Tag Archives: aggressive behavior

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Autism Tips for Emergency Responders: Autism and Violence

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image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

My extended family doesn’t know a great deal about autism. My children and I don’t live near my mother or stepmother, and autism wasn’t even on my radar when my father passed away in 2001. The majority of information they receive about autism is what they hear in the news and any personal stories I choose to share about day to day living as a single mom with two autistic teens.

A family member recently asked me, “How bad is Justin?”

“What do you mean?” I replied.

“I saw on the news that a boy with autism got angry and bit his grandmother’s finger off. Is he violent like that? I’m worried.”

Officers frequently ask during my autism trainings if people with autism are more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs and commit violent crimes.

These are all great questions; however thanks to the media an already grossly misunderstood community is now feared and shunned as one being predisposed for violence, and even murder. Case in point, the Sandy Hook School shooting in 2012, the 20-year old shooter was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at age 13.

Did autism cause him to fatally shoot 20 children and 6 adult staff members?

No, it did not.

According to an article from Interactive Autism Network at Kennedy Krieger Institute,

“People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have characteristics that could make them both more likely, and less likely, to break the law. On the one hand, they may have trouble with aggression, controlling strong emotions, and understanding other people’s perspectives. They may have challenging behaviors that could attract police attention. However, they also tend to find rules helpful, and laws are “simply social rules of a particular type” that they could be expected to follow.”

There are few case studies dealing with high-functioning autism and crime, and those in place are already biased, as the subjects studied were already in prison or a forensic hospital – they already had legal troubles. This indeed elicits a “chicken or the egg” argument, and cannot truly answer whether or not autism is a factor in violence and crimes. Studies would need to consider people throughout a community, not just those in jails, psychiatric hospitals or institutions.

It is my personal experience that most people with autism are good-natured, happy individuals that are focused on the “now” and typically like to follow rules, but are also wired to be who they are, unapologetically. There is no known evidence that autism causes violent criminal behavior.

Victims, Not Aggressors

 

The more likely scenario you will encounter? People with autism tend to be victims of crimes. Children with disabilities are about three times more likely to be the victims of abuse or neglect, and children with autism are bullied more often than other children.

Social and communication deficits may also place people with autism at a disadvantage when questioned by police. They may not be able to tell if an investigator is lying or manipulating them, resulting in potentially making a false confession. Officers that are not trained to recognize autism may also interpret lack of eye contact, vague answers are changing the subject as evidence of guilt, but these are typical autistic behaviors.

Impulses and Behavior Response

 

Autism Speaks also tells us that autism itself does not cause challenging behaviors. It is likely, however, that some of the underlying biological processes that result in autism might also result in behaviors that are outside of a person’s control—similar to how the tremors associated with Parkinson’s Disease are brought on by impulses that the person cannot direct. In addition, some behavioral responses are simply reflexes—no more of a choice than when your leg jerks upward when the doctor uses his hammer on your kneecap.

Autism aggression is less likely to result in violent behavior toward others; most often the automatic response to stressors (like emergencies) are repetitive or ritualistic – and sometimes self-injurious – behaviors that serve the purpose of self-calming.

autism and exercise

Guest Post: Autism and Exercise

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Autism is a developmental disorder of the mind, but it has a profound impact on the body as well. Children with autism can have trouble with motor function, poor coordination, myoclonal jerks, abnormal gait and posture, and sometimes difficulty sitting, lying, crawling, or walking.

Autism is incredibly complex and still largely mysterious, and treatments can require a multitude of medical and behavioral interventions, from medications and educational therapies to behavioral therapies and communication therapies. But there’s another piece of the puzzle, one that can help not only with some of the physical symptoms but with behavioral problems and quality of life in general: exercise.

Why Exercise Matters in Autism

Physical activity is important for all children, regardless of their health, but it’s especially important for autistic kids. They have higher rates of obesity than other children, for one thing, and that puts them at risk for other health conditions, from diabetes to depression. And those illnesses will only further aggravate the underlying symptoms of the autism.

Physical fitness improves general motor functioning. Studies have shown that regular exercise can lead to improvements in balance, strength, agility, speed, endurance and flexibility. It also has been shown to significantly reduce negative, repetitive behaviors such as body rocking, head nodding, object tapping, and spinning. And exercise may have an effect in reducing self-injurious or aggressive behavior.

Finally, regular exercise gives autistic children some of the positive social interaction they find difficult to maintain in their daily lives. This is particularly true of children who are able to participate in team sports, but it’s also true of children who require solitude, as there still may be interaction with coaches or therapists. Above all, autistic children who exercise are able to build self esteem and self confidence that may help them manage their symptoms and communicate more easily.

Finding the Right Approach

So what’s the right exercise regimen for your autistic child? Well, that depends. It depends on your child; their symptoms and behaviors as well as strengths and deficits. Most of all, it depends on what your child enjoys!

Whether it’s team sports or one-on-one yoga, don’t rule anything out right away. Some sports, like hockey, may seem too dangerous or too involved or too social, but that doesn’t mean they are. There are hockey teams in the United States made up entirely of developmentally disabled children.

Combine Exercise, Academics and Social Skills

Whatever type of athletics you choose, do what you can to integrate it into your child’s academic and social skills studies. Follow your child’s exercise regimen or team sport with a study period, and follow that by a social skills period. Make sure the various teachers and therapists are in contact with each other. Integrating social, academic and physical activities will help minimize your child’s cognitive and sensory symptoms.

If your child is up for a team sport, either find one that has other developmentally disabled players or place him or her on a team with players a couple of years younger. A “shadow” can help bring your child onto the team socially and athletically.

Even if your child isn’t ready for a team sport, he or she can still learn some of the basics – making a goal, catching a ball, throwing into hoop. That way, if the time comes, he or she can join in a game after school or sign up for a team.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.