• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search
  • About
    • Personnel
    • Getting to IRCA
    • Donate
  • Learn About Autism
    • What to Do If You Suspect Autism
    • Learn the Signs. Act Early
    • How and Where to Obtain a Diagnosis/Assessment
    • After the Diagnosis: A Resource for Families Whose Child is Newly Diagnosed
    • For Adolescents and Adults: After You Receive the Diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder
    • Introducing Your Child to the Diagnosis of Autism
    • Diagnostic Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder
    • Diagnostic Criteria for Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
  • What We Do
    • Research
      • Indiana Autism Spectrum Disorder Needs Assessment
    • Online Offerings
    • Training and Coaching
    • Individual Consultations
    • Fee Schedule
    • School District Support
  • Resources
    • Reporter E-Newsletter
    • COVID-19 Visuals and Social Narratives
    • Articles
      • Adult
      • Applied Behavior Analysis
      • Behavior
      • Communication
      • Educational Programming
      • Family
      • General Information
      • Mental Health
      • Self Help and Medical
      • Sensory
      • Social and Leisure
      • Articles by Temple Grandin
    • Videos
      • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
      • Behavior
      • Communication
      • Early Intervention
      • Education
      • Financial
      • Self-Help and Medical
      • Sensory
      • Social and Leisure
      • IRCA Short Clips
    • Visual Supports
      • Work Systems: Examples from TEACCH® Training
      • Structured Tasks: Examples from TEACCH® Training
      • Schedules: Examples from TEACCH® Training
      • School
      • Home
      • Holidays and Celebrations
      • Health and Personal Care
      • Behavior and Emotions
    • Financial Resources
    • Groups and Activities
    • State Resources
    • Materials Request
  • News and Events
    • PEERS®
    • Temple Grandin
    • Family Support Webinars
    • IRCA Autism Conference
    • ADOS-2
    • Comprehensive Programming for Students Across the Autism Spectrum Training Series
    • Workshops with Dr. Brenda Smith Myles
    • Workshops with Dr. Kathleen Quill
    • First Responder Training
    • IRCA Briefs

Indiana Institute on Disability and Community

Indiana Resource Center for Autism

  • Home
  • About
    • Personnel
    • Getting to IRCA
    • Donate
  • Learn About Autism
    • What to Do If You Suspect Autism
    • Learn the Signs. Act Early
    • How and Where to Obtain a Diagnosis/Assessment
    • After the Diagnosis: A Resource for Families Whose Child is Newly Diagnosed
    • For Adolescents and Adults: After You Receive the Diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder
    • Introducing Your Child to the Diagnosis of Autism
    • Diagnostic Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder
    • Diagnostic Criteria for Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder
  • What We Do
    • Research
    • Online Offerings
    • Training and Coaching
    • Individual Consultations
    • Fee Schedule
    • School District Support
  • Resources
    • Reporter E-Newsletter
    • COVID-19 Visuals and Social Narratives
    • Articles
    • Videos
    • Visual Supports
    • Financial Resources
    • Groups and Activities
    • State Resources
    • Materials Request
  • News and Events
    • PEERS®
    • Temple Grandin
    • Family Support Webinars
    • IRCA Autism Conference
    • ADOS-2
    • Comprehensive Programming for Students Across the Autism Spectrum Training Series
    • Workshops with Dr. Brenda Smith Myles
    • Workshops with Dr. Kathleen Quill
    • First Responder Training
    • IRCA Briefs
  • Search
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Providing Support

Providing Support

By: Kim Davis, M.S

As I tried to support my loved one, and as you begin to support yours, you will quickly realize that it is not a simple task. You will have to "dig deep" to pull out all of your resources to be up to the task. There is no easy fix, nor will you or I inherently know what to do. I had to ask for help, learn about anxiety disorder, and seek advice from those more informed and experienced in supporting someone who is experiencing anxiety attacks. You will have to seek more information as well and remember that all you learn will not magically work each time.  It is a process.

It is important to understand that the person experiencing the anxiety will be feeling out of control and may say or do things that can be upsetting to you or to others. Do not take things personally.  The individual being supported has to trust or believe that you truly care and are there to try to provide some relief no matter what. Trust, care, and patience are vital skills to have in order to begin to provide relief.

In the book, Stress and Coping in Autism (2006), many professionals in the field of autism offer their perspectives on the impact of stress and anxiety on individuals with autism as well as strategies to reduce that impact. While most offer quite similar suggestions, their ideas are influenced by their profession (i.e., speech and language pathologist, medical doctor, educator etc.). Diane Twachtman-Cullen, a licensed speech-language pathologist specializing in autism spectrum disorders, has an excellent opening statement:

"The first thing that needs to be said about stress (anxiety) reduction in ASD is that it requires the caregivers to understand both the internal and external factors that predispose students to stress (anxiety). The importance of this cannot be overstated; as such knowledge provides a roadmap for intervention. For example, if caregivers understand that students with autism find chaotic, unpredictable environment stressful, they will know to increase predictability and routine. Likewise, if they understand that because of their executive function deficits, students with ASD are unable to hold things in working member or to behave in an organized goal-directed manner without external supports, they will know to provide the visual and organizational supports that these students need to be successful. Furthermore, if caregivers understand that students with autism - particularly if they lack a conventional communication system - are likely to use idiosyncratic or aberrant behavior to express their wants and needs, they will be less apt to judge them as behaviorally disorder and more included to teach them alternative communicative behaviors (pg. 319-320)".

Dr. Tony Attwood uses the metaphor of a toolbox to "fix the feeling" in his chapter (2006). He discusses the emotional toolbox and the various "tools" that can be available for the student with ASD who is also anxious and fearful.  The tools include:

Physical tools (represented by a hammer)

  • Physical exercise: walk, run, trampoline
  • Sports: basketball, dancing
  • Creative destruction: recycling
  • Bite an apple
  • Break a pencil
  • Running
  • Tearing up old clothes to make rags
  • Squeezing oranges

 Relaxation Tools (represented by a paintbrush)

  • Seclusion
  • Massage
  • Reading
  • Repetitive action
  • Sleep
  • Art
  • Stress ball

 Social Tools (represented by a two handed saw)

  • Talk to family member or friend
  • Talk to a pet
  • Share the problem
  • Seek a second opinion
  • Find someone to help change the mood
  • Develop close friends
  • Helping someone - volunteering in an interest area

 Thinking Tools (represent screwdriver, wrench perhaps)

  • Self-talk (I can stay calm)
  • Create a series of statements to help reassure (I will ask for help when I need it).
  • Put events in perspective - use logic ( a strong point for many with ASD)
  • Completing a task involving a favorite interest or activity
  • Cue-controlled relaxation

 Special Interest Tools

  • Repetitive and ritualistic activities - time limited
  • Personal special interests - time limited

 Other Tools

  • Medication
  • Mood diary
  • Environmental assessment of individual's sensory world
  • Encourage self-control using reward/prize

Return to Article



Davis, K (2012) Anxiety and panic struggles. Retrieved from Anxiety and panic struggles.

Indiana Resource Center for Autism

2810 E Discovery Parkway
Bloomington IN 47408
812-855-6508
812-855-9630 (fax)
Sitemap

Director: Cathy Pratt, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Email: prattc@indiana.edu

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

The IRCA Reporter is filled with useful information for individuals, families and professionals.

About the Center

Indiana University

Accessibility | Privacy Notice | Copyright © 2022 The Trustees of Indiana University