Author: Andre Velho | April 10, 2021
Before, if a genie had to grant me three wishes, one of them would be to understand what is going on in the mind of my child. During the behaviour sessions at Sethu, that wish was granted. There were several challenging behaviours that my child exhibited and I had no idea why he was behaving the way he did and what I could do to stop that behaviour.
One of them was that he would suddenly lie down on the floor. This was not only socially inappropriate, but also I couldn’t understand why he was behaving that way. I didn’t know whether my child wanted attention or was trying to avoid a task. Most people would have said that he was a spoilt or pampered child and hence, was behaving the way he did. After attending Behaviour Management sessions with Andre Velho, Giselle Lobo and Madhura Manerikar at Sethu during the Sopaan Program, I began to understand why my child was behaving the way he did and how to effectively stop that behaviour.
My child’s behaviour was monitored using a very structured and simple ABC chart. Post that, there were strategies taught to stop that behaviour. After practising these strategies just once a week, he went from lying down on the floor 7 times a week to just twice a week and after 2 weeks the challenging behaviour ceased to exist.
The strategies that were taught were very simple, easy and fun to use. I am a very happy and relaxed parent, thanks to all the guidance that I have received from team Sethu. I am very grateful to them all.
– Ms Fernandes, parent of a 5-year-old child with autism.
ANDRE VELHO
Head of Autism Program