126. I know you have Asked... Is it their Autism or ...
Mar 02, 2023I asked this question a million times if not more along this journey. Is their behavior a result of their autism or just bad behaviors and how can we discipline them if their behaviors are a result of their autism? So many moms I have worked with through the years say this is their biggest challenge.
The reason we discipline our children is not to punish or embarrass our children, but instead, it is to teach them healthy boundaries and what is and isn’t expected and acceptable behavior, right?
So while there are absolutely some different challenges that we come up against with our children on the spectrum, it is important they also learn these lessons.
Unfortunately, traditional discipline techniques don’t always work for our kids and there are several reasons for this that I am going to talk about throughout this episode but before I get started, I also want to say that I am a huge proponent of consequences rather than traditional punishment which is often aimed at making a child suffer for their inappropriate behavior. I believe that having consequences and establishing boundaries teach our kids responsibility, problem-solving, and accountability.
There are some things that you want to consider too as it relates to disciplining your children on the spectrum and the most important one in my opinion is that safety must come first. The safety of your child and other people.
There are also behaviors that our children exhibit that can’t be “disciplined away” so it is really important that you have realistic expectations and don’t discipline them for behaviors that help them adapt to their environment.
Discipline teaches children to do the right thing and think and act for themselves and for our children, it might be more difficult but being consistent will help teach them the skills they need to function independently.
Additional Resources:
If there is a specific topic that you would like us to talk about on the podcast, email us directly at [email protected]
