Autism and head banging when triggered

Hey guys! I hope all is well, I was hoping to get some tips on how to better help my daughter. She was recently diagnosed with autism she’s only 4 years old. And she head bags her head when things don’t seem to go her way. It’s usually hard surfaces like the wall or floor not too hard but to the point where we can hear it. It happens so fast that it’s very hard to prevent it on time. I have bought her a head cushion for her to use at school since that’s where she is mainly triggered. She’s also my only child so sharing can be difficult. We have changed her diet also and we avoid gluten. Something I also noticed and did ask her pediatrician was that she tends to hump randomly I have tried to redirect her it works at times then when she remember s she goes again. Does anyone else going through it ? And will she outgrow this behavior as her speech comes in? Any tips are welcome! Thank you for your time.

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Does she see the occupational therapist? Would deep pressure work so she still gets that sensation when stressed but in a safe way? My 14 year old son has started doing that only at school. I think they are trying to reduce the demands at school. The last time he did it was because he saw the calendar on the wall and realised there was a month off until Xmas. Are they able to spot triggers? Is this mainstream? Also what country are you based?

Hey Karen, yes she had OT and speech once a week. A special Ed teacher comes twice a month for 45 mins. She’s in preschool only goes for 3 hours a day. Right now I am considering ABA but really don’t know which company to choose I need to do research first as I read ABA isn’t so great due to their staff constantly changing. Reducing demands at school it’s actually a great tip thank you!

US how about you?

Uk. The other thing is making sure she gets lots of sensory breaks so she doesn’t feel so overwhelmed. The OT should be able to give you a few ideas. It may be her environment that’s causing her distress. Maybe the noise? Does she have ear defenders? A quiet space to go?

I work in ABA and yes the turn over of therapists can be high but ABA is the only scientifically proven treatment to help. The earlier you can start ABA the better! You just have to find a company that practices compassionate ABA.

What does compassionate ABA practice mean? Lindsey ?

My twin 8 year old non-verbal daughters still do this sometimes. To this day, im not sure what triggers the humping I usually squeeze their tighs, legs, shoulders and is seems to help a bit and sometimes I just tickle them or redirect them into another activity or toy.

hi there! i currently work in ABA and i would highly suggest a neuro-medical evaluation as well. sometimes when children with ASD headbangs, they purposefully seek out hard surfaces that they know will produce pain to release dopamine. there could be an underlying cause which is always worth checking out!

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