5 Anger Management Methods For Individuals With Special Needs

Everyone experiences anger sometimes.  But for some people, anger is a force that damages relationships, limits community involvement and creates unsafe situations.  Most specialists in anger management encourage people to verbalize their emotions and seek positive outlets for negative feelings.  But what if a person can’t verbalize emotions?  What if mood shifts happen so quickly that there’s no time to seek a positive outlet?

These are the people who need the most help with anger management: those with traumatic brain injury, autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder and other neurological conditions.  The strategies recommended by professionals may not work in these cases.

As my son gets older, his outbursts have thankfully diminished in frequency and intensity.  But they still occur.  Soon he’ll be bigger than I am, and since I’m over 6 feet tall, he’ll also be bigger than most first responders.  Thus my interest in anger management and crisis prevention.

Prevention of anger-driven episodes is easier than active intervention.  Although there is little research available on anger management for individuals with special needs, I found several applicable methods for both prevention and active anger management.

Prevention

1. Attachment

AskDrSears.com recommends strengthening a positive emotional connection with a person as a way of mitigating anger. Dr. Sears writes, “The unconnected child operates from inner turmoil. Down deep this child feels something important is missing in his self and he is angry about it. (This feeling may continue into adulthood.) This void is likely to reveal itself as anger toward himself and parents, placing everyone at risk for becoming an angry family.”

Parents and caregivers can model peaceful resolutions to everyday problems.  When anger does come to the forefront, parents can explain how they are working through it – sometimes the explanation is enough of a distraction to take the edge off.  Seeing a caregiver become angry can be very confusing for a person with special needs, and he or she often needs some type of confirmation that the emotional connection is still there, unconditionally.  Try to find an activity every day that requires eye contact and generates positive emotions.

2. Emotional expression

Verbal expression may not be possible for some people with disabilities, but it’s never too early to teach and model self-advocacy.  If a person can make known his or her likes and dislikes through alternative methods of communication such as PECS or sign language, it is possible to prevent some types of angry situations.

Because play is a natural part of human development, play therapy is a highly effective way to learn emotional expression.  My son and I used Fisher-Price Little People  and Barbies to act out scenarios from his memory – events that made him happy and events that upset him.  Play therapy allowed him to explore his emotions in a safe environment.

Art therapy is increasingly recommended for individuals with traumatic brain injury or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Open-ended self-expression can help build an inner calmness and confidence, without the use of language. Art therapist Cathy Malchiodi explains, “The function of the art therapist is not necessarily to place a psychological interpretation on the child’s work, but rather to provide a supportive environment to express himself and work through his conflicts in a creative way.

3. Exercise

Vigorous exercise is a well-known natural remedy for anger.   Physical activity not only provides a distraction from anger, but it also stimulates the production of hormones associated with positive emotions and uses the energy of anger for something more productive.  For some, a morning exercise routine helps to start the day on the right foot.  Others exercise as soon as they recognize the first warning signs for rage.  In my home, I provide “heavy work,” that is, an activity that requires pushing or pulling, to help regulate emotions: vacuuming the stairs, pushing a wheelbarrow full of mulch around the yard, shoveling snow, and so on.  The advantage of heavy work is the sense of accomplishment afterwards!

Active Anger Management

4. Cognitive behavioral therapy

The method recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) for the management of anger – and all types of emotions and emotional thought processes – is cognitive behavioral therapy.  Cognitive behavioral therapy addresses the thoughts surrounding emotions and teaches concrete skills to avoid problems related to powerful emotions. Social stories are an excellent way to start the cognitive process of recognizing emotions. Using first-person language, write the story to show step-by-step how to cope with anger.

The APA has a series of workbooks for children about handling emotions, including one for anger: What To Do When Your Temper Flares by Dawn Huebner.  The workbooks are all based on principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy and include activities such as drawing things that make a person angry, breathing slowly to release anger and working out a problem to get what we actually want.

5. Nonviolent crisis intervention training

Most school districts now have a crisis intervention team that has gone through specialized training in de-escalating tense or dangerous situations.  Non-violent crisis intervention teaches that verbal suggestions, physical intervention or restraint can actually be counterproductive and make a situation more dangerous.  Ask which crisis intervention method your school district or social service agency uses, and ask if caregivers may attend training to provide consistency at home.

Keep in mind that every IEP has a legally required, but usually ignored, section for parent training.   You may be able to receive crisis intervention training at no cost to yourself by having it written into the IEP as parent training, or request a copy of a standard crisis intervention textbook, such as Crisis Intervention Strategies by Richard James, for your personal use.

Anger cannot be completely stamped out.  But by managing anger with patience and love, we can strengthen relationships instead of destroying them.

http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2014/05/21/5-anger-management-methods-for-individuals-with-special-needs/?utm_source=Friendship+Circle+Blog&utm_campaign=e20962b158-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3ec270b4ae-e20962b158-199195685

Sensory Anchors by Angie Voss

Understanding Your Child's Sensory Signals (Facebook Page)

***Sensory Tip of the Day!***

Who decided that foot tapping is acceptable and "normal"... but hand flapping is not???
Everything I have listed below in categories #1 and #2 are done for the exact same reasons...why has our society chosen to make one category "normal" and acceptable and the other "a maladaptive behavior" or a "stimming" behavior? (Note: I don't like "those" words and you will not s...ee me using them outside of a post like this)
Category #1:
Hand flapping, lining toys up, jumping in place, rubbing hands together briskly, smelling things, watching spinning objects, chewing on sleeves, etc.
Category #2: Nail biting, foot tapping, hair twisting, chewing on a pen top, swaying/rocking back and forth while standing, watching a lava lamp or other water feature and enjoying it, etc

All of the items in categories #1 and #2 are done to help self-regulate, to soothe and comfort the nervous system, to help achieve ready state for learning, attending, and to cope with the environment and setting at any given moment. These are ALL sensory anchors.

The only part that is different is this...category #1 has been deemed unacceptable by our society and category #2 acceptable. The bottom line...it all needs to be acceptable. ~Angie Voss, OTR

Stop the Summer Slide: 5 Ways to Help your Child Retain Academic Skills Over the Summer

          

Many educators return to school in the fall prepared for a new year with fresh ideas and a renewed energy for teaching. However, we always dread those first weeks of data collection where we may see the effects of what is sometimes referred to as the “summer slide.” For some students, particularly those with special needs or learning disabilities, it is imperative that they receive repetitive practice with academic skills in order to retain what was taught. The child has to “use it or lose it.”

Thus, as we quickly approach summer vacation, I would like to offer parents some ways to help their children practice academic skills throughout the summer and keep their young minds in working shape!

Tip #1: Limit Screen Time

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends “Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play.”

Tip #2: Play educational games

Here is a list of easily made games your child can play at home that will help them with academic skills. They can easily be adapted to fit your child’s age and ability level.

Throw the Ball at the Letter

Tape letters (or sight words) to a wall and call out a letter for your child to throw the ball at. Your child gets a point for every letter he successfully hits. Bonus: your child will work on their gross motor skills too!

Sight Word Hop Scotch

This can easily be adapted to letters, skip counting, multiplication facts, etc. depending on your child’s level. Draw a basic hop scotch outline and fill it in with words your child has to hope to and call out loud.

Water Balloon Math

Draw math facts on water balloons. When your child solves the problem, they get to throw the water balloon!

Sight Word Dive

Write sight words on dive sticks if your child has access to the pool and can swim and have them dive for a specific word. Or, once they get the dive stick, they have to correctly read the word or throw it back!

Rhyming Bean Bag Toss

Attach three different words, with three different endings, to three different buckets (ex: cat, man, rug). On bean bags, have words with similar endings taped or written on the bean bag. The child has to toss the bean bag in the correct bucket to make rhyming pairs (ex: they would toss the bean bag that says “fat” into the bucket that says “cat”).

ABC Twister

Just like regular twister but instead of putting their arm on “red” they need to put their arm on the letter “b.” (again, adapt to math or sight words. I.e. Put your arm on the math fact that equals 15).

Tip #3: Encourage exploration and adventure

A child exploring their own backyard is a great catalyst for a growing imagination. Remember all the time you spent outdoors as a child before the invention of ipads, smart phones, and 100 tv channels? Create scavenger hunts for your child or let them make those mud pies and dirt cake. Let them enjoy the beauty of the garden (even if it means 1 or 2 flowers get stomped on) or play with those critters

Tip #4: Allow your child to be bored

My friend and previous co-worker who is now raising a toddler believes in the power of allowing your child to be bored. She writes “boredom often sparks the best ideas and adventures through creativity.” Be weary, if your child gets too bored that’s often when behaviors occur.
But – if your child feels like they should be entertained every moment of every day, they will have difficulty at school when they are asked to attend to instruction or independently work. Such strong learning can happen when your child is required to be creative and explore naturally on their own.

Tip #5: Practical application of academic skills

Some practical ways you can put your child’s skills to work.

• Lemonade sale: Helps your child practice social skills and money management.
• Baking: Helps your child review baking and hygiene skills.
• Grocery store/shopping: Helps your child with math, social and life skills.

Tip #5: Travel

Travel with your child this summer! This does NOT mean I’m suggesting you need to take your child on an African Safari or a European tour in order to be prepared for their upcoming school year (although I imagine those trips would be filled with worldly educational experiences – I myself have never been to either Africa or Europe!).
Travel with your child to the local park, library, or museum. Visit Grandma or Grandpa out of town (and on the car ride play the license plate or alphabet game!). As your child is given the opportunity to experience the world around them, they will naturally take in information from environmental stimuli. They will see, discover, and learn things they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do just sitting at home.
Be present as you travel with your child. It is not enough to take your child to a museum and let them explore while you are on your own phone or ipad. Ask them inquisitive questions about what they see and what they like. Read books together at the library and help your child pick out books that are appropriate and interesting for their independent reading level.


http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2014/05/09/stop-the-summer-slide-how-to-help-your-child-with-special-needs-retain-academic-skills-over-the-summer/?utm_source=Friendship+Circle+Blog&utm_campaign=ad4f7818fc-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3ec270b4ae-ad4f7818fc-199195685

Noise Control: 11 Tips for Helping your Child with Autism Deal with Noise

http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2014/05/06/noise-control-11-tips-for-helping-your-child-with-autism-deal-with-noise/?utm_source=Friendship+Circle+Blog&utm_campaign=65876b7c2b-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3ec270b4ae-65876b7c2b-199195685

One of my son’s most frequent questions is, “What’s that sound, Mommy?”

I often can’t hear what he’s hearing. He can hear the school bus when it’s still half a mile from our house. With all the windows closed inside our home, he can hear the next-door neighbors’ sump pump switch on or their garage door opening. He can hear a whisper in the next room or an air vent in a busy department store or an airplane’s high-pitched engine long before it’s visible in the sky.  At a noisy carnival, he can hear his favorite song playing across the park.

The downside to sound sensitivity is that noise quickly becomes painful and can even trigger a panic attack. When a person can hear everything simultaneously, it becomes almost impossible to pay attention to the task at hand. Separating and prioritizing sounds drains a person’s energy, and the constant assault of noise causes a person’s anxiety level to escalate.

When my son was a toddler, he had a panic attack every time our washing machine clicked loudly to change cycles. He developed a phobia of all types of bells. He covered his ears and cried in crowds. But he became calm, even joyful, every single time we went for a walk in the woods, visited the library or entered any kind of religious environment: his stiff, tight muscles would relax instantly in my arms.

Creating a Plan to Deal With Sounds

All of these observations gave me food for thought as I developed a plan to help him cope with his sensitivity to sound. Over the years his ability to tolerate noise has steadily increased, and barking dogs are his only remaining noise-related phobia.

Here are eleven ways to help a highly sensitive person learn how to cope with and enjoy everyday noisy situations.

1. Know the types of sensitivity

There are several different types of noise sensitivity, and there are different treatments for each type. Consult with an audiologist to pinpoint which type of sensitivity is affecting your quality of life. These are the 5 most common types of sensitivities, but keep in mind that a person may be affected by more than one issue. For example, my son has hyperacusis in addition to phobias of specific sounds.

• Hyperacusis is an intolerance of everyday environmental sounds and is often associated with tinnitus, a ringing in the ears.
• Hypersensitive hearing of specific frequencies is often (but not always) associated with autism. A person is able to tolerate most sounds at normal levels, but certain frequencies are intolerable, especially above 70 decibels. For example, a person may have no difficulty being near a noisy dishwasher, but the higher frequency and higher decibel level of the vacuum cleaner will be painful.
• Recruitment is directly related to sensorineural hearing loss. It is defined as an atypical growth in the perception of loudness. Hair cells in the inner ear typically “translate” sound waves into nerve signals. Damaged or dead hair cells cannot perceive sound, but at a certain decibel level, surrounding healthy hair cells are “recruited” to transmit, and the person experiences a sudden sharp increase in sound perception that can be shocking and painful.
• Phonophobia (also called ligyrophobia or sonophobia) is a persistent and unusual fear of sound, either a specific sound such as an alarm or general environmental sounds. People with phonophobia fear the possibility of being exposed to sounds, especially loud sounds, in present and future situations, and sometimes become homebound due to this anxiety.
• Misophonia is an emotional reaction, most often anger or rage, to specific sounds. The trigger is usually a relatively soft sound related to eating or breathing, and may be connected to only one or a few people who are emotionally close to the affected person. For example, my friend Lisa’s son Nate becomes angry and runs out of the dining room because his father makes sounds while chewing food, but Nate does not become angry when his mother and sister make similar sounds.

2. Provide relief

Headphones and earplugs offer instant comfort and relief. Noise-canceling headphones are the most effective, because they replace irritating environmental noise by producing calming white noise. Earplugs are usually made of either foam or wax, and it is worth trying both types to determine which is more comfortable.

However, most audiologists, physicians, therapists and educators recommend against frequent use of headphones and earplugs, because a person can quickly become dependent on them. In the long run, blocking out noise can reduce coping skills and increase social withdrawal.

3. Identify safe environments

One of the first steps that I took for my son was to make a list of his “safe” places and increase his participation there. Depending on an individual’s needs, this could mean:

• volunteering at the library
• attending library storytime
• taking a walk in a nature area every day
• visiting a park that is near a railroad crossing or helicopter landing pad
• attending services, prayers or social events at the Shul more often

4. Allow control over some types of noise

At its heart, anxiety is a fear of being unable to control reactions and situations. When my son had a phobia of bells, I gave him several different types of bells to handle and experiment with at home. When we saw bells at customer service desks or in other public places, I allowed him to ring the bell. He gradually became comfortable with the sounds, and he even began identifying speaker systems, alarm systems and other sources of sounds everywhere we went.

5. Allow distractions

When my husband and I took a Lamaze childbirth class many years ago, we learned about the power of distraction in pain management. By giving a person something like an iPad to focus on or an unusual privilege such as bringing along a favorite toy from home, it becomes possible to direct attention away from the offending noise.

6. Gradually increase exposure and proximity

The cure for a fear of snakes does not involve throwing a person into a snake pit. Similarly, relief from noise sensitivity requires a gradual desensitization and not a sudden exposure. Start by observing something from afar and take a step closer with each opportunity.

My son had a problem with sirens, so we started with pictures of fire trucks and emergency vehicles in a book.  I imitated the sound of a siren with my voice.  We read books about firefighters and police officers. My son wore firefighter and police costumes. We watched YouTube videos of fire trucks in action. I arranged for our playgroup to get a tour of the local fire station, and my son sat in the fire truck with a big smile. I pointed out fire trucks and ambulances while driving. Eventually, those emergency vehicles became a part of everyday life and the sirens did not bother him as much.

7. Alternate noisy and quiet

I discovered that my son’s tolerance for noise increased the most when I scheduled frequent quiet breaks. After a morning out doing errands, we enjoyed a quiet lunch at home. After a playgroup with 7 other children, we made time to snuggle on the sofa. When we felt brave enough to visit a large theme park, we booked a hotel inside the park so that we could retreat as often as necessary. We always take a break before the noise upsets him, so that he will want to return for more fun after resting.

8. Hyperacusis Retraining Therapy (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy)

Auditory Integration Therapy (AIT) is sometimes suggested to people with noise sensitivity, but there is very little peer-reviewed research published on the topic of AIT, and the existing research has generally not been favorable.

However, there is plenty of medical research on Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), which involves listening to broadband pink noise to habituate a person to ringing in the ears. Pink noise contains all audible frequencies, but with more power in the lower frequencies than in the higher frequencies. Most people report that pink noise sounds “flat.” Because of this, it helps to rebuild tolerance to sound.

9. Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Physicians widely recommend cognitive-behavioral therapy for phobias and anxiety because it teaches a person to self-manage emotions and coping skills. The goal of the therapy is to reframe a person’s thought processes about the cause for anxiety in order to increase quality of life.

10.Consider supplements

Many people with tinnitus or hyperacusis are deficient in magnesium or other minerals. Consult with a physician to determine if nutritional supplements may be able to help.

11. Avoid food additives

Certain food additives, especially those in the salicylate family, are associated with noise sensitivity. In fact, medical literature refers to salicylate as a “tinnitus inducer.”  Special diets, such as the Feingold Diet or a diverse whole foods diet, eliminate those additives and may help reduce sensitivity. Consult with a physician or dietician before making any major dietary changes.

Summary

The world is noisy, but a person can easily live a full life without fireworks shows, major league sporting events and rock concerts. When sound sensitivity interferes with everyday activities, then it is time to look more carefully and seek guidance. A systematic approach to sound sensitivity can lead to a greater enjoyment of relationships and increased inclusion in community-based activities. The Hyperacusis Network notes that in the end, “The ocean cannot escape its waves.”

Musical Brain Breaks for Teachers

http://www.havefunteaching.com/songs/fitness-songs