Handling Extreme Self-Injurious Behaviors in Autism

Warning: disturbing behavior. Mom must drag adult autistic self-abusive son into pool to stop him from punching himself. Shows challenges of handling self-abusive adults with autism. Shows successful interventions used by skilled and trained persons handling extreme autism. Awareness and care of adults with autism an increasing crisis. This family shows that it is POSSIBLE with proper supports, for autistic adults to thrive in community. Please see Washington Post Column titled, "Still Overlooking Autistic Adults," written By Linda H. Davis, Saturday, April 4, 2009. She wrote a beautiful piece that is yet another voice warning about the urgent need to train and organize community and home supports for adults with autism.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• autism
• behaviors
• how
• to
• handle
• behavioral
• emergencies
• psychology
• safety
• living with autism
• crisis
• intervention
• re-direction
• stress
• families
• self-abuse
• self-
• injury
• self-harm
• ASD
• extreme
• high risk
• healing
• calming
• tips
• tactics
• awareness
• home
• health
• care
• psychiatric
• nursing
• association
• water
• therapy
• effect

[jesskazen]

I am not trying to promote drugs in any way. I hate smoking more than anything, the smell of a cigarette sends me into a rage, but the only thing I have ever found that made all of these horrible sensory feelings and intrusive obsessive thoughts go away was smoking marijuana. In states where it is medicinally legal I know they sell edibles. I wish I could use those instead. Like any drug it has side effects, increased appetite for sugar is one thing I hate about it.

[CDFoakley]

@jesskazen Research shows there are strains out there that do not elevate appetite. It's a shame medical community hasn't looked more into medical cannabis. After the traumatic experience my son had when given Haldol, I find it hard to believe medical cannabis is more damaging than some of these older anti-psychotics.

[CDFoakley]

@CDFoakley I'm glad the MMJ helps you. Other people with aspergers have reported the same effect. Though they've said marinol, the only form in a pill that is prescribed is awful. Probably cause it's synthetic. A few Universities are studying medical cannabis. Gosh, I guess those researchers are having a good time...lol

[Wela143]

My 8 yr. old granddaughter had an episode 2 hours ago, she is Autistic and mentally retarded she's really strong for her age so when she goes through self injurious behavior she hurts herself real bad. Her doctor has prescribed Seroquel 25 MG. to be honest she's been through lots of different types of medications and nothing seems to work. I've had people tell me that her mom was neglecting and abusing her, her mom even confessed to me that she slammed the baby into her crib.

[CDFoakley]

@Wela143 OMgosh, how sad. I hope you are caring for the child and the mom is getting therapy. Any mom that would slam her baby into crib should NOT be allowed back with the child until she gets some serious help.

[ozark5150]

have you ever tried some type of comunication aid? Such as AAC. Praying for your son!

[CDFoakley]

@ozark5150 Yes, he will hit a button for food, but problem is he'll hit it for hours and wants to keep getting his treats, so we have to re direct him from the button after he's eaten! Thanks for prayers, much needed for him.

[J3ANP3T3R]

We have a 5 year old here in the Philippines who began showing signs of throwing fists at his head. he does that whenever you take away something from him, when he is hungry , or sometimes when he is happy. he doesnt hurt himself out of the blue. when we yell at him "NO!" he stops hurting himself but begins to cry loud and he doesnt stop crying. if we dont carry him or give him food later hell go back to hurting himself because he is frustrated.

[yolandaporty]

@Wela143 nosotros nos metemos todos cuando vamos al RAIZON una pisina de PAMPLONITA, pues creo que el se siente mejor en FAMILIA .. todos la pasamos chido..

[Jesusfreak3378]

you are tahe abest Mom on earth .. praying for you, I know what this is like first hand...

[rainnken2000]

That wouldn't work for me, I can't swim.

[jesskazen]

@CrackedUnicorn if you are in water it feels like deep pressure touching on your whole body. The water feels heavy on your skin. Something about having pressure applied makes me focus on that and not the bad feelings coming from my brain, sensory overload, frustration, rage, chaos,. Every day being reminded that I am not like everyone else in some way really is really upsetting. I am very overly sensitive. I only have Asperger's or HFA though, but I am assuming he feels how I feel.

[jesskazen]

contd: If I have smoked cannabis I can talk to people a lot easier, be around people without freaking out. It makes me feel calm and "normal" or how I think a normal person feels. I have not found anything that will make the touch from others not feel like needles sticking into my skin. All antidepressants don't work for autistics, I dont know why but even tricyclics didn't work. I do the same thing as your son, the head punching. It jolts you out of the bad feeling every time you hit yourself

[jesskazen]

@Wela143 no medications work, none at all, there is no point in trying or taking them. If they work on non autistics they are not going to work on autistics. I have heard that drugs like Naltrexone block the endorphin rush that you get from hurting yourself. After a while you will build up a tolerance to your own natural opiates/damage nerve endings from repeated abuse and need to do worse and worse things to get the same feeling. The Dr says I have Asperger's but I think its worse than that