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One of the hardest experiences I have dealt with as an autism mom is keeping my calm when things are escalating. I remember learning at The Autism Center of America that if I react BIG or give ENERGY to a scenario it will be repeated. It made total sense, but putting it into practice with not only Griffin, but so many kids that I have worked with, would be so much harder. We are human after all. Our feelings get hurt, we want to fix the problem, etc.
However, the common sense philosophy still exists that if I respond or give into a negative behavior that I am teaching the action should be repeated to get the same response from me. Check out this great video from The SonRise Program.
Sometimes our kids want to meet a need but it isn't in the safest way. Maybe they want to bite, or hit, or throw objects that can be a safety concern. We want to continue to show respect and understanding without becoming overly reactive. Safety is always #1 and sometimes that means we must move fast and react. However if the issue isn't extreme danger we can have better results by explaining why to our child. Helping them realize there are ways to meet their need without harm. Maybe we give them a soft toy to throw or a safer item to hit, maybe we lower our energy, whatever we choose we always want to explain our reasoning and be respectful to their needs.