Some parents are desperate to hear their kids speak at all, but conversely what do you do if your autistic child keeps swearing?

In the below article we’ll explore what may be behind the behaviour and give you some tactics to consider.

Why are they swearing?

The majority of children will experiment with swearing at some point in their childhood.

It may be that they are just testing boundaries or it’s that they want to demonstrate coming of age.

Whatever the reason for a neuro-typical child, it may be slightly more complex for a child with autism.

Here are some possible reasons;

Mimicking

It is common for autistic children to copy other people the meet in person or characters they see on TV.

When it refers to something they have seen on a screen it is usually referred to as scripting.

Whether it is something they have heard in person or via TV it is likely that the swearing has almost imprinted on them.

They have remembered it and it has simply stuck.

Just like how routines and repetitive behaviours can get locked in, so can swearing.

Communication blockers

It’s well documented on this site and all over the internet that children with autism often struggle with communication.

Sometimes it is that they have a limited vocabulary, others it’s that they can’t articulate what they are trying to say.

In either case they may have locked in the swear words and they know how to say them and know what they mean.

So if they have a limited vocabulary they can default to swearing to make themselves clear.

Imagine if for as long as you could remember you couldn’t explain when you were frustrated.

Then you learnt a series of swear words which fit your feelings perfectly.

From there it is easy to see how an autistic child may resort to swearing.

Thriving on the reaction

Sometimes autistic children can feel a little isolated whether at home or school.

Having experimented with swearing they may be thriving on the reaction.

They’ll likely have learnt that using swear words gets instant attention, focus and even on occasion laughs.

Lack of understanding

It is possible that an autistic child has no concept of the real meaning of the words.

As above they may know the reaction they get but without fully understanding the context of when they’re used.

So it isn’t necessarily the case that an autistic child is being naughty when they swear.

They could be innocently saying the words oblivious to their true meaning.

What should parents do about an autistic child swearing?

As ever you will likely have your own ideas here but hopefully the below tips will help.

Completely ignore

If you can cut out the tantalising reaction to the swearing, its appeal may reduce for your child.

So if you make a pact with other family members and even the school to completely ignore the swearing, this may do the trick.

Like with so much to do with autistic children behaviours can come and go.

If you don’t fuel the fire, with time hopefully this will resolve on its own.

Calm correction

If the above doesn’t work or you think that it’s not worth trying, consider calmly correcting your child.

This would involve you explaining to them that such words aren’t appropriate, but without reacting excessively.

You could say to your child “we don’t use words like that” or even suggest alternatives which are more appropriate.

Explain context and appropriateness

As mentioned above it may be that your child doesn’t fully understand the meanings of the words.

Clearly without going into graphic details you could explain that such words are for “naughty adults” and that children shouldn’t use them.

You could even consider using something like emotion cards to show that those words make you sad.

Punishment

Punishing an autistic child can be a tricky business. Speaking from experience sometimes punishment can prompt meltdowns.

This can leave you wondering if it was even worth attempting in the first place.

Punishments which have worked in our household are time based.

Consider investing in a timer of some sort, be it digital or even a sand timer.

Then armed with this equipment explain the consequences of swearing.

You could then install a punishment regime of 5 minutes without a toy or electronic device for swearing.

Or you could use something like a naughty step or have them go to their room.

Whatever you decide we have found it helpful to ensure our son can see the time ticking down.

It shows for him there is a set process to follow and that it isn’t a limitless punishment.

If you have that visible punishment and can launch it promptly after the swearing, hopefully it will be a suitable deterrent.

Summary – Autistic Child Keeps Swearing

If you have an autistic child who keeps swearing you are not alone.

Through speaking to support groups and commenters on our site, it seems to be very common.

Tackling the behaviour isn’t easy but with a plan and a committed effort you can make improvements.

Good luck

Any tips or ideas?

We would love to hear from you if you have got any techniques or ideas for our readers to try.

Be sure to leave a comment if any of the above has helped or if you have any ideas we can add to this article.

Also be sure to search for any other articles you might find helpful.

Try for example searching below for topics like ‘meltdown’ or ‘communication’.