ABA for Excessive Crying & Whining

Frequent crying or whining — especially when it seems out of proportion to what happened — is one of those behaviors that’s hard to respond to because you’re never sure what it means. ABA helps identify what your child is communicating through tears and teaches them a clearer, calmer way to say it.

What crying and whining are communicating

Crying and whining almost always have a purpose. Your child may be escaping a demand or a transition, getting you to provide comfort or an item, expressing sensory discomfort, or simply communicating distress with the only tool available. For children with autism who have limited verbal language, crying and whining can be remarkably effective at producing a response — which is exactly why the behavior persists. A BCBA observes the patterns around the behavior (what happens before, during, and after) to identify the function before building a plan, because responding to escape-driven crying looks very different from responding to pain-driven or attention-driven crying.

A calmer way to communicate

Once the function is clear, ABA teaches a replacement behavior that meets the same need more effectively — a word, sign, picture exchange, or device output to request comfort, protest a demand, or signal “I need a break.” Reinforcement is arranged so the replacement works quickly and reliably, making it more efficient than crying. For distress-driven crying, the plan may include strategies to increase tolerance for frustrating or uncomfortable situations gradually. If crying is related to sensory overwhelm, the environment is adjusted to reduce overload. Related: emotional regulation and sensory processing.

Frequently asked questions

This page is general educational information, not medical advice. Every child is different — a BCBA can assess your child’s specific needs. Autumn ABA serves families in all 21 NJ counties; see where we provide ABA therapy.

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