"My son is 5 years old, and his "stimming" is jumping up and down. Now
that he's getting older, I wish to teach him that this behavior is best appropriate
at our house and not in public where it draws so much attention. What can I do?"
Joann
Answer:
Kerry Hogan, Psychoeducational Therapist, Chapel Hill TEACCH Center
"Stimming" or other repetitive behaviors and interests are difficult to
modify because people with autism seem so driven to pursue them. Your approach
to teaching him the correct time and place for these behaviors is exactly what
we would suggest. This is usually much more successful than trying to eliminate
a behavior like his jumping. The way you communicate this to him will depend on
his understanding of language or other cues at this time.
We find that even children with a lot of language respond most consistently to
some type of visual reminder. For example, you might take a picture of him jumping,
a picture of your home, and a picture of a place your family likes to go in the
community. You can put the jumping picture in or next to the house and write "OK"
or make a smiling face and then put another jumping picture next to the community
photo and put a red X through it. Before you go out in the community show him
your simple picture rule and keep it with you when you are out so that you can
show it to him again if he needs reminding.
Another strategy might be to create a schedule for him and have a symbol next
to the items on the schedule when it is OK to jump. For example, his after school
schedule might have pictures of snack, TV, reading, play outside, bathroom, and
dinner. You might put a little jumping photo or symbol next to TV and play outside
so that he can anticipate that those are times when it is OK to jump. Knowing
that jumping time will come later can help some children put off a preferred activity
because they are able to see when it will happen.
Some parents I have worked with have also decided that there are only certain
rooms where a behavior should occur. They then have made visual labels for those
rooms. For example, you may not want a large teenager jumping on the upper floor
of the house, but in his room or in the basement is just fine. Again some sort
of jumping picture or symbol can represent the places where this (or any other
repetitive behavior) is OK. As your son gets older and develops more academic
skills, you may be able to change many of these things to written cues.
Finally, as children get older they are more ready to learn a little bit about
social perspective-taking. Even for very able people with autism, it is best to
teach these things in a concrete visual way. You might be able to make a simple
social story with pictures that explain, "Jumping is fun. Sometimes it is good
to jump. Sometimes it is not. Jumping all the time may make other children think
that you don't know how to play the games they like. You will know when it's OK
to jump because your schedule will have a jump picture. If there is no jump picture,
then that is when you can play the games the other children play. This way you
will get to jump and you will get to play other things too."
This story is probably a little bit ahead of where most 5-year-olds are developmentally,
but it is an example of another way to help children understand why they should
control some behaviors and what they should do instead.
As I said, you are absolutely right to think about ways to help your son engage
in a behavior he seems to need but to do so at the right time. Learning how to
use visual information to help him decide when the time is right will develop
a skill that he will be able to use in many situations throughout his life. Good
luck!
Additional Links:
Do2Learn links Making Schedules,
1"
Jump picture card, 2"
Jump picture card, full
size Jump picture card |
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Disabilities 
