Behaviour is communication!

Behaviour is communication! And this statement rings especially true for autistic children and young people, as well as other people with social communication challenges. As parents / carers or teachers of autistic children, we need to remember that whenever we face any challenging or difficult behaviour.​

There is usually a reason for the behaviour of our autistic children and young people. It is not always obvious but our job as parents, carers or teachers is to try and find out what is causing it. The iceberg is a great way to demonstrate the behaviour we see in our autistic children. What we observe as visible behaviour is a result of underlying factors that are invisible to us most of the time. These can include lack of interest, sensory issues or communication challenges. ​

Another tool you can use to observe the behaviour of your autistic child over a period of time is the ABC chart. You map out the different behaviours and what interactions happen before them (the antecedent) and what events happen after them (the consequence). This usually helps in identifying triggers and patterns and helps you support the autistic child by foreseeing any issues before they happen.

​​​Whenever we face challenging behaviour from our children who struggle with social and communication skills, let us try to see the world through their eyes. That would help us better understand the reason for this behaviour. Remember - behaviour is communication! You can watch our webinar on analysing behaviour on our YouTube channel.