Hi-
I think I've posted on this before, but I'm still not having good luch dealing with this. My DD Jessi is 28 months with Tuberous Sclerosis, Epilepsy, and Autism.
We went to a park yesterday and then to visit our friend who's in the hospital. She seemed to be doing GREAT, and then I would turn around and she'd be biting her hands or slapping herself in the mouth or face. On two separate occasions, she made herself gush blood from her mouth and then smeared it all over her face.
Now, she does this and doesnt' cry or even seem to know she's doing it. So how do I get her to stop?
Thanks,
Sarah
Sarah theres no guaranteed way to make her stop unless you take drastic measures which I wouldn't recommend. Is your daughter on any medication for behvaior/moods? Usually biting is due to inability to communicate frustration stress over stimulation anxiety type feelings or sensory related. It calms them. Have you had a sensory profile done? Behavior management? If so I would ask what they recommend since they know your child.
Consistent redirection should help EVERY time she bites herself use the exact same approach if its to say " Jessi, hands down, no biteing" and then hand them something to chew on be it chewy tubing, or one of the other things they have in the sensory catalogs.... some people get the chewy (telephone cord type) necklaces or bracelets and direct them to bite that. I have also seen teethers strapped to the arms and the kids encouraged to bite that rather then themselves.
What measures have you tried that have failed?
maybe this site will help some .... Understanding and Treating Self-Injurious Behavior http://www.autism.org/sibpaper.html
Hang in there and keep exploring. I know its hard to watch.
Hi-
Yes, she's been getting "treatment" for sensory integration dysfunction since she was a baby. She needs input of some sort nearly every 2-3 minutes, which makes it difficult to have enough things to try.
We have chewy tubes, the "q" tube, nuk brush, hand held massager, "fidget toys", swing, brush, blanket to swing her in or wrap her in, etc...we have a list of about 15-20 different things to try. As far as the biting, I take her hands and say "No biting", or "No hitting", and she'll reply usually by saying "bite", "hit", or "no way". Then she gets mad.
Redirection is what we do all day. Like I said sometimes all you have to do is touch her and she loses it. But if I do something even as crazy as jumping up in the air and yelling "tada" that's enough to stop her in shock I'm sure LOL, and then I can redirect her.
She had been doing pretty well with NOT biting or hitting and now this week it's terrible. Every time I turn around she's doing one of them.
Her OT works almost entirely on her sensory needs, but she's so "unregulated" most days it's hard. They tell me when they leave, "you must be exhausted".
You don't really notice though do you? It's just the way she is.
Are her teeth ok? There was an article about a child who was self harming by hitting his face and they found that no amount of intervention and behavioural strategies were helping. It turned out he had decayed teeth and once he was put under and had them fixed the self harm stopped.Cheryl-
Thanks for the idea. Her teeth are ok though. I almost wish they weren't so we had an easy solution.
She does have Tuberous Sclerosis though, adn teeth problems can come with that. I may call the dentist anyway just to make sure there isn't anything going on in her gums or something.
Thanks,
Sarah