Addressing Impulsiveness

5 Types of Impulsivity — Identify yours first

Different types of impulsivity respond to different strategies. Identifying the type helps you choose the right tool.

Type	What It Looks Like	Best Strategy
Motor Impulsivity	Grabbing, hitting, running, jumping in before instructed	#B1 Stop-Think-Act + heavy work before situations
Verbal Impulsivity	Blurting out answers, interrupting, calling out, talking over others	#B2 Answer Jar + B.4 Whispering Game
Cognitive Impulsivity	Jumping to conclusions, not checking work, poor error monitoring	#B1 Stop-Think-Act + B.2 Simon Says
Emotional Impulsivity	Outbursts disproportionate to triggers, rejection sensitivity	#B3 Traffic Light + #B4 Box Breathing
Social Impulsivity	Invading personal space, inappropriate disclosures, topic hijacking	#B2 Answer Jar + social scripts + #B5 Antecedent Mod

💡 Remember

In ASD, impulsivity often presents as inability to inhibit a scripted or repetitive behaviour rather than classical 'acting without thinking.' Co-occurring ASD+ADHD produces BOTH types simultaneously — start with #B5 (antecedent modification) before focusing on teaching self-control.

Stop-Think-Act Framework

📌 All environments — must become a habit script

🎯 Build a conscious pause between impulse and action

Teach the 3-step sequence as a visual poster and a body cue: (1) STOP — child places both hands on thighs and freezes for 3 seconds; (2) THINK — child asks aloud 'What will happen if I do this?'; (3) ACT — child proceeds with the considered action or chooses an alternative. Practice with role-play scenarios daily until the sequence is automatised.

💡 Key PointsCreate a laminated pocket card of the 3 steps · Practise first on LOW-STAKES scenarios before applying to high-tension moments

The Answer Jar

📌 Classroom, group lessons, family discussions

🎯 Reduce verbal impulsivity in group settings without shaming

Each participant (child and adult) has 3 tokens at the start of a discussion. To speak, you place a token in the jar. When your 3 tokens are gone, you must wait to earn them back by listening. The child visually and physically experiences the finite nature of speaking turns, and holding the token provides a proprioceptive pause that delays the verbal impulse.

💡 Key PointsAdult also uses the token system — this is not a punishment, it is a shared structure · Earn tokens back: give the child a token every time they demonstrate patient waiting

Impulse Traffic Light System

📌 Displayed in classroom, bedroom, car

🎯 Visual self-regulation framework mapping to arousal state

Post a large traffic light display. RED = stop, frozen, cannot make good choices — adult supports. AMBER = starting to feel triggered — use a coping strategy before going RED. GREEN = calm, regulated, good choices available. Child self-identifies their traffic light colour at regular intervals. Adult intervenes at AMBER, not RED.

💡 Key PointsUse the traffic light language throughout the day: 'What colour are you right now?' · Pair AMBER with an instant list of sensory or calming strategies on a nearby card

Pause Power — Box Breathing

📌 Before known triggers + immediate de-escalation

🎯 Build physiological pause capacity that delays impulsive action

Teach Box Breathing as the child's personal pause tool: Inhale 4 counts → Hold 4 counts → Exhale 4 counts → Hold 4 counts. One complete cycle takes ~16 seconds — enough for the prefrontal cortex to re-engage after amygdala activation. Make this fun: draw a square in the air with a finger while breathing.

💡 Key PointsPractice when calm so it is available when escalated · Pair with a visual box on a card — child traces the sides with their finger

Antecedent Modification

📌 Environmental design — proactive, not reactive

🎯 Reduce impulsive incidents by removing or modifying triggers

Analyse the pattern: when does impulsivity occur? (Waiting in lines, transitions, losing a game, being interrupted mid-task, loud environments?) Modify the antecedent: avoid unstructured queuing; warn before transitions; choose activities where losing doesn't escalate; never interrupt a mid-task flow state without a 2-minute countdown warning.

💡 Key PointsMost powerful intervention is reducing how often the child must fight the impulse · FBA (Functional Behaviour Assessment) identifies antecedents systematically

Red Light / Green Light (5 Levels)

Ages 3–10⏱ 10–15 minOpen space · Signal cards

Level 1: Classic — move on 'Green light,' freeze instantly on 'Red light'
Level 2: Add YELLOW LIGHT (slow motion only) — adds a gradient to stop-go
Level 3: Reverse the rules — 'Red' means GO, 'Green' means STOP (inhibition + flexibility)
Level 4: Add a new rule mid-game without stopping — child updates the rule while playing
Level 5: Add a distraction — adult makes funny faces during green light; child maintains task
Track: how quickly does the child freeze? How many false starts per session?

💡 TipRed Light/Green Light directly trains motor inhibition — the same circuit that, when strong, prevents impulsive physical actions in real life.

Simon Says — Cognitive Edition

Ages 4–12⏱ 10 minOpen space

Classic Simon Says: obey only instructions prefaced by 'Simon says'
Body-opposite rule: 'Simon says touch your head' → child touches their FEET
Emotion edition: 'Simon says look happy' → child looks SAD — inhibition + emotional expression
Number edition: any number under 5 → do that many jumps; over 5 → freeze
Letter/Number switch: a LETTER → jump; a NUMBER → clap — rapid rule-tracking
Play in a small group — peer modelling of correct inhibition builds observational learning

💡 TipSimon Says is one of the most researched games for executive function. The graduated versions systematically increase cognitive load while keeping it fun.

Freeze Drawing

Ages 4–10⏱ 10–15 minPaper · Markers · Music

Child draws freely while music plays
When music stops (unexpectedly), child must INSTANTLY freeze — pencil stops mid-stroke
Hold the freeze for 5–10 seconds
Resume drawing when music resumes
Progress: during the freeze, child must answer ONE question about their drawing before resuming
Advanced: child controls the music for the group — adds self-regulation + perspective-taking

💡 TipThe unexpected nature of the stop signal specifically trains the ability to interrupt an ongoing action — the most difficult form of inhibitory control.

The Whispering Game

Ages 4–12⏱ 10 minNo materials needed

All interaction must be in whispers for a set duration (start with 3 minutes)
The physical act of whispering requires regulating breath, voice volume, and pace
Any words above a whisper = pause the clock and reset
Progress: whisper a sentence to the next person (Chinese Whispers) — adds auditory memory
Advanced: hold a full structured conversation entirely in whispers for 10 minutes
Debrief: 'What was hard about that? Did you notice the urge to speak loudly?'

💡 TipSustained whispering requires continuous vocal inhibition — direct practice of the suppression circuits that control verbal impulsivity in everyday situations.