People with Autism Behaving Badly: Helping People with ASD Move On from Behavioral and Emotional Challenges

by John Clements

People with autism spectrum conditions may often behave in ways that cause difficulties for themselves and those who care for them. People with Autism Behaving Badly offers effective, long-term strategies to help families to control common problem behaviors such as physical aggression, self-injury, verbal abuse, rudeness, and property damage. Organized around common triggers of difficult behavior, such as sensory sensitivity, changes in routine, or lack of control, as well as the longer-term effects of autism on social connectedness and personal well-being, the book examines how a variety of innovative relationship styles can be effective in reducing challe nging behaviors, and encouraging positive ones. Drawing on over 30 years experience of working with autistic people and their families, John Clements provides ideas and tips, exercises, case studies and a log book to help families identify what is causing difficult behavior, and what works to prevent and calm it.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder

217 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2005

Reviews

[SHR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I had reached my quota of reading books on tips and the like regarding ASD but seems not. The title of this one grabbed me and the chapter titles told me it would be relevant to our situation, and it was.

It includes lots of wonderful, practical advice, all bearing a hint of common sense and lots of advice to modify things to suit your own situation. I loved the way this was written – Clements has a lot of experience with families with Autistic children and he has a lot of understanding of the difficulties of implementing strategies in a consistent way. He reassures parents that it is OK to slip up, as long as you get over it and move forward. He also explains where consistency is most important and provides other strategies to use until you are able to be consistent – so at least something is being done. He also emphasises that strategies often don’t work smoothly in the ‘real world’ due to the interference of life and that many strategies, while explained as units, are not mutually exclusive. He acknowledges that interventions are long-term and hard work, which as parents we know but it is still helpful to be told by a professional – no miracles are expected.

[Revellee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough and empathetic. This book offers explanations of why unwanted behaviors may happen, strategies to deal with them, and advice for when to seek additional resources. There are helpful vignettes and provided worksheets/exercises to put the strategies into practice. The final chapters on overall well-being are most relevant to why I was reading this book. I have already started to implement some of what I've read here and have seen positive results. Highly recommend if you are caring for someone with autism spectrum disorder.