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Autism Support
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- Aggressive Behaviors or Intense Energy?
- Throwing and Screaming
- Dealing with Self Abuse
- How to Handle Aggression from Your Child
- Why Your Child Isn't Sleeping
- Chewing
- The Difference Between Meltdowns and Tantrums
- Why Your Child Has Tantrums
- Holding Objects
- Seven Simple Tips to Try When Your Child Cries or Tantrums
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- Getting Started With The Son-Rise Program
- Structured Play & Choosing Toys
- 7 Tips for Navigating the Holidays
- Unusual Eating Habits
- Top 7 Autism Books for the Entire Family
- Tips for a Better Nights Sleep
- Tips on Changing Your Child's Diet
- Tips for Recruiting Son-Rise Program Volunteers
- Use an Interest in Electronic Devices to Create More Social Interaction
- Putting the FUN Back into Toileting!
- 10 Fun Games with a Blanket!
- Creating New Games
- 5 Fun Games to Initiate
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- Newspaper and Magazine Autism Articles
- 10 Holiday Hiccups - and how to prevent them
- Is My Child Autistic?
- Oprah Winfrey Interviews Barry (Bears) Neil Kaufman
- Wishers Learn Life Lessons From Autistic Son
- Out of a Distant World
- Chasing Autism Help
- Building a Bridge - Breakthrough Strategies for Reaching our Children
- Anything is Possible
- Light of Learning Comes On For Toby
- I Love You Mommy
- Mum's Joy As Miracle Treatment Transforms Danielle And Shaun
- How The Son-Rise Technique Is Giving Power To The Child
- Breaking Through Autism
- Autism and The Myth of False Hope
- Parents Given Hope In Dealing With Autism
- The Son-Rise Program
- Opening Up The Options
- A Child Lured Out By An Emotional Connection
- He Beat Autism, Now Helps Others
- Family Believes The Sun Is Rising For Autistic Son
- Journey From A Silent Planet
- The Importance of Being Happy
- Parenting by Intention
- Assistance For Autistic Children
- One Moms Son-Rise Program Journey
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- Autism Treatment Webcasts
- Breakthrough Strategies for Autism Treatment
- An Introduction to The Son-Rise Program
- Comparing The Son-Rise Program with ABA
- Principles of The Son-Rise Program
- Creating Games for Your Son-Rise Program
- High Functioning Autism & Aspergers
- Get Your Child Talking
- A Son-Rise Mom Answers Your Questions
- Decision Making in the Playroom
- Aggressive Behaviors
- Son-Rise Family Journeys
- ABA vs The Son-Rise Program: Video Series
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Autism Information & Research
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FAQ's
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- You have stated that there is hope for every autistic child? Isn’t that offering “false hope”?
- Will The Son-Rise Program work for me?
- My child has High Functioning Autism and/or Asperger Syndrome. Would the program still be helpful?
- Will I learn more through The Son-Rise Program Online than I am learning by reading Raun K Kaufman's book, Autism Breakthrough?
- Is your program effective with older children, teenagers and adults?
- I know that your program has been very effective in increasing social interaction, but can it also improve academic and daily living skills?
- How can I get help with my child's tantrums and aggressive behaviors?
- Everything I have read states that my child has a permanent, lifelong disability with minimal hope for substantial progress, is this true?
- Does my insurance cover the cost of The Son-Rise Program?
- Does my child need a diagnosis in order for me to use The Son-Rise Program?
- Can The Son-Rise Program be used in conjunction with other therapies?
- Do you have research and studies that support the efficacy of The Son-Rise Program?
- I am intrigued by your approach of “joining” my child’s repetitious behaviors (“isms”), but I’ve been told this will just make him do it more. Is this true?
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Archived Q&A Sessions
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Dealing with Self Abuse
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Topic: Dealing with Self Abuse
Here are some suggestions for effectively dealing with self abusive behaviors
In most cases, when kids hit themselves, it’s their excitement (lots of energy and no way to get rid of it) or their wanting to provoke a reaction in the people around them.
- The first thing to try is to offer other ways of releasing their energy, like squeezing their body or offering to run laps around the playroom with them. If you get a sense that (s)he is building up to one of these ‘hitting’ periods, give them the squeezes before the period, if possible. If not, you can offer them as soon as they start to hit themselves. Also, squeeze directly on the place that (s)he is hitting (if (s)he’s hitting his/her head against the floor, offer to squeeze his/her head.)
- Ask yourself: ‘How am I feeling about this?’ Most people feel uncomfortable in these situations, and the child picks up on that feeling and it is a motivator for the child to keep doing the behavior. Don’t worry if you have been feeling bad, you can always turn this around. When you feel and act calm (not reacting in an entertaining way), your child will not be getting the same reaction from you, and very well may diminish the behavior. We see this happen all the time. The book, “Happiness Is A Choice”, is a tremendous resource for helping people feel more comfortable.
- Other factors to look into:
- Your child’s diet
- Is this the way your child gets what (s)he wants? Many children get treats and things once they bang their head or hit themselves, so they learn to do this when they want things. If this is the case, you’ve got to make it an ineffective method by no longer giving what (s)he wants when (s)he does this.