Emotion Outbursts

The first week of school was both great and hard. I have to say I was glad to be out of my house, but the abrupt change from lazy summer to a full schedule of tough academic classes is hard for anyone, but is especially hard for people with issues changing their routine. My subjects are mostly new to me, as are my teachers (with one great exception), and my one-on-one aide is new too. Factor in a non-stop heat wave in sort of sauna-land all day and I get frazzled more easily than usual. 
  
 The teachers have been pretty cool because it is the first time they have had a student so disabled to learn about. I admit, if people are cool and calm with me it helps me if I’m stressed, but if people get stressed, I get frightened. I have a roller coaster internally that can’t stop when I feel fear. I must be given the space to center my neurological system.
 I so wish I was my full master of my emotions and behavior but I don’t have the tools yet. My parents or aide are indispensible in helping me modulate my behavior. They can right the tilting ship. They get it. Sometimes – rarely—I lose it, but usually I regain myself fast. If the situation escalates because I am not given a chance to calm myself, it is not helpful at all. Then my roller-coaster plummets. I keep wondering how do I stop it when I get impulsive or edgy at once. 
  
 I know I must be removed in quiet and allowed to pull myself together. I think many schools and parents should know this. A show of tough authority escalates a sensory system that needs peace. Take the kid to a quiet place to sit still and it should do the trick eventually. Running is also helpful. I regret it always if I lose my cool or misbehave in public but I urge people to not be frightened. Autistic non-verbal people don’t mean harm. It is usually a form of frustration they don’t contain well.

2 responses to “Emotion Outbursts

  1. My 5 year old goes to montessori school which is loud for him but he has quiet corner. its kind of like a tent in a corner with a weighted blanket and a bean bag. we call it the PEACE CORNER and he can go there when he feels overwhelmed. We were blessed with a great teacher who is intuitive and flexible. He was using the peace room to escape from doing school work so now the aide times him so he does not stay there for most of the school day. I was wondering if I should remove the peace room but after reading this, we are keeping it. thank you.

  2. my 4 1/2 old severely autistic nonverbal grandson has been in an ABA program since September. Before he spent 1 year in Montessori school.
    He has very severe tantrums sometimes taking his mother ( my daughter) 25- 45 minutes to calm him. He is very big for his age and thus it is hard for her to physically manage his outbursts which are often precipitated when he injures himself very slightly or is told he cannot stay outside or he has to leave an activity he is enjoying. Very recently he even attacked another young child after severely scratching his mother’s face, giving her a bloody lip and pulling out a lot of her hair. The other child did receive a few scratches and was trembling when the young child’s mother was able to rescue him from our grandson. My daughter is very concerned about these very aggressive and very long temper tantrums. She never hits him, she never gives him time out in his room as a punishment. she just tries to talk calmly to him and carry him to the car which can be a great challenge due to his strength. Any suggestions.
    thanks you so very much for your wonderful books. I have read them and my daughter wants very badly to read them but has no time because of the intensity of his care and very bad sleep problems.

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