Behavior and Discipline Issues for Students with ASD

Introduction

Most students with ASD want to behave appropriately and follow the rules, but have a great deal of trouble applying their rote memory of rules to real situations, especially when they are anxious, impulsive, or confused. Students with ASD have trouble understanding how to apply school and social rules even though some students with verbal language and good memory may be able to recite the very rules they seem to break. In some cases these students may correct others who break the rules - at least the rules that are very specific and concrete. Because of this variability in understanding rules and actual performance of appropriate behaviors educators, family, and peers often are unsure about the area of discipline as it applies to students with ASD. This issue of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Series will discuss typical questions related to behavior and discipline for students with ASD including:

  • How do you develop appropriate behaviors for students with ASD?
  • What do we do when a student with ASD engages in inappropriate behaviors?
  • Are the standards of discipline applied to students who are not disabled also applied to a student with ASD?

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