My 7-year-old boy becomes very angry a lot of the time. What can I do to help him deal with his frustrations better?
A great deal of stress is likely due to his Aspergers. Some kids react by becoming depressed, some become anxious, and others become angry and experience rage against the frustrating events that occur in their day. Some kids externalize their feelings and blame others, while some internalize their feelings and have a difficult time controlling their anger. There may be no particular event to his anger – just an aggressive mood or reaction to a frustrating experience.
Encourage self-control and teach your youngster to consider alternative behaviors. Self-control can be strengthened by teaching your youngster to stop and count to ten, taking a deep breath and reminding themselves to keep calm. Or for some kids it is helpful that they have an agreed room or particular space that they take themselves too when they feel that they are getting anxious/angry.
Specific relaxation techniques can be practiced and your youngster can be taught the cues when they must calm down and relax. Explain the alternative to your youngster and in specific terms.
Keep in mind that your son will most likely have difficulty expressing what is making him angry. You will need to assess the situation to determine what may be provoking him.
Another alternative is to keep him engaged in activities that burn off energy and reduce his need to express the anger that he is feeling.
A great deal of stress is likely due to his Aspergers. Some kids react by becoming depressed, some become anxious, and others become angry and experience rage against the frustrating events that occur in their day. Some kids externalize their feelings and blame others, while some internalize their feelings and have a difficult time controlling their anger. There may be no particular event to his anger – just an aggressive mood or reaction to a frustrating experience.
Encourage self-control and teach your youngster to consider alternative behaviors. Self-control can be strengthened by teaching your youngster to stop and count to ten, taking a deep breath and reminding themselves to keep calm. Or for some kids it is helpful that they have an agreed room or particular space that they take themselves too when they feel that they are getting anxious/angry.
Specific relaxation techniques can be practiced and your youngster can be taught the cues when they must calm down and relax. Explain the alternative to your youngster and in specific terms.
Keep in mind that your son will most likely have difficulty expressing what is making him angry. You will need to assess the situation to determine what may be provoking him.
Another alternative is to keep him engaged in activities that burn off energy and reduce his need to express the anger that he is feeling.