Blurting Out & Inappropriate Language
Preventative Strategies (Pre-Teaching & Environment Prep)
Preparation is powerful. If you know a potentially triggering situation is coming (like a formal event or a setting requiring manners), do a quick pre-teaching huddle.
💬 Before going into grandma’s quiet church service, for example, gently remind: “We need to use our whisper voices and no silly words in there. If you stay quiet, we’ll do something fun after.”
Giving a clear expectation and incentive beforehand sets them up to succeed. If your child tends to blurt out personal observations (like commenting on someone’s appearance loudly), prepare a code word or touch that you’ll use as a reminder in the moment.
Environment prep can also mean reducing triggers. For instance, if certain TV shows or video games introduce a lot of foul language that your child then parrots, consider moderating that content. Or if they often blurt when overstimulated, ensure they have regular breaks during overwhelming events.
Consistency across environments is important: if you enforce a “no swearing” rule at home but allow certain words sometimes, a neurodivergent child may get confused and use them at the wrong time. It’s often best to keep rules consistent everywhere – for example, if a word isn’t OK at school, it’s not OK at home either, to avoid a double standard they might not grasp.
Another preventative tip is to build in opportunities for appropriate expression. Many kids blurt because they are afraid they won’t get a turn to speak. So, proactively give them outlets: maybe a daily “special talking time” where they get to chatter freely about anything on their mind (knowing their voice is heard).
In class, teachers can assign roles (like “official helper” or give the student a moment to share ideas early on) so that need to speak is met constructively, preventing random call-outs later.
Also address the underlying causes:
If anxiety drives blurting (e.g., blurting out questions for reassurance), work on anxiety management through routines and calming techniques. If emotional regulation is an issue (they swear when frustrated), teach and practice coping skills for frustration (more on that in the Emotional Regulation section).
Ensuring basic needs are met goes a long way too – a child who is hungry or overtired has a much harder time controlling impulses. So, good sleep, exercise, and snack routines can help prevent blurting incidents by improving overall self-control capacity.