The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Educator use of seclusion and restraint raises physical and emotional safety concerns for the child with autism with little evidence of therapeutic or educational benefit for the student. This session will demonstrate evidence-based safe and effective alternatives, with age- and setting-appropriate applications, to address problem behaviors and achieve longer term outcomes. Educator’s use of restraint and seclusion measures to discipline children is exposing children with autism to great risks, according to investigations by disability rights advocacy groups, summaries of lawsuits, and reports from the news media. Despite the dangers – both physical  and emotional harm – they pose to children (GAO, 2009; NDRN, 2012) and with scant evidence supporting their effectiveness in preventing problem behaviors (Ryan, Peterson, Tetreault, & van der Hagen, 2008; Freeman & Sugai, 2013), restraint and seclusion continue to be used in nonemergency situations (NDRN, 2012). This session will focus on proactive behavioral interventions to prevent challenging behaviors and meltdowns of children with autism and avoid the need to resort to restraint and seclusion.

Children with autism can experience significant behavioral difficulties and frequent meltdowns (Thompson, 2009). These difficult behaviors frequently are further aggravated and result in meltdowns due to their desire for “sameness” and resistance to change (Green, Sigafoos, Pituch, Itchon, O’Reilly & Lancioni, 2006). Transitions — changes in activities, materials or environment — are one of the major triggers of tantrums and meltdowns. Besieged by recurring behavioral episodes, educators may react to the immediate need of “stopping” the disruptive behavior and may resort to the extreme measures of physically restraining or isolating the child in a seclusion room. Restraint and seclusion are intended primarily to help the children gain composure when they are in danger of harming themselves or others after a serious meltdown. These measures continue to be employed as a routine behavior management strategy despite lack of evidence of their efficacy.

This session will demonstrate practical and best-practice techniques to change the behaviors of students with autism and reduce the meltdown episodes. Based on the PBIS approach, the intensive interventions and supports discussed will emphasize preventive strategies and teaching the student new skills. Supplementing PBIS, this session will describe calming and relaxation techniques to empower children with autism with the cognitive tools to self-regulate behavior. Musical interventions, mindfulness-based procedures, instruction in Yoga, and other relaxation techniques can be implemented to help students build their attention, reduce anxiety and stress, and learn self-calming skills.

This workshop will enable participants to:

• Increase their awareness of the complex characteristics and needs of children with autism – social-emotional, communication, anxiety and stress issues that contribute to problem behaviors – in order to appropriately respond to them and lessen the challenge for both the adult and the child with autism.

 

• Discuss basic supports for children with autism – visual, academic, structural, social, self-regulation and crisis support – and how to personalize them for student-specific needs across settings and situations to avoid meltdowns and crisis situations.

 

• Describe three self-calming and mindfulness techniques that can be taught to students with autism spectrum disorders to help them develop self- regulate themselves during times of anxiety and stress.

In a supportive learning environment, aided by the new cognitive tools to build their calming and self-regulation skills, children with autism should be able to make greater gains in their educational and behavioral outcomes.

Learning Objectives: