The colors of a stop light are always good...very basic and easily recognized by most. Red means sit in your seat . Green means you can get up..but only keep him in the chair as long as you know he can handle.

-As soon as he becomes physical towards others, show him the red sign and have him sit. Unfortunately, this will probably lead to some resistance, but again unless you have him follow through immediately, there is no way he will know why he is being sent to time out.

-Long term rewards won't work at this point, Immediate rewards will. While my son was at that stage, he recieved a reinforcer every 5 minutes. For him, it was a pretzel. For others, it was an M&M. After several months of that, he was able to work towards larger rewards such as computer time.

I hope these help. My gut says this is a child who needs to be in a specialized class where they are equipped to handle the outbursts and the communication issues. Be sure to communicate daily with the parents about any and all occurences in the class (a notebook in the backpack is a super way to do it) so they know what is going on and can support the idea of needing a different placement. If they refuse to consider moving him, then you need to insist on his being observed and evaluated by the school psychologist to help you develop an effective behavior management plan. Good luck and thank you for caring enough to keep trying!

Answer 2

Wow -- as the Long Term Single Parent of TWO disabled Children (now adults, and I am finally an Empty Nester), and yes, one of my children was Asperger's Syndrome too -- I have to ask:

WHY are you teaching in the first place, if you can NOT look at the IEP, work with the Parent(s) and pay attention to the papers and resources that the parent(s) provide and hints of how the parents manage the child's behavior at home?

Surely, this child has a Classroom Aide -- and if not, and you are not able to provide the proper guidance or to read the IEP, then there is a REAL NEED to have an INTERIM IEP to address these issues.

First of all -- the Asperger's Child is most likely in Therapy at this time -- my own was in therapy from the time the child was about 3 years old -- and it helped. I also documented all the techniques that worked and how to reach my child, and what techniques worked best, and what did not work with the child -- and how to manage their behavior in the classroom (Besides providing the Medical Recommendations as to Educational Support necessary for my Asperger's Child).

I butted heads (and I have Graduate Degrees, and ALWAYS was talked DOWN to by teachers who THOUGHT they were better able than me, the parent who was raising the child in the REAL WORLD, and who worked closely with the child's Doctor, Therapist, Neurologist, Audiologist, and others to make sure the child succeeded -- and ...

MOST of the time the TEACHERS could NOT even make a few minutes of THEIR Time available (and it is NOT as if they were deployable or on Active Duty as a Single Parent LIKE I WAS!) -- to DISCUSS with me and GO OVER the documentation on the child's needs, the IEP and the things that would make the School Year a success.

So yes, I AM BITTER about teachers that do all the COMPLAINING about Asperger's Syndrome Children and DO NOT DO THEIR HOMEWORK to learn about the challenges, needs and other techniques that work best with the Asperger's Syndrome student in the classroom.

PLEASE, I BEG YOU -- get out the IEP and READ IT. Then go on the Internet, and start googling for "Asperger's Syndrome" -- and there are many sites out there -- and also many support groups that provide assistance for classroom instructors to integrate the Asperger's Syndrome student into a mainstream classroom.

Answer 3

Aspergers Discipline

Answer 4

I'm assuming you are in the U.S. -- this child should be eligible for an IEP (Individual Educaitonal Program) which should spell out exactly what his behavioral goals are and a plan must be written to follow in addressing the behavioral needs while stimulating his mind.

The PLAN is key because it allows therapists, aides, teachers, and parents to all follow a consistent strategy with him and it does not neglect his intellectual needs -- you can't let this child be bored, his mind needs to be stimulated.

Has he been thoroughly evaluated? Does he have an trained aide assigned to help him in the classroom?

I've taught in this type of situation, so a basic paln would look something like the following:
All the adults in his life need to be trained in how to restrain him physically - done properly he can be stopped from injuring himself or others.
The "restrainer" must act quickly before any damage is done (when possible), you must remain calm, no yelling, stay quiet, train the classmates to look away and the teacher with the other students should reassure thtem & take them somewhere else or direct their attention on something else while the child is being restrained -- "Don't worry about ______, Mr _____ is helping him calm down so lets continue ......"
When the child begins to understand this plan (this will happen more quickly if evryone is consistent) he learns to stop struggling, then you may be able to find out what set him off (in my experience there is usually a reason and you can gain his respect by figuring it out), and you can help him process what will happen next.
All children need help making transitions (from on place/activity to the next), autistic or Asburgers' kids need this to be obvious - tell him about 5 minutes ahead, "we'll be leaving for lunch in 5 minutes", this will help him control himself. If computers are too interesting the teacher's computer can be off or covered by a cloth cover when not in use so it isn't a distration and can he have specific computer time, as a reward?
The repetative words and sounds are all an effort he is making to calm and control the situation, so find ways to make the classroom less myterious or confusing and give him some control.
He will benefit from understanding the structure and order of the day - I would go over my lesson plan with one child as soon as my student arrived and assign him specific jobs for the day. If your student is less communicative have a visual aide on a 3x5 card with a one word label for each section of the day pinned to a cork board. You can go through them from top to bottom in order - then as each section is wrapping up turn the card over (blanck card side) and remind "in 5 min we will begin _____(next card). If your "A" child wants another activity simply say "not yet" or "that's all done" or "more tomorrow". Using the same phrase each time will be reassuring.

Answer 5

Well, as a Special ed teacher..or are you just an aide?....you should have learned many different techniques to handle students of all abilities.
Something should have been written in to his IEP, as it was with my daughter, and all other classmates, about techniques to deal with his behaviors, especially when they become violent.
Sometimes, with Aspergers Syndrome, a weighted vest can be used..it helps the child feel more "grounded" and therefore calmer.
Many school districts, like mine here in FL, have made one separate school room for the county where the children with autism can attend. It has textured walls, and movement everywhere. Is it possible that the classroom he is in isn't the right environment?
I know it sounds mean, but in many cases, autistic kids just cannot be in the "regular special ed classroom" . I think a staff/ parent meeting is in order.

Answer 6

I would suggest rewarding/praising him when he is behaving well. You could give him a small reward such as a piece of a favorite snack or a few minutes with a favorite toy. Do not let him get what he wants by yelling, kicking, screaming, etc., that will probably make this behavior continue. Once he figures out that kicking and screaming won't make you give him computer time or other things that he wants, he will hopefully stop.

You might also try taking some notes on his behavior. Begin by defining each problem behavior (hitting, kicking, screaming, etc.). Then keep track with an ABC chart. Make a paper with three columns: Antecedent (what happens immediately before the behavior), Behavior (what the problem behavior was), and Consequence (what happended immediatly after the behavior). By examining this data, you may find a pattern. For example, if he hits another student, and then is constantly put in time-out, maybe he is trying to escape from his school work. Once you have an idea WHY he is engaging in this behavior (what he "gets" as a result of it), you may have a better idea on what to do to stop it. In the above example, a more appropriate way to ask for a break from work, might be to say, "break please." After he has learned to do a positive behavior instead of hitting, gradually increase the amount of work he needs to do before getting the break.

Best tip: be patient and remember that you are making a difference in this child's life!

I would also recommend the following resources. Please visit these websites and try to find these books (maybe at your local library). Keep up the good work and I hope this helps you!

Websites:

"Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" by Ellen Notbohm - http://www.southflorida.com/sfparenting/sfe-sfp-autism,0,6196233.story

"The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria" ~ What if Asperger’s Syndrome was defined by its strengths? - http://www.thegraycenter.org/sectionsdetails.cfm?id=38

Website of Paula Kluth, Ph.D. - http://www.paulakluth.com/autism.html

Positively Autism (free online magazine) - http://www.positivelyautism.com

Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism by Temple Grandin, Ph.D. - http://www.autism.org/temple/tips.html


Books:

"Your Life is Not a Label: A Guide to Living Fully with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome" by Jerry Newport

"You're Going to Love This Kid!: Teaching Students With Autism in the Inclusive Classroom" By Paula Kluth****

"Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism" By Paul Collins

"Autism: Teaching Does Make a Difference" by Brenda Scheuermann and Jo Webber****

**** = Teaching and School Related Books

Answer 7

As a teacher you need to be paitent and need to remember that you are going to repeat alot. Especially with special needs children. That is the only way that they are going to learn. When you speak to this child do you make eye contact? If not, it's going to be that more difficult to get through to the child. The child does not understand. It's hard for this child to even communicate. You
need to teach this child how to communicate correctly and right from wrong.

Answer 8

try praising him in front of the other students for the good tht he really does n take it frm there. say he's not a naughty boy or tht he does as he's told, he's a good boy

Answer 9

You render me speechless