Autism Soccer: Pick the Signs in a Behaviorally Challenging Child

Certain attitudes are clear indicators that the kid might be behaviorally challenging.

In recent years, we’ve seen a statistic surge of kids with a particular condition: they are behaviorally challenging. Most of the time, this behavior was pinned down to poor parenting or just a spoiled attitude, but with the advance of paediatric psychiatry, doctors were able to narrow down this type of behavior as unrelated to the parents, because they were up in the same category as other cognitive conditions that can affect children. In fact, ever since this became public knowledge, parents, teachers, and caretakers are being encouraged to transform the notions of kids being a handful into a symptom of a deep set condition that could impact the rest of their lives if not treated and managed correctly. But to act upon these things, you need to be able to recognize these signs, as sometimes, a tantrum could be hiding something else. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the most frequent indicators for you to check:

Frequent temper tantrums: While it’s normal for kids to stress and have tantrums, sometimes the frequency could be indicating an underlying problem. This behavior can occur in situations where such reaction might seem uncalled for or are an usual event in the child’s life.

Challenging responses: Most of the kids compel to parents’ and teachers’ indications by nature, but to some, this is not adequate and would prefer to act up instead of doing the things they must. Dismissing and forgetting what they have to do and responding (sometimes even bad-mouthing) figures of authority is a frequent challenging behavior that needs to be assessed soon.

Sudden withdrawal: Another red flag kids with challenging behavior have is the fact that they suddenly draw away from the things they normally engage in. Whether it is playing or doing other activities, when they refuse to participate and communicate there’s a cause that needs to be investigated as it often leads to bad responses when people try to get them engaged back in.

Childlike responses: Small children have a set of behaviors that are normal for them, but when these continue to be their preferred coping mechanisms as they grow up, you need to consult with professionals. This can mean they haven’t quite surpassed those stages or that they have a particular reason to why these are they way of reacting to the world.

Strong emotional responses: Happiness, sadness or anger are indeed part of a normal behavior but outbursts can indicate an underdevelopment in the control of emotions, which can lead to serious problems in the long run. If your child's emotions seem a bit on edge, it might be an indicator of something bigger. However, some kids get really excited about things, so this should not be taken solely as an indicator, but as a plus in the list.

These signs can clues of behaviorally challenging children but this diagnosis can only be given by professionals. If you think your child is showing these along with other behaviors that can be interpreted as red flags, it’s about time you got the right help to deal with this situation. If you want to incorporate your child (regardless of their diagnosis) in a physical activity that helps them drain stress, you can enroll them in Autism Soccer. They have a team of professionals who are ready to work hard to help your child unleash their full potential in a great environment!