Whilst learning how to stop an autistic child crying it is important to consider a lot of factors. We give you some tips below.

Autism and crying

Autistic children often experience difficulty in regulating their emotions, which can result in crying spells.

As a parent or caregiver, it is important to know how to help a child who is crying and how to prevent future episodes.

Here are some strategies that can help to stop an autistic child from crying.

Identify the trigger

Try to figure out what caused the crying. Was it something that happened at school or at home? Did the child get overwhelmed by sensory input or a change in routine?

Knowing the trigger can help you better understand and respond to the situation.

Sympathise with your child

Autistic children often have difficulty expressing their emotions, and crying can be a way of communicating distress.

It is important to acknowledge and validate their feelings, letting them know that it’s okay to be upset. Use simple, comforting phrases like “I’m here for you” or “It’s okay to cry.”

Provide calming tactics

Autistic children may become overwhelmed by noise, bright lights, or other sensory input.

Creating a calm, soothing environment can help to reduce their stress and prevent further crying.

Perhaps turn off the TV or radio, dim the lights, and speak in a soft voice.

Offer sensory input

Some autistic children find comfort in sensory input, such as deep pressure or weighted blankets.

You can try hugging the child tightly or offering a weighted blanket to help them feel more grounded and calm.

Use visual aids

Depending on your child’s preferred methods of communication you could try visual aids.

Visual aids are usually pictures or diagrams.

You can use these tools to help the child understand what’s happening or to explain a difficult concept.

Engage in distraction

One way to potentially calm a crying autistic child would be to engage in a sudden distraction. This wouldn’t necessarily be a treat but just something a bit out of the ordinary.

You could for example get a toy or game out which hasn’t been used in some time. Or even something like filling up a bowl of water and dropping figurines into it can be distracting.

Engage in calming activities

Engaging in a calming activity can help to distract the child and reduce their stress levels. This could be something like colouring, playing with a fidget toy, or listening to music.

You could even dim the lights and use something like an LED light display to draw their attention from their distress.

Summary – How to stop an autistic child crying

As with everything to do with autism is important to remember that every autistic child is different.

With that in mind what works for one child may not work for another.

It may take some trial and error to find the strategies that work best for your child.

However, with patience, empathy, and a willingness to try new things, you can help your autistic child regulate their emotions and prevent crying spells.