| Autistic children who ‘run’ can be very difficult | | | | which is exactly what he did. Having developed the |
| to manage. This article will address how you can | | | | beginnings of an attachment we explored what it |
| successfully work with your runner. I will be using a | | | | would be like outside the room we played in. |
| specific example of a child who I call Aaron. I will be | | | | Now I saw what it meant to be an autistic |
| discussing his behavior and what worked for us in | | | | “runner.” He would run fast for a four year old, |
| helping him to stop running. | | | | but I managed to keep up with him. My fear of losing |
| Aaron was four years old when I first met him. He | | | | him gave me extra energy to run fast. He would run |
| was nonverbal and a runner. He was participating in | | | | to a video arcade. He loved the blinking lights with all |
| a program for autistic children and I was a volunteer. | | | | sorts of noises. Each week this running to the |
| It is hard to describe why I connected with Aaron, but it | | | | arcade became a ritual for us. I was getting great |
| was a connection of a lifetime. It is over twenty | | | | exercise, but thought maybe we could do this |
| years later and I still have contact with his family. | | | | differently. This is where my creativity came into |
| I was warned he was a runner, but I thought I could | | | | play. |
| manage this. I did not know what I was in for. I | | | | I would stand in front of him as he was running and |
| knew that I needed to gain an attachment with him. | | | | catch him and thus made his running into a game we |
| To help gain this attachment, I would show him lots of | | | | could play together. He would soon learn that this |
| attention and would at his request tickle him. He | | | | game was fun and also he was learning how to |
| loved the tickling. Sometimes, I noticed he was very | | | | interact with me. The attachment was solidified. |
| anxious and he would climb on the ledge of a | | | | After sometime, he actually stopped running and |
| window. I would hold his hand and say something like | | | | began to walk with me. At times I would stop and he |
| this, “Aaron, I am holding your hand because I am | | | | would continue to walk. I would call, “Aaron, I am |
| nervous you will fall and hurt yourself. You do not | | | | back here.” He would stop and run back to me. |
| have to get down until you are comfortable.” He | | | | I would continue to do this so he would become more |
| immediately would get down. A lesson I learned was | | | | conscious of me. Over the years, we took many |
| to not demand his compliance, but instead to talk to | | | | long walks (over an hour) together. |
| him about his fear with the hope he would respond, | | | | |