Expert: Trey McGowan - 9/23/2009

Question
Is it possible for an autistic 6 year old to stop a tantrum instantly if he wants? Would he be able to use these behavours , screaming , kicking etc as a means of gaining attention . I am teaching a child who exhibits many autistic traits but is undiagnosed.In the first week back he was angelic but this week we have had bad behavior which he appears to be able to stop and start at will.

Answer
Hi there, Noelle!

One thing that is necessary to point out is that 'temper tantrum' and 'meltdown' are two completely different things. A tantrum can usually be started and ended at will by the child, as it is a noisy way for the child to get attention, get their way, et cetera. On the other hand, a meltdown, while it can look extremely like a tantrum, is essentially the child having an overwhelming reaction to some stresser, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, or whatever.

Any child, autistic or not, can have tantrums. If the child has learned that pulling this fit is a way for them to get their way, they will very certainly be more than willing to do it. Generally, handling a tantrum does not involve punishment, but simply lack of reward. Therefore, while the handling may need to be done slightly different with an autistic tantrum, the way to handle it is quite similar to a 'normal' child having a tantrum.

On the other hand, if the child is having a meltdown, the best thing to do is to treat it rather like an epileptic attack. By that, I mean taking the child away from the stressor which is causing it (or, if it's an unknown stressor, taking them into a generally quiet area) and giving them time, simlpy making sure they do not hurt themselves or others. Remember that this is not 'bad behaviour' so much as a total breakdown caused by overload. By getting rid of the overload, the child should be able to recover, and you may move in to help comfort if need be.

Hopefully that answered the question asked! If you have furthre questions, comments, feedbacks, or follow-ups, don't hesitate to get back to me!

Trey