Outsmarting Explosive Behavior - A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Book excerpt: Outsmarting Explosive Behavior - A Visual System of Support and Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders - is a visual model designed to help decrease, and in some cases eliminate, explosive behavior. The model's positive approach to explosive behavior uniquely eliminates the need or temptation to assign blame-to oneself or others-that otherwise often complicates the process of controlling explosive behavior. In a fold-out poster-style format, four train cars represent the stages in the cycle of explosive behavior: Starting Out Picking up Steam Point of No Return Explosion. Using this train metaphor, the parent/facilitator and student (older individuals can do it more independently) take a close look at each stage in the process and using stop, go and special stop/yield signs, identify triggers, design positive interventions to prevent the train from starting out in the first place and preventing a car from moving to the next stage. The ultimate goal is to prevent the individual train cars from hooking up, causing a runaway train ending with an explosion. The three-piece package contains: a book for facilitators that explains the model a large poster-size visual showing the train model with ready-made parts that can be personalized a workbook for the individual with AS designed to draw out the personalized interventions that will make the model work. Though designed to encourage participation by the person with explosive behavior, positive results are seen even when the model is implemented on behalf of someone unable to actively participate, such as nonreaders.