10 Effective Strategies to Help a Child with Autism Calm Down

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication and interaction differences and patterns of restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests. While there are stereotypes about ASD, the fact is that it can differ extensively from person to person. Children with ASD may face challenges such as trouble with transitions and change, social and communication difficulties, and sensory processing differences. These things, among other common triggers, can all lead to distress.  

When triggers occur, kids may experience intense emotional reactions. These reactions are not the child's fault. It's important to help children with ASD learn how to calm down in healthy ways. Sometimes, parents and caregivers can also help prevent distress in autistic children through things like predictable routines. So, what should you know?

This article will cover ten effective strategies you can use to help a child with Autism calm down or avoid distress. Every autistic person will respond best to different strategies, so remember that trial and error may be necessary.

Deep Pressure Therapy

Deep pressure can help a child calm down by regulating their nervous system. While deep pressure therapy, like other techniques, should be used according to the individual's needs, many autistic people benefit from deep pressure. This can be attributed to sensory needs as well as the fact that deep pressure therapy techniques can help the nervous system move from "fight or flight" to "rest and digest" mode. 

Here are some ways to use deep pressure:

• Weighted blankets. While there are other weighted objects kids with ASD may benefit from, like weighted vests, weighted blankets are among some of the most popular and accessible.
• Compression clothing. If you can't find it in person, you can find compression clothing made distinctly for autistic children online.
• Firm hugs. While some autistic people don't like being hugged (whether always or in certain contexts), others crave that level of sensory input and find that it helps them calm down. Squeezing the child in a firm hug may be helpful if your child experiences the latter.
• Swaddling (getting wrapped in a blanket tightly).

Deep pressure therapy can help relieve anxiety, and many people use items like weighted blankets to support their or their child's sleep. A recent pilot study on a deep pressure chair for children with autism that uses a wrapping technique found that the wrap improved behavior and reduced neurobiological distress. It is important to note that additional research is needed to determine how helpful this technique is, if at all, as the evidence remains mixed so it’s important to talk to a qualified health provider before adopting this approach.

Visual Schedules

People with ASD often struggle with small changes or transitioning from one activity to another. It's very important that a child with ASD knows what to expect. A visual schedule is a good idea for kids with ASD because it provides a sense of structure and predictability. It can also prevent or help relieve anxiety. 

To create an effective visual schedule:

• Consider your child's age and reading ability when choosing a schedule format. There are different types of visual schedules, including app-based digital visual schedules, written visual schedules (these are often color-coded, use time-blocking, and are most suitable for older kids), and picture schedules (which are usually best for younger kids).
• Explain it to your child in-depth. When you introduce the new visual schedule to your child, explain each activity clearly.
• Give the child verbal praise for completing activities on the schedule (e.g., "I'm proud of you for brushing your teeth!")
• Provide choices when you can. Free time can be added to the schedule, as well as routine activities.

It can take time for kids to get used to following any new schedule. At first, you'll likely need to be by your child while they complete each activity. You may need to direct or redirect your child toward activities. Some parents will need to try different schedule types to find the best fit.

Sensory Breaks

Sensory overload happens when the brain can't process all of the sensory information one receives from their environment. Autistic people's brains take in about 42% more information at rest, which can lead kids, teens, and adults with the diagnosis to feel overwhelmed or dysregulated more easily. Similarly, the majority of people with ASD have sensory processing differences. Sensory breaks provide sensory input that helps de-escalate a child's distress or reduce the risk of sensory overload. However, the tools below could also help kids during an otherwise overwhelming situation.

Tips for implementing sensory breaks

Sensory breaks should be catered to a child's specific needs and preferences. For example, if a child has an aversion to the feeling of slime but likes deep pressure, that can guide parents and caregivers toward ideal types of sensory input.

Activities to offer or try include:

• Using sensory tools, like sensory brushes, chew necklaces, or sensory fidget toys (e.g., sensory slugs).
• Swinging (sensory swings are sold for this purpose but can be expensive).
• Weighted blankets and other deep pressure techniques.
• Playing with kinetic sand, play dough, or slime.
• Jumping on trampolines.

Sensory breaks can be scheduled into a child's day or used as needed. For example, sensory breaks can be included in a child's school schedule as a classroom accommodation.

Breathing Exercises

Breathing techniques are common self-soothing or coping skills. Deep breathing can help regulate the nervous system and is known to reduce both physical and mental markers of stress. Here are some techniques parents can use to encourage deep breathing:

• Deep breathing exercises. Simple breathing exercises, like belly breathing or box breathing, can be helpful for kids.
• GIFs, apps, or videos that teach children how to take deep breaths alongside visuals.
• Blowing bubbles or using pinwheels to encourage deep breaths.

Like deep pressure, deep breathing can help the body exit fight or flight mode. Explaining to a child how deep breathing relaxes the body and mind can be helpful in some cases.

Quiet Spaces

Create a safe space or "calm down corner" your child can go to when they feel overwhelmed, are approaching sensory overload, or simply want to use it. Other spaces, like common areas at home, could be filled with noises created by other family members and other stimuli. This space, on the other hand, belongs to them. It's in their control and is catered to their sensory needs. 

Here are some tips for a successful calm down corner or quiet space:

• Use soft lighting rather than bright lights.
• Add comfortable seating (such as a floor cushion).
• Add sensory-friendly items, like plushies, sensory slugs, and materials or objects the child likes (some kids can be drawn to glittery items, sand glasses, etc).

This is a great way to give your child an opportunity to self-regulate. They can excuse themselves to the space, or you can direct them to the space when they're distressed.

Social Stories

Social stories help kids with social and communication difficulties understand how to navigate different social situations, behaviors, and events. They are sometimes used in ABA therapy, but parents also use them to help their children learn social skills or social rules at home. Some social stories are designed to teach calming strategies or behavioral strategies, which may include verbal or nonverbal communication, a child can use when they are frustrated or distressed.

Tips for creating and using social stories

Social stories are written from a first-person perspective and are more than just stories with a message. They should include four types of sentences: Descriptive (facts regarding the situation), directive (detailing the desired behavior), perspective (other people's feelings), and affirmative (reassurance and common meanings or values related to the situation, such as social norms) sentences.

An effective social story should also have:

• Adequate information about the target behavior and answers to "wh" (who, what, why, where) questions
• A title that addresses the overall point or concept of the story
• An introduction, body, and conclusion
• Literal, accurate words
• Positive language

You can create your own social stories, or you can find social stories with calming strategies to read to your child online.

Mindfulness Techniques

Similar to breathing exercises, other mindfulness skills can help children regulate their nervous system and feel more calm. Teaching autistic children mindfulness techniques can be powerful. These techniques can aid self-regulation, help kids identify and express emotions, and may even support executive function.

Examples of mindfulness techniques include:

• Physical movement: Mindful movement activities like yoga, stretching, or walking.
• Mental exercises: Play a memory game or list things in categories (e.g., "name five animals").
• Mindfulness meditations: Guided meditations for kids can be found online or through meditation apps for kids.
• Body scan: To facilitate a body scan, direct the child to notice how each individual part of their body feels, starting with the toes moving up to their head or vice versa. This can increase awareness of body sensations, which can be vital for kids with ASD.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: Involves tensing and releasing muscle groups one at a time, starting from the toes and moving up slowly or vice versa.

Other grounding exercises, like listening to calming music, focusing on other calming stimuli (e.g., a soft blanket), or using a rocking chair may also be helpful.

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement encourages desired behavior in children. It helps kids feel appreciated without negative effects, like anxiety and fear, that can come from over-reliance on punishment. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends rewards due to other possible benefits, like self-esteem and a better parent-child relationship. To implement an effective reward system for a child with Autism:

• Explain what you expect your child to do in clear, direct language.
• When you give the child a reward, provide verbal praise for the behavior, too.
• Make sure that the reward is desirable.

Remember that desired items can be small and inexpensive. For example, they could be from the dollar store but still feel novel and may have sensory features the child likes. Extra screen time is another common example.

Consistency and Routine

As we discussed with visual schedules, routines and knowing what to expect can be key for kids with ASD. Consistency in daily life can help an autistic child feel calm and secure while preventing distress. Here are tips for creating predictable schedules and routines for a child with Autism:

• Use visual aids. These could include pictures of the activities or color-coded time-blocking.
• Provide frequent access to preferred activities in the schedule to help children understand that their preferred activities (e.g., time for a special interest or a videogame) are coming up.
• Try to plan non-preferred activities (e.g., appointments, chores) before preferred activities to make the child more likely to complete non-preferred activities first.
• To ease the transition from preferred to non-preferred activities, add neutral activities between the two.

In addition to explaining schedules, parents of kids with ASD often provide verbal reminders leading up to activities. For example, if a child needs to leave for an appointment in ten minutes, you might remind them both now and again in five minutes.

Try Joon

Using Joon is a great way to help your child follow routines, build good habits, and initiate or get through activities like chores, homework, or personal hygiene tasks. Joon is an app geared toward kids with Autism, ADHD, and related disorders aged 6-12+. Parents and caregivers who use the app often exclaim things like, "My child cleaned their room... they've never done that before!" 

Here's how it works:

Parents sign up first with the Joon Parent App and make a task list for their child. You can choose from 500+ pre-loaded tasks or input your own. Kids connect with Joon Pet Game, a separate and child-safe app. When kids finish their tasks (called "quests"), they get rewards that allow them to keep playing the game, unlock new features, and care for a virtual pet of their choice. 

Joon provides positive reinforcement while promoting time management, self-esteem, and independence in kids. 90% of kids who use the app finish all of their tasks, and many parents say it's improved their parent-child relationship.

Click here to get started with Joon.

Conclusion

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder often experience sensory issues and other challenges, like difficulty with social situations or emotion regulation. Sensory processing differences and other common triggers can lead to an intense response, which is not purposeful.

Understanding children with ASD and discovering the right calming strategies can help. Ten strategies that may help support an autistic child include deep pressure, visual schedules, sensory breaks, breathing exercises, social stories, mindfulness techniques, positive reinforcement, quiet spaces, and consistency, including the use of routines.

What works for your child may not be the right fit for another, so finding the right approaches for your family might take trial and error and consultation with a qualified provider. Although not all distress can be avoided, parents and caregivers can help children discover different strategies or tools that help them through it while supporting them in avoiding unnecessary discomfort.