wierd behavior

my son will be perfectly calm and cracking jokes continually and all of a sudden he will let out a screach with a smile on his face as if to get a reaction then he will go back to acting goofy when i am trying to get him to answer questions for a test also all of a sudden he will circle the kitchen counter as if he is rining a toy car on it he is 12 please help thank you

[Jason C Bourret, Ph.D., BCBA-D]

It sounds like your son is being a bit goofy and playful when you are asking him to focus on some academic work. This sort of thing is, of course, quite common for all kids, not just those with an autism diagnosis. Typically, the way this sort of thing is addressed is through identifying something that is reinforcing for your son, a favorite activity, movie, snack, game, etc… And then setting up a little contingency for him where he sits with you and focuses on work for some period of time and then earns some of that favorite thing for a while. A little work, a little play, start with the work periods being rather short, perhaps just whatever amount of time he’ll give you at first, even if it’s only a few seconds. It sounds like he really enjoys your attention so some play with you might be something he earns, some tickles, a high five, or any other interaction he likes, then another round of work. Be systematic about it, arrange particular times when you do this with him, make sort of a game out of it so that it’s enjoyable for both of you. As he gets better at giving you the focus for some work, you can slowly increase the amount of time or work he needs to do. Let his behavior guide you in determining if he can handle it. Just keep in mind how important it is to be consistent. When you’re doing this, make sure that he is only getting your attention through focusing and working and that you’re ignoring the goofiness, chasing after him and making a big deal about his not listening to you will only encourage him to do it more.