How can we help an individual who is demonstrating aggressive behaviour?

• We need to discover why the individual is demonstrating aggressive behaviour; individuals may have trouble understanding what is happening around them, they may have difficulty expressing their wants and needs, they may be anxious or stressed or they may want to leave a stressful or unpleasant situation or environment
• Assess the triggers of the behaviours. Over a 2 week period write down where the individual was and what they were doing prior to the aggressive behaviour
• Write down what happened before and after the aggressive behaviour.

Emily is a qualified Developmental Educator. Together with Emily, you piece together a plan to support you and your child.

Tips for handling aggressive outbursts
• Stay calm, it is important to manage your own emotions for the duration of the behaviour
• Limit what you say- if the child is able to understand verbal cues, begin to offer simple directions such as ‘sit down’
• Remove any items that could cause further damage. If need be, move others out of the room to allow the individual a safe place to calm down
• Offer familiar visual cues to re direct the individual’s attention. For example a picture of their favourite toy.

Please contact Emily if you feel you need further support with managing your child’s challenging behaviour