Live Interactive Chat

February 18, 2003

Handling Challenging Behaviors in Child Care and at Home: Autism

Alyson Beytien
Assistant Project Director of the Illinois Autism/Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) Training & Technical Assistance Project, La Grange, IL

• Biography
• Resources
• Questions & Answers (Transcript)

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Children with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities. Reducing difficult behaviors is typically paramount to families, educators, and caregivers. Understanding the communication behind the behavior and intervening appropriately is a first step. With systematic, consistent assistance, children can often manage their emotions and fears and reduce inappropriate behavior. In this Chat, Alyson Beytien responded to questions such as, “How could I go about keeping an autistic child busy in my home day care center—such as games I could play?” “If children with autism have difficulty communicating with others, what are some ways that parents and teachers can interact with children with autism?” “Does a caregiver or parent need to deal with challenging behavior in an autistic child in a different way than with such behavior in a child who is not autistic?” “What is a good resource for parents to read on autism?”

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