![]() Identifying the causes of self-injuryīefore you and your care team can identify interventions that are likely to address self-injury, you will need to understand the reasons and motivations for the behavior. Edelson explores the research behind these factors in his article on Understanding and Treating Self-Injurious Behavior. Other factors that may be associated with self-injury include biochemistry in the brain, seizure activity, genetic factors, a pain response, or frustration. If self-injury achieves their goals, they are likely to continue the behavior. Instead, they are attempting to communicate. Their goal is not to anger or manipulate. When the behavior achieves the result they wanted, they learn to associate self-injury with a positive result. In both cases, the child is attempting to communicate very real wants and needs. It is important to remember that the child is not acting with malice, and neither is the parent or caregiver. ![]() Lauren Moskowitz, Ph.D., explores the motivations and reasons for such behaviors in her webinar Assessing and Treating Challenging Behavior in Individuals with ASD. On the other hand, if the child engages in self-injury, and the parent immediately removes them from an overstimulating environment, they learn that self-injury can help them avoid uncomfortable situations. If the child engages in self-injury and the parent or teacher hands them a preferred toy, the child quickly learns that self-injury leads to their favorite toy. Parents certainly don’t intend to teach children to engage in self-injury, but they may unintentionally reinforce the behaviors. Often, self-injury is a learned behavior. An individual with autism may self-injure as a way to increase or decrease their level of arousal. Self-injury can also be a form of sensory stimulation. They may be trying to say, for example, “I’m scared, I want to get out of here” or “this is too hard, I don’t want to do this” or “Play with me!” or “Look at me!” or “My head hurts, it feels better when I bang it,” etc. Biting, headbanging or other self-injurious behaviors are a means of getting their needs met and may be their urgent need to express pain, fear, displeasure, or anxiety. Often a child is trying to convey a feeling or idea they may not be able to express in words. In many cases, self-injury serves as a means of communication. Often self-injury can begin accidentally and, when it’s inadvertently reinforced, it can become a learned behavior. Parents and clinicians aiming to help a person diagnosed with autism who is engaged in self-injury should start by investigating triggers that lead to the behavior. While these effects can grab attention, focusing on them is unlikely to address the underlying issue. A child may suffer a lasting injury, and a parent may feel demoralized or overwhelmed, and strangers may not understand. People often view self-injury in terms of its effects. Why do some people with autism engage in self-injury? To address these behaviors, caregivers must first understand the underlying issues that may be causing them. However, people with other conditions may also engage in self-injury.Īny behavior that causes physical harm to the individual is classified as self-injurious. This article deals specifically with self-injury co-occurring with autism. ![]() It does not store any personal data.It is important to remember that individuals may engage in self-injury for many reasons. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.
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