Expert: Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell - 8/16/2007

Question
I have an 8 year old son who has high functioning autism.He is very bright and wants to learn the problem is when things get to hard for him or he cant be bothered any more he runs.At least once a day he runs and hides at school, it can happen up to 4 times a day.When the school have had enough they ring me and I have to pick him up.When I asked him why he runs he says cause he felt like it.This is causing alot of problems at scool and at home and he is not learning because he doesnt spend enough time in the classroom.Please help as I know that without this problem life would be much easier for every one.
Thankyou Leeona

Answer
I agree. Life would be easier for all involved if this wasn't happening. Unfortunately, patterns are not always easy to break, especially with a child who has autism.

This habit might have started as a response to stress when things felt overwhelming for your son. He fled the situation. But now the pattern has set in and he's using this method of coping not just when overwhelmed but when he chooses not to remain in a situation.

He definitely will be missing out on learning opportunities if he's not in the classroom as much as he should be. I'd worry even more about the message he's learning. When things get rough - run. When you don't like what's happening, it's OK to just run away rather than find ways to deal with what's happening.

You say your son is bright, so I'd assume he has the potential to finish high school and perhaps college and have a career. All those things require persistence in the face of adversity (or boredom). How many of us would remain at our jobs eight hours a day if we only had to stay for the good parts? Few of us get to do just what we please.

Hiding is worrisome. There are safety issues. Adults will be concerned and need to go searching if they do not know where he is. He could become lost or left behind if he has run off. If there's a fire or other emergency he could be in danger. And if your son generalizes his running in situations other than at school, he could run off when you're shopping together in a large mall. Of course, an eight year old would never think of the safety ramifications of running away.

You're quite right that what he is doing now is not helpful.

So. Can you detect any pattern to when he runs? Is he bored? Is the task difficult? Does he understand the directions and what he is to do? Is he overwhelmed by sensory issues? Is he finding the classroom too noisy? Would you or his teacher be able to keep a chart for a couple weeks that lists what is going on each time he runs?

There will likely be times when your son legitimately feels overwhelmed. Kids with autism have a lot to contend with. There are the sensory issues. It's hard for them to take in multiple bits of information at once, something that's expected in classrooms and most neurotypical students can do. The effort to pay attention, listen, keep up, etc. can be wearying.

Is there a way that your son can take a break? Can he stretch his legs by getting a drink, sharpening his pencil, going to the washroom, taking a note to the office, returning a library book, etc?

Even though he's bright, does he have trouble keeping up with the volume of work? Many kids with autism spectrum disorders have weak fine motor coordination. Writing is then a difficult task and his hand could be tiring. Kids with weak trunk muscles find it difficult to remain upright in their desks for long periods of time. Would it help to have the volume of work expected reduced? Say he did every other question, for instance. Could he change positions - sometimes sitting at his desk to work, sometimes sitting on the floor, sometimes sitting on a therapy ball and writing on the table?

Frequent body breaks when he can get up and move around or do a few minutes of an exercise that gives his body needed sensory feedback can have a positive effect on the amount of time a child can concentrate on a task. An Occupational Therapist can be of immense help in this.

I've given some other suggestions for classrooms at my site at http://www.autismsite.ca

Knowing if he runs at certain times of the day, during certain subjects, with certain adults present or during certain tasks may help you get a handle on this. Once you have an idea when and why he's leaving, you've allowed him to have reasonable breaks and his the work demanded of him is within his capabilities, you can start to look at what's happening from a behavioral standpoint.

First, a word of warning. Once you tackle this behavior, your son is likely not going to be a happy camper. This pattern has been firmly established. He's going to resist. He will not enjoy having to comply. Likely, things will get worse before they get better, so you and the teacher need to be prepared. He'll test you to see if you really mean to not allow him to run.

I'm sure that you've tried umpteen times to talk to your son about this, and you've made your feelings clear. I'm not sure further talk and reasoning are going to be effective at this point.

Instead, I'd try using social stories. You can find some examples here: http://www.polyxo.com/socialstories/ In a social story, you can let your boy know what is expected of him. You can give choices he can pick from. (When he's tired, he can choose one of these three activities.) (When he feels he needs to leave the room, he can go to the pillow in the corner, to this chair in the library, etc.) (When he needs a break, he can go sharpen his pencil, get a drink or sit on the therapy ball).

The social story would tell him what is expected and what he can do.

Kids with autism often find it difficult to make sense of their world. As such, when they are given rules, they can feel more secure. A great line to use if you're a parent or teacher is, "The rule is...". You'd be amazed just how powerful those words are. Of course, you need to make sure that what you're saying is a rule is actually a rule you wan the child to learn as that rule will likely stick with them.

It could be made clear that he cannot leave the classroom without permission. But if he asks the teacher, shows her his green card, puts up his hand, or some agreed upon sign, he can leave to get a drink. Or he can leave for three minutes then return. That way his leaving is not totally under his control, but has the involvement of an adult. This may be a way of easing him into the routine you want.

How well does your son respond to rewards? A chart on his desk could record the amount of time he remains in the room. A sticker could mark each period he stays. Or he could receive a sticker for each half hour or fifteen minutes he stays in his desk appropriately. The stickers or checkmarks could be collected and traded in for treats. The chart could go home daily and you could deliver the reward. Initially the target number of checkmarks or stickers needed for a reward would need to be within reach so he can receive a reward quite quickly, learning that this is something at which he can actually succeed. Gradually, as he experiences success, the number of marks required for a reward can increase or the time interval can increase.

Would you like to write me later in September to talk about how things are going this school year?

Sharon A. Mitchell, B.A., B.Ed., M.A.