Severe Autism: Sharp Rise in Self-Injurious Behaviors During illness

[LSUTigerbait100]

hi kgaccount,i have a question.my 3 year old sister has autism and is self injuring herelf.she will bite her arm until it bleeds and hit herself over the head with whatever she can find.bottle,shoe,tv remote,just whatever she gets her hands on.my mom works all day so i have to watch her till she gets back and im really worried about this behavior.what should i do?please help me,thank you :)

[kgaccount]

@LSUTigerbait100 The main thing is to RULE out any undetected underlying medical issues that could be fueling SIB. For instance, stomach pain, headaches, side effects of current medications.....the best advice I can give is to find things that do make her happy and do those things often. For example, if she likes certain foods, provide them. If she likes certain activities, implement them. YOu sound like a great sibling and she is lucky to have you. Also, try re-directing behavior..

[LSUTigerbait100]

@kgaccount Thank You Very Much :) Its Good To Know That There Are Other People Going Through The Same Thing We Are.I Hope You And Jamy Are Doin Well :)

[TypesEvilAspieEyes]

@kgaccount,, have you tried weighted hats??

[bebesince1987]

im happy to see this sode of autism, I will kedep you and your family in my prayers. and hope that u do receive more hours.

[Blade292]

wow, you are an amazing, dedicated, loving mother to your son and i wish the best for both of you. All of us mothers could learn a lesson from your outstanding demonstration of patience. Keep up the good work!

[NorCal4Life925breh]

LMFOA

[Buffheart]

It was interesting to me to read that the Benadryl helped with the SIB and after his seizure, because Benadryl caused me to have a seizure. How so did it help?

[kgaccount]

@Buffheart Benadryl only helps if there is an antecedent to self-abuse fueling the SIB. For instance, an allergic reaction to drug therapy or elevated histamines in bloodwork. Have doc. order CBC (complete blood count) and test for allergies. And yes, benadryl can LOWEr seizure threshold so you have to balance it. Higher fat diets that include wild alaskan salmon in diet or fish oils by mouth. It's all a balancing act.....to create homeostasis in brain and body.

[SomegirlnamedSara407]

Why do people with autism hurt them selves? are they trying to tell you something?

[kgaccount]

@SomegirlnamedSara407 There are multiple reasons some autistics hurt themselves. Mainly, it's out of frustration due to inability to communicate, or understand the world around them. Our son hits himself for many reasons: for instance, a blister on toe, loud noises, changes in routine, doesn't like a food, or weather change...the main thing is protection and comfort at all times.

[SomegirlnamedSara407]

@kgaccount Oh thanks for helping me to understand a bit better. You truely are a great mom. And your son is beautiful. Everything about the autism spectrum intrigues me. :)

[marlyonama]

why does he have a wheelchair if he can walk? I'm just wondering. BTW a great idea for a portable bath would be a kiddie pool and just have the hose running the entire time to keep him focused just as he would at home.

[kgaccount]

@marlyonama He has wheelchair because his HMO wouldn't pay for a regular "CHAIR", so we settled for the wheelchair, which actually helps, let's say, if he has seizure activity, and we need to keep him in one place, and go to the mall, etc...it keeps him safe...

[rubymimosa]

Benedryl also helps with nausia, intestinal cramps, vertigo (from congestion) and the restlessness that some seizure meds can cause. I wonder if some of the times he SIBs w/o apparent cause are because he's feeling sick at his tummy. Oh, have you tried SwimEar for after bathes? It can help fluid that might cause earaches or infections, at least it works in my house : ) Lots of prayers comin' ya'lls way.

[ascend2luv]

hi, the bath also probably helps with his sinus infection, moist steam, helps alleviate and clear his breathing pathway, i use a steam vaporiser with Eucalyptus oil - when my son has colds etc. it can be left on whilst they are sleeping, in fact I use it for myself too - you can also use other oils like lavendar if Jamey finds them comforting. My son too shares the love of water/baths.

[MiraculousMoments]

You were up until 6:30 the next morning? Wow. That's what I call dedication and I applaude you. Do you have many days/nights like that? Or have you ever thought of having a nurse stay the night so that you can have a break? I'm not sure what you're situation is hours wise, but it might be worth a shot. It's important your sanity stay intact.

[kgaccount]

@MiraculousMoments We have night nurses, but NOT for every night. Those are the nights I drink a LOT of coffee. We R currently asking for more nursing hours, since he requires constant 1:1 and unpredictable 2:1 assistance. Pray we win more hours!!! LOL

[ebaymamaqueen]

thank you for sharing. my 4 year old has SID real bad to the point where if one little drop of water gets on her clothes she has to strip. she has changed about 5 times today. that is nothing. she has other SID issues, but the clothers issue is maddening! she loves the bathes to calm. when she is in meltdown mode that is probably the only thing that works. we do the ear plugs as well. thanks for the postings and i will keep my fingers crossed for you and yours. :)

[happymark1805]

sitting in the bath when he is ill is a good thing, thru the skin he gets a bit of fluid in his system and the heat also helps.