Teaching Kids with Autism Not to Steal

All children need to be taught certain social rules and boundaries. One example is teaching a child what constitutes stealing and why it’s bad.

Oftentimes, children who steal don’t even realize they’re doing something wrong. They might see something they want and grab it, whether it’s a toy from a friend or an item from a store.

In times, children are taught not to steal, and those lessons stick.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), though, may face other challenges in not stealing. This link between stealing and autism can be attributed to various non-malicious causes, such as communication deficits, sensory needs, intense interests or impulse control.

Below, we’ll discuss in more detail why stealing and autism are often linked, and how to teach kids with autism not to steal.

Key Takeaways

• Children with autism may steal for non-malicious reasons like communication challenges or sensory needs.
• ABA therapy can address the root causes of stealing using individualized interventions.
• Strategies include alternative communication training, impulse control techniques, and social rule instruction.
• Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) help identify the purpose of the behavior and inform treatment.
• Blue Gems ABA offers customized plans based on each child’s needs to help reduce problematic behaviors like stealing.

Table Of Contents

Why Do Children with Autism Steal?

It’s rather common for children with autism to steal, but it’s usually not for malicious reasons. Instead, the child’s symptoms of ASD are what could be causing them to steal without realizing that what they are doing is wrong.

Children with autism typically struggle with communication. They may not be able to communicate to someone that they would like something, for instance, so they just take it because it’s easier for them to do it that way.

They might lack impulse control, which could result in them taking something without even realizing it. They may be drawn to a certain object if they have sensory-seeking needs in that moment, or if the object meets their special and intense interests.

Children with autism may also not understand the rules of ownership. In other words, they don’t grasp the concept of other people’s possessions, so they might take an item off a store shelf or a toy away from another child who’s playing with it, and not even understand that the behavior is wrong.

How Can You Teach Kids with Autism Not to Steal?

There are many different strategies that applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) can use to teach kids with autism not to steal.

In general, helping the child to build functional communication is a great way to teach them not to steal. Even if they are non-verbal or haven’t yet developed advanced verbal skills to request something they want, ABA therapists can help them find alternative modes of asking, such as using gestures, singular words or even picture books.

ABA therapists can devise intervention plans that work best for the child they’re helping. Many include breaking down complex tasks into smaller and more manageable steps so the child can better grasp the concept and build their social and communication skills.

Another common strategy is known as Functional Behavior Assessment, or FBA. This involves identifying why the child is stealing in the first place — whether it be to get an item they want, to gain attention or to avoid doing something they are being told to do.

Once the underlying cause has been identified, then targeted interventions can be designed to address the cause. In time, this can lead to a reduction in stealing, as the child will be better equipped to handle whatever they’re dealing with.

Some children with autism steal items that fit in with their special interests because they like collecting them. For instance, children who are into vehicles might steal and hoard different toy cars and trucks.

An effective way to teach kids with autism not to steal in this example would be to help them more appropriately manage these interests. Provide them with appropriate ways that they can engage in their interests, such as structuring time and activities around toy cars and even allowing them to line up and collect them.

Blue Gems ABA Can Teach Kids with Autism Not to Steal

Autism and stealing are often linked, though there is no one simple answer as to why a child with ASD may steal. That’s why it’s so important to approach each child as a unique individual, to get to the root cause of the stealing so that proper interventions can be created.

At Blue Gems ABA, we approach all of the children we support on a personalized basis. Our ABA therapy treatment plans are all crafted based on the child’s unique strengths, challenges, needs and preferences, which helps them achieve better overall outcomes.

To learn more, please contact us today.

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