DS is 6 and undergoing assessment for autism. I’m really struggling to know what approach to take to aggression with him.
If he’s in a meltdown I can hold him, calm him - I’m ok with that.
It’s when he’s otherwise calm but then lashes out
because he’s frustrated eg because his little brother has knocked his toys over. This is usually directed at siblings but occasionally at friends and I’m really worried that he will lose those friends in time if it continues. Also very worried about it happening at school (which he is starting this year).
What strategies do people use in these situations?
I’ve tried the approach I use with my NT kids (naming the emotion, verbally reinforcing limits, discussing what could have been done instead - this has worked really well for them).
I’ve tried taking away privileges which did reduce incidents a bit but I hate parenting like that, and I see the negative effects already (behaviour becomes about avoiding punishment rather than being kind for its own sake).