Help your autistic child with day to day life
How to help your child with day to day life? Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have issues with daily living skills to different…
What is Challenging Behaviour?
Challenging behavior refers to behaviors that are difficult for an individual to control and that may be harmful to themselves or others. These behaviours may be caused by a variety of factors, including medical conditions, developmental delays, or environmental stressors. It is important to approach challenging behaviours with a compassionate and understanding attitude, and to work with the individual and their support team to develop strategies for managing and reducing the frequency and intensity of the behaviours.
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Challenging Behaviour and Learning Disability?
Challenging behaviour cannot be called a learning disability. Although individuals with learning difficulties tend to have challenging behaviour, sometimes, they exhibit these characters because of their inability to communicate and frustrations when they try to express themselves. Problematic behaviour in people with a learning disability may also mean that something is not right, a presence of pain, or irritation. And in many cases, these attitudes are their only means of showing their feelings. Sometimes, it could be a sign of mental health problems for them.
Examples of Challenging Behaviour by People with Learning Disability
There are several examples of challenging behaviour exhibited by people with a learning disability. Some of them include:
- Isolative attitudes like gazing, shyness, school fright, social withdrawal, absconding from school, etc.
- Disorderly characters like being noisy in schools and business halls, restlessness, cursing, yelling, forbidding to follow orders, etc.
- Rude and dangerous behaviours like kicking themselves and others, striking with their fists, biting, fighting, destroying equipment, hitting their heads, smashing structures, etc.
- Social misconduct like pilfering, masturbation, rape, heavy lust against the same or opposite sex, improper dialogues, sexual abuse, etc.
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Causes of Challenging Behaviour in Learning Disability
Several factors cause the challenging behaviour learning disability. These factors include:
- Psychological factors like emotional disorder or inability to socialise the right way.
- Familial factors like family traumas, tragic experiences of family members with the government, school, work, business partners, friends, family members, or other individuals.
- Biophysical causes like medical disorders or diseases.
- Behavioural factors like learned behaviours resulting from reinforcement, consequences of social behaviours, adaptation to social involvements.
- Instructor factors like unorganised lecture structures, boring teachings, awfully harsh reactions, excessive punishments, etc.
- Environmental characteristics like unorganised sitting positions, environmental noise, overcrowding, etc.
- Cultural conditions
- Neglects in classes and gatherings like insensitivity to cultural variations, unawareness of temperamental differences, irregular routines, etc.
- Social factors like bullying, segregation, cliques, public dislike, societal disregard, teasing, etc.
Dealing With Challenging Behaviour in Learning Disability
Handling The Condition As a Relative or Friend
As a parent, supporter, or guardian, you need to know why the person you care for is acting in such a way. For instance, they might be overwhelmed by boredom, pain, or anxiety. If you can discover these behavioural signs early enough, you might be able to control their attitudes and prevent them from escalating. For instance, if your ward does not like being in a crowded environment due to anxiety or nervousness, you can position them in a less crowded arena. You can also give them 1-to-1 assistance. This is why early awareness is vital as a carer.
Some people with challenging characters behave better when distractions arise. For instance, they can channel their minds and energies towards a positive distraction to not display their obnoxious characters. As a caregiver, they might act in some way to gain your attention. You shouldn’t give a direct response to their acts. However, it would be best if you did not snub them. But if their actions for attention are becoming dangerous to them or other people, you need to interfere. However, interfere with ease and calmness to successfully control the situation.
To effectively control your ward, you can apply the following guidelines.
- Connect with other caregivers for support, advice, and assistance.
- Communicate with support groups in your locality to relate your caring experiences.
- Take some time off to rejuvenate yourself and stay healthy.
- Keep regular communication with your family and loved ones. They can be instrumental in offering you relief and support emotionally and logically.
- Do not always confine or restrict them except if their actions and reactions are harmful or incapable of making the right decisions.
Professional Intervention
Sometimes, as a family member or friend, you may not be able to handle their unpleasant behaviours. This situation warrants the aid of a general practitioner. A general practitioner will refer you to an appropriate medical professional. The professional will detect the conditions that cause the behaviour, the warning hints, and the after-actions. The specialist may prescribe drugs in difficult situations where the person continually creates havoc, and all controlling measures have proved abortive. The general practitioner will inform you of the side effects of the drugs.
Handling Special Adults
Some adults who suffer from challenging learning disabilities usually exhibit abnormal sexual behaviours. Sometimes, these behaviours happen due to mental disorders or brain malfunctions. Some behaviours include:
- Public nudity
- Playing with genitals
- Touching people offensively
You might not have the capacity to stop people with this condition, but you can address the situation.
- Find out why they are behaving that way. Find out if they publicly pull off their clothes because of heat or discomfort.
- Remain calm and handle the condition with humour. You do not have to get angry.
- It is better to distract them to channel their focus elsewhere rather than confront them.
- Speak well about them when they behave in such a way in public. Inform the people around that they have a mental breakdown or an ailment.
- Please keep a record of their behaviours. Note the times they exhibit those characters and the conditions these incidences occur. Observe the kind of people who are always present during their misbehaviours and the circumstances before they acted that way.
- You can also see a general practitioner for advice and assistance.
Disciplinary Measures That Might Be Negative
While some disciplinary measures might be helpful, they might also pose adverse effects if not done carefully. Some of these measures are explained below.
Corporal Punishment
Corporal punishment is done to inflict discomfort and pain because of their irrational characters. Some corporal punishments include hitting, slapping, pulling, spanking, etc. The effects of these punishments usually last for a long time. Some of its induced impacts are:
- Offensive behaviour and heightened agitation.
- Low self-pride and self-belief
- Mental disorders
The individual might stop exhibiting the challenging behaviour for a short while due to corporal punishments. But such a person may not learn from the discipline and behave correctly.
Yelling and Cursing
Sometimes, as an individual, you yell when something is not right, but research shows that yelling at young people can negatively affect them. When you shout at them, you might not pass any disciplinary information. You might even be teaching them how to mishandle emotional issues.
You do not need to embarrass, insult, or curse them. You can cause more problems for them and you as a caregiver.
Seclusion as a Punitive Measure
If you seclude them when they are unhappy, you could make them feel unwanted and expose them to grief and confusion. Instead of isolating them; you can change their environment. Putting children under detention or seclusion without letting them learn the reason or emotional care is not a good action.
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