3.2.Form a partnership 4. 1.Allow processing time …...2 . 3 . 4 . Declutter. Simply reducing the amount of visual and auditory clutter in your home or classroom can significantly

T o R e d u c e S t r e s s o r s S o C u r i o s i t y C a n T h r i v e I nC h i l d r e n W i t h A u t i s m

Regulate yourself first

Form a partnership

Make it visual

Allow processing time

Declutter

Respect sensory needs

Provide boundaries

Celebrate strengths

Use mindful communication

Turn frustration into fascination

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10 WaysBy Barb Avila

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T h e s e t e c h n i q u e s a r e a c o m p i l a t i o n o fe v i d e n c e b a s e d p r a c t i c e s , d i s c u s s i o n sw i t h a d u l t s o n t h e a u t i s m s p e c t r u m ,a n d m y 3 0 + y e a r s o f e x p e r i e n c e .

T E N W A Y S T O R E D U C E S T R E S S O R S S O C U R I O S I T Y C A NT H R I V E I N C H I L D R E N W I T H A U T I S M

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SYNERGYAUTISMCENTER.COM

Regulate yourself first. Take deep breaths, count to 10, assess your own stresslevel. Calm your own system so that you can calm someone else’s. It never works toapproach someone in a stressed or anxious state. Form a partnership. Offer partnerships for anything and everything from opening adoor together to opening a bag of food together. This also provides opportunitiesfor co-regulation. Make it visual. Bring something from being all auditory into being also visual (i.e., apoint, a body positioning cue, a drawing, a photo). Allow processing time. Most people with autism have auditory processing needsand have trouble shifting quickly from one task or activity to another. Allowing timeto process a question or simply your silent presence can help immensely withreducing anxiety and stress levels.

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Declutter. Simply reducing the amount of visual and auditory clutter in your homeor classroom can significantly help lower stress levels for everyone. Reduce yourwords by saying only the essentials.  Respect sensory needs. People with autism and attention deficits often need tomove to think. Respect that need and plan for it in order support the best outcomes. Provide boundaries. Just because your child or student has autism does not meanthat you allow challenging behaviors. Children/people with autism need boundariesto feel safe and secure.

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Celebrate strengths. Each day offer times when topics of extreme interest are fullyallowed and celebrated. Just be sure to also balance these with social and/ordecision-making opportunities. Use mindful communication. Aim to engage your child’s mind rather than havinghim/her mindless respond. By being direct and mindful in your communications,you can reduce their stress and anxiety. Turn frustration into fascination. Take frustrating moments as information aboutthe person’s stress level. Instead of avoiding that same situation, it is essential toreturn to it with new fascination and your own curiosity about how to better supportthem through that moment.

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