21/06/2022
A person's behaviour can be defined as "challenging" if it puts them or those around them (such as their carer) at risk, or leads to a poorer quality of life.
Challenging behaviour can include:
1. aggression
2. self-harm
3. destructiveness
4. disruptiveness
*What can you do to help?*
As a carer, try to understand why the person you look after is behaving in this way. For example, they might feel anxious or bored, or be in pain.
If you can recognise the early warning signs, you may be able to prevent behavioural outbursts.
For example, if being in a large group of people makes your child feel anxious and they become agitated, you could arrange for them to be in a smaller group or have 1-to-1 support.
Your child might behave in a challenging way to get your attention.
If this is the case, consider not responding directly to their behaviour – although you should not ignore them completely.
But if their behaviour puts them or someone else at risk, you'll need to intervene as calmly as possible.
*Professional help*
If you're finding it hard to cope with the behaviour of your child, ask a GP to refer you to a specialist.
The specialist will want to know what situations or people trigger the behaviour, what the early warning signs are, and what happens afterwards.
In extreme circumstances – for example, if your child's behaviour is harmful to themselves or others and all methods of calming them have been tried – a doctor may prescribe medicine.
If you're concerned about the side effects of medicine, speak to your child's Doctor.
