Being a parent can be very fulfilling. There’s something inherently magical in nurturing another person to grow and meet their potential. You can also get easily overwhelmed with the love and care you feel for your young one.
Parenthood can be quite challenging as well. It takes a lot of responsibility. Learning how to discipline your child, for instance, is a hurdle that a lot of parents face.
These difficulties are doubled when you’re dealing with a child with autism. Fortunately, there are techniques that you can do if you want to learn how to discipline a child with autism. One workaround to improve your child’s behavior is to let them undergo a learning program like Brain Retrain.
Autism and Discipline
It can be easy to underestimate the importance of discipline to a child with autism. As a parent, you would probably prioritize ensuring your child’s future: that they will have a developed skill that will be enough to turn into a profession or, at the very least, gain them employment somewhere.
As long as your child’s kind, everything will be alright, right? Sadly, our modern society isn’t as simple as that.
We are all expected to practice “good” behavior. Otherwise, one can expect certain consequences depending on the level of “offense.”
It is no surprise that many parents base their disciplinary methods on this offense and punishment cycle, punishing negative behavior with an equally negative experience. These negative experiences can sometimes involve long lectures and even the infliction of pain.
Unfortunately, these forms of punishment are ineffective for children with autism. After all, most of them can’t recognize and understand social cues such as changes in facial expressions and tones in verbal communication.
Should You Punish a Child With Autism?
This can make you wonder: should you punish a child with autism? The answer is yes. Whether burdened with autism or not, every child needs to learn discipline to thrive in the society that we live in.
Children with ASD will also benefit from the structure provided by these added rules in a way that people without autism will never understand. There is no doubt that yous should punish your child with autism. The real challenge is determining the right disciplinary method to use.
The Key Is Positive Discipline
How do you discipline a child with autism? There are many ways, but we highly recommend looking into positive discipline. It is a method that involves teaching children positive and acceptable behavior in a kind yet firm manner.
It doesn’t veer too far away from the real meaning of the word discipline. The term came from the Latin word “disciplina” which means “to teach” or “give instruction.”
We acknowledge that this method is easier said than done. There is no simple way when it comes to discipline. This particular approach, for instance, will take some time to develop for it to become effective.
You must first establish a close bond with your child. This strong connection based on trust will make them more receptive to what you have to say. You also need to reinforce your child’s skills in listening.

How Do You Get an Autistic Child To Listen?
Below are some quick steps on how to get your autistic child to listen to you.
Start by Teaching Your Child To Open up and Talk
Communication problems are part of the developmental issues that characterize autism. So don’t expect your child to communicate openly like a typically developed kid would. Instead, you need to teach them how to do so.
One way is by starting conversations on things they’re most interested in. Allow them to lead the conversation first before moving on to the next tip.
Keep Sentences Short
Once your child is more comfortable talking, the next challenge is to join the conversation. Allow your child to finish talking, especially at the beginning of this “training.”
Make sure that all your responses are interesting and related to the topic you’re talking about. Most of all, keep your sentences short and sweet. It must not exceed three sentences at a time.
Develop a Structure Around Your Conversations
As mentioned, children with autism thrive in structure. It turns their repetitive behavior into a strength. You can apply this technique to your conversations as well.
Develop a structure for all your verbal interactions. Name each step of the process. Don’t forget to incorporate pauses in between talking turns.
Reinforce With Concrete Aids
Some posters clearly show the steps of a structured conversation. Some of them are even specifically designed for children with ASD.
Can’t find one that matches your conversation structure? Then you might want to consider making one yourself. You can also use tokens as a physical reminder of whose turn to speak during your talks.
Don’t Forget To Practice Constantly
Practice makes perfect even for children with ASD. Hence, take advantage of every chance to spark a conversation with your child.
What Should You Not Say To a Child With Autism?
Here’s an added tip: be more tactful. If you want your child to listen to you, you must also know what should you not say to a child with autism. Here are some examples:
- You look so normal.
- Do you take medication for that?
- Don’t worry; everyone’s autistic in their own way.
This includes other related messages or puns. It constantly surprises us how terribly creative people can get when talking about autism and discipline in the same sentence.
How To Discipline a Child With Autism
Once you’ve established some semblance of communication, you can now start practicing positive discipline. Below are some tips to keep in mind if you want to learn how do you discipline a child with autism.
Don’t Start a Discipline Session While Your Emotions Are Running High
Never discipline in anger or while your child is having a meltdown. Nothing good will come of it. Instead, wait until both of you have considerably calmed down.
Reassure Your Child That You Care
Reassurance will remind your child that the relationship you share is a safe space. According to an article published by the American Psychological Association, children with ASD tend to have memory issues. While most of them don’t really have a problem tapping into their long and short-term memory, there are many working memory issues.
That is the type of memory in charge of recalling current actions. Thus, constant reassurance will not only keep your child calm but will also help in reminding them about what you are talking about.
Have the Child Lead the Conversation
Allow your child to process what has happened. Ask them to identify where they went wrong and how it could have potentially impacted others. Continue by asking them to come up with a plan on how to do better next time.
Reinforce Their Ideas
There’s an increased likelihood for your child to remember how to behave properly next time if the idea came from themselves. That will also help in building confidence.
The Secret Key: Be Consistent
Always keep in mind that children with autism need consistency. Again, this is how you can turn repetitive behavior patterns to your advantage. It will also create a sense of order that a child with ASD can truly benefit from all the time.
Remember, they cannot recognize social cues. Typical human behavior and actions can be terribly confusing to them.
Indeed, they live in a lonely world where they can easily feel isolated. Having that reliable structure is reassuring.
The same applies to other lessons, not just discipline. You can use our tips to make the most out of learning programs and other educational sessions.
Are you wondering how to discipline an autistic toddler? The best thing about the tips we’ve shared with you is that you can use them regardless of your child’s age.

Brain Retrain
Speaking of learning programs, we consider Brain Retrain as one of the most efficient in the market. It is developed by DreamWeaver House and SFK Media Corp, institutions known for their care and dedication to children with ASD.
Brain Retrain is the product of years of research and development. It was originally called Reading Movies. Aptly named, it was a series of movies with Action Caption technology.
To be more precise, they have captioned every conversation made in the film to simulate the experience of reading a book when in fact, you’re actually watching a movie. It was very effective in teaching reading and other related literacy skills.
The developers realized it wasn’t enough. After all, children with ASD have other developmental disabilities beyond reading. That was how Brain Retrain was born.
They have decided to add another layer of technology: frequency brainwaves. The experts at DreamWeaver House discovered that neuroplasticity could actually be triggered and, up to a certain degree, controlled to produce certain effects, such as improving negative behavior. Having said that, Brain Retrain can help in disciplining your child as well.
Disciplining Autistic Children
We understand how burdensome rules and discipline can be to an average child, and a child with ASD is definitely not an average kid. On the contrary, they thrive in structure. It makes the scary and unnavigable world more predictable for them.
That doesn’t mean punishment is the way to go, though. Those who are learning how to discipline a child with autism should consider a more positive and welcoming approach.
Positive discipline is the best way on how to discipline an autistic toddler or an older child. It is the method of disciplining that seeks to communicate and compromise rather than reprimand and punish. It can be quite challenging to accomplish, though.
You must first develop a trusting relationship between you and your child. You must first establish basic communication skills. Always aim for consistency in your efforts.
Finally, keep in mind that the positive discipline approach is not the only method you can use to improve your child’s behavior. One effective alternative is the Brain Retrain learning program. It uses brainwaves to stimulate the brain’s natural healing ability, making it the perfect learning material in disciplining autistic children.