Crisis De-escalation 101

Since Alan's diagnosis with Huntington's, we have wondered whether the behaviors/symptoms we see are autism or Huntington's. We are beginning to realize it is a very fine line. Many of the autisms he has displayed over the years are still there, but magnified.

Our biggest challenges are in the areas of behavior, when Alan becomes unwilling to cooperate, or unwilling to participate in daily living tasks. Thankfully, the Huntington's Disease Society presents webinars for caregivers to highlight ways to deal with aggressive or escalating situations.

Some of the techniques described in the last webinar are helpful for anyone dealing with someone who has an altered view of the world around them. Our children with autism often lash out because of a trigger in the environment. For us, it has been helpful to assess the situation by looking at what Alan is doing, what he is saying and how he is saying it, and modulate our response to try to defuse the situation.

I think these techniques are useful for parents of children with autism, and patients with Huntington's disease. The name of the webinar is "Crisis Situations and De-escalation Strategies". Below is the link.

http://www.hdsa.org/living-with-huntingtons/family-care/caregivercorner/index.html

Check out the webinar. It might help you no matter what you are dealing with.

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