Verbal aggression can be defined as the use of language to call others by mean or foul names; to use profanity to express negative feelings to others; or to express threats to others. When children with autism use verbal aggression it is often a shock to their parents or caregivers who have carefully protected them from hearing foul or abusive language. However, many children attend a regular school setting where they hear verbal aggression on the playground or where they are the targets of such behaviours.
What triggers verbal aggression?
Verbal aggression in children with autism may be part of an angry exchange with an equally aggressive person, or it may be presented when the child is triggered by frustration or by not getting what he wants. It may also be a learned response to anything that the child perceives to be a negative experience.
Intervention in verbal aggression
It is vital that an intervention be used to stop verbal aggression. A child who uses this type of language may not seem like a threat at the age of 6 or 10, but if the child develops a habit of this she will eventually become a teen and then an adult who appears to be a threat to others and who may face social alienation or even legal charges.
Once a child has been identified as a verbal aggressor, it is best to develop a behavioural plan that can shared and implemented in each setting, such as the classroom, the home, or a regular a activity setting. The following are actions that can be included in a behavioural plan:
- The caregiver should step calmly in between the child and his target
- Direct the child’s visual attention to something other than the target
- Both the aggressive child and the target should be redirected to a pre-determined activity
- Stay with the aggressor until she has calmed down or is engaged in the alternate activity
Follow up for a child with verbal aggression tendencies
It is important that a child who uses verbal aggression be taught alternative and positive means of expressing anger. This can be done through role play, through social skills groups, through using teachable moments to help the child verbally walk through an anger episode. It is also vital that the caregiver check to see where the child learned to use profanity and to find out if she is learning this behaviour from being victimized.
Verbal aggression does not have to become an entrenched part of the child’s behavioural repertoire and early and consistent intervention can bring about substantial change.
Brenda McCreight - Brenda McCreight, Ph.D., is an author, therapist, and consultant specializing in services for families dealing with challenges such as ...
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