Close Topic Options

Autism: Self-Injury How To Stop It

Self-Injury: How to Stop this Dangerous Practice

Many wonder why anyone would practice self-injury, as it is painful and dangerous. However, with autistic children, self-injury occurs more often than not. There are several theories as to why this practice can be prevalent in autistic children, and there are some methods you can use to help ease this distressing practice.

Because autistic children are unable to communicate through language the way that others can, they often feel frustrated at not being understood or at not getting what they need or want. Thus, autistic children may commit self-injury, by banging their heads or biting themselves (Among other tactics), to release some of that frustration that cannot be communicated through words. Also, self-injury is a way of getting attention. An autistic child's frustration goes hand-in-hand with wanting attention. For instance, by scratching oneself until one bleeds, the autistic child will immediately get someone's attention, and this person will work to understand what the child wants or needs.

This theory of frustration and attention has been the sole thinking for quite some time. Recently, however, studies have shown that self-injury can have a biochemical component that relieves some of the pain and frustration one feels by releasing endorphins, or "happy hormones," Into one's system. The endorphins also provide a release for the autistic child, allowing him or her to temporarily forget about his or her frustration and pain. Furthermore, it is believed that if one practices self-injury enough, the endorphins will begin to help mask any pain associated with such behavior, making it an addictive action.

While some professionals say that ignoring the autistic child's self-injurious behavior is an acceptable method of treating such practice, this can obviously be very difficult. Others have suggested that communication therapy and drugs may help an autistic child by providing him or her with another method of communication. There are drugs that will help stem the addictive behavior of releasing endorphins into the system, and thus help stop such behavior. There are also nutritional solutions available; vitamin B6 and calcium have been said to help many families with an autistic child.

For the family members involved, communication training to learn how to communicate with an autistic child is also extremely important. Because normal adults, and even children and teenagers, are so accustomed to communicating through easily recognizable words or body language, they have to learn that communicating with an autistic child requires a completely different process. By looking for solutions for both the family and the autistic child involved in self-injurious behavior, one may be able to overcome this distressing practice.

Attached image for illustration only.

It Stop To Self-Injury Autism

Name: Amanda
Country:

Comments: Self-injurious behavior (sib) in autistic persons is extremely complex. No one pill or treatment will eradicate the behavior, as it's rooted in multiple antecedents that can flucuate daily. For example, on Monday, Joey is having a great day. No SIB. Then, he's walking in community, and a car alarm goes off. Now he's on floor slamming fists into head and this starts vicious cycle of pain caused by initial SIB, then triggering more SIB and on it goes. Then there's things like a blister, fever or other illnesses that can brew over time, and, if the autistic person is non verbal, nobody catches this quickly, and then suddenly, what seems as a behavior that came out of nowhere is really rooted in on-going pain that has yet to be addressed. Then there's frustration. Not getting food in time. Or getting drink. Or not liking the food or drink presented. That makes Joes slam fists into head. When you try to restrain or re-direct it sometimes works. Other times, the behavior becomes so severe, so fast, all you can do is jump in and protect the person from smashing their eye ball or teeth out. That's the reality of real SIB in autistic persons. We aren't talking an occasional slapper here. Or someone who occasionally scratches. Autistics who present with severe, pervasive self injurious behaviors are extremely complex cases that are far above the scope of expertise of almost everyone involved that state systems serving autistics and schools provide. Hence, these lower level substandard professionals end up wasting years of the person's life pretending to help, when they have no idea what they're doing. They don't even bother to review research. They aren't capable of synthesizing complex information and applying to the unique needs of the autistic person who is suffering, sometimes for years, with extreme self injury. We are in desperate need of experts in this field to come forward and move the lower level useless professionals out of the way so these types of autistic persons can get some real help.

Source 1: self-injurious behavior gene brain behavior relationships

Autism: Self-Injury How To Stop It Health & Special Psychology

Thankfully, this trait in autism is not apparent in our children. At first they did do a little head to wall banging or hit their chests but that seems over with now that they are older. What I actually notice is they are highly sensitive to any kind of discomfort and so hurting themselves even accidentally is the cause of much heartache as screaming and crying follows for something an average person might shrug off.

It Stop To Self-Injury Autism

I notice that one of my sons has developed a bad habit of biting things - chewing on it in a nervous idle manner. Today he was stuffing his mouth and bit his tongue. Then when it was time for sleep he was biting a door stop, paper, sheet and so forth. I kept telling him that it is dirty and not good but he would laugh and try to do it more. He stopped when he bit his own fingers and felt the pain. Now he has calmed down and relaxed. Maybe as a result of this: