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Jan 18, 2013

Advice?

Today as an autism mom, I'm grateful for any autism parent who can leave me a comment with some advice.  I was wondering if I could get any suggestions as to handling a daughter who is self injurious.  My daughter hits her face and head a lot.  She has always slapped herself in the face when she was frustrated, but it was more of a one-time thing and then she would move on.  Now, it is very hard to redirect her.  She is basically beating herself up.   I'm sure a lot of this is due to her communication defects and frustrations.  She will punch herself too.  As a result, right now she has a split lip and bruises all over her face.  It is very distressing for me.  Redirecting her and making her give us high-fives instead works sometimes, but I'm at a loss.  She has a psych appointment next week to explore medication intervention, and a regular doctor's office this week to see if there are any physical reasons for her distress.  I would appreciate any feedback I can get.  Thank you!

8 comments:

  1. David hits himself alot when he is frustrated. We just like you, redirect him. At first it was really bad bc he couldnt tell us what was wrong and then come to find out his medicine was making him more...aggressive, maybe hers is doing that? Im not sure if she is on any medication. We use alot of these sentence strips when david is frustrated made by our aba therapist and a visual REALLY REALLY helps david out. i know its difficult to watch your child go through this, but im here if you need anything :)

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    1. Thanks Heather. I need to talk with her ABA team and figure out how to help her with communication more.

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  2. I wish I had answers too. Jenna is the same way. She has a permanent knot on her forehead from banging her head on the walls or floors and from using her fist to hit herself. I have thought about getting her a helmet but she would still have access to her forehead. I wish I could help. It frustrates me as well.

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    1. I appreciate it Karen. We're all just learning and surviving together, aren't we.

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  3. My son had a similar problem, but for him it was scratching. He was covered in long, bloody welts. We slowly replaced scratching with a similar, but less harmful motion. Now, when he gets upset, he rubs his skin instead. It gives him a similar sensory input, but without the self harm. Our therapist helped us develop the process, and with patience, it worked for us.

    Maybe your therapist could help you brainstorm something similar?

    Good luck!

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    1. That is a good idea, Shae. I have noticed she will calm down some with lotion, massage, etc. I just need to work with the therapists as you suggested to figure out calming techniques. I appreciate your input.

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  4. My 8 year old slaps himself, pulls his ears until they bleed, bite his index finger or wrist, pulls his hair and bangs his head on anything nearby. I understand your distress and your post and the comments helps me to know I am not alone. Usually whenever he does this, I will take his hands to his sides and he will want a hug right away. Whenever he is upset, he usually wants "sympathy" and tries to hug anyone nearby. If he doesn't have it, he will hurt himself.

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    1. Even though we can't always find the answers, it does help to know that other people out there understand. Thanks for sharing Haley. That is a good point that they probably want some sympathy and positive attention.

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