Staying calm

It is interesting to note how an autistic child can be crying wholeheartedly on one moment and having a totally different, happy mood on the next! This shows that their anger is not directed at us, but that they are simply unable to handle not having their way.

The approach we always encourage applies to bursts of anger and crying as well: unconditional acceptance. "I love you just as much when you cry. I'm waiting for you to be able to be with me again." We don't need to panic nor make huge efforts to make them stop. That would say that we don't accept the child unconditionally. We can try placing their favourite toy in the area, but it is better to avoid calling them to join us in a game. Often such actions fuel the anger and resistance even more.

As long as we are calm and leave the intensity to the child without cutting off contact and allowing them to freely express themselves, it will be much easier for them to get over their fit.