When a child misbehaves, whether they’re throwing a temper tantrum, purposely ignoring instructions, or using their hands to display anger, it’s easy to scold or discipline them by taking away their favorite game. However, disciplining a child with autism requires a different and softer approach.



Traditional discipline techniques aren’t always successful for children with autism. They might struggle to understand why they face these consequences or harsh scolding. That doesn’t mean you can’t discipline them or tell them why their behavior is unacceptable. To help you along the way, here are a few tips for disciplining your child with autism.

Safety Is the Main Priority

The most important tip for disciplining your child with autism is to ensure they are safe. Many children with autism don’t display harmful behavior. However, if your child is starting to lash out physically, you must ensure that your child and the people around them are safe and free from harm. If your child throws a temper tantrum, remove sharp, hard, or heavy objects from their path.

Use Positive Reinforcement

If your child is in ABA therapy, you likely know that positive reinforcement is a great tool. During your parent training session with your Board Certified Behavior Analyst, the instructor will tell you to focus on what your child is doing right and praise them for it. This method will act as motivation for more positive feedback, thus changing the problematic behavior into better habits.

Ignore Their Harmless Behaviors

Some children with autism may display behaviors that can seem strange or problematic to people who aren’t knowledgeable about autism. Some of these behaviors are self-stimulating behaviors that help the child soothe. Let them be if your child isn’t hurting themselves, harming those around them, or disrupting others.

Teach Your Child Self-Calming Methods

The best tip for disciplining your child with autism is to teach your child self-calming techniques. Meltdowns happen, and it can sometimes be hard to calm your child down on your own. By teaching your child self-calming methods, you allow them to take control of their emotions and calm down. A simple method is telling your child to slowly breathe in and out through their nose while imagining something funny or calming.

Raising a child with autism comes with its own set of unique parenting challenges. However, it’s important to understand your child in and out. Sometimes their display of behavior can translate to something they have trouble expressing. HANDS Center for Autism believes in educating parents on different techniques and ways they can support their children.