Example: Comparison of Physical interruption, Physical redirection, and Verbal redirection

Background information:

The customer is a 13-year-old male diagnosed with Autism and ADHD. The father reports when the customer starts feeling overwhelmed his body will start shaking, his fists clench, and he makes growling sounds. The father reports the customer is working with a therapist to identify coping skills that relieve stress and decrease adverse behaviors. The customer told his parents that when he is feeling overwhelmed the thing that helps the most is to go out to the backyard and “shoot hoops.” He said it also helps to eat Frito’s corn chips. He’s not sure why, “maybe because crunching on something that tastes good calms me down.”

Intervention Example Physical interruption The customer’s father reports that last week the customer was playing a video game in the living room. His two younger sisters were also in the living room playing and jumping on the couch. The father said he was in the other room and heard the customer start yelling at his sisters, “shut up and stop jumping or I am going to shut you up.” The father said he immediately stopped what he was doing to go to the living room but by the time he got there, the customer had both of his sisters pinned down on the couch. The father immediately pulled the customer off his sisters, took him by the arm to the backyard and told him to go cool off and shoot some hoops. Physical redirection The customer’s father reports that last week the customer was playing a video game in the living room. The father said he was in the living room playing a board game with his daughters and noticed that the customer was getting frustrated with the game he was playing. The customer’s body started shaking, he stated yelling “I hate this stupid game” and then started to hit himself in the head with the controller. The dad stopped what he was doing, put his hand on the customer’s shoulder, took the video controller away and said, “come on let’s go outside and shoot some hoops.” Verbal redirection The customer’s father reports that last week the customer was playing a video game in the living room. The father said he was in the living room playing a board game with his daughters and noticed that the customer was getting frustrated with the game he was playing. The customer’s body started shaking, he stated yelling “I hate this stupid game” and then started to hit himself in the head with the controller. The dad was able to stop the behavior by saying, “Snack time everybody! Let’s go to the kitchen and get some Frito’s and apple juice.”