How To Teach An Autistic Child Not To Bite

Stimming is crucial to autistic childrens concentration and sense of well being. If he has hit another child because he wants a toy for instance do not give him the toy.

Preventing Self Injury In Kids And Teens With Autism Autism In

Also your internal reaction is vital as well.

How to teach an autistic child not to bite. Offer your child a biting substitute such as a washcloth. He does not have a ot or behaviour therapist as the parents can only afford speech therapy and their main concern is his lack of speech. Many times the behaviors of children with autism dont make sense on the surface.

Check your child for a fever or take him to a doctor if you suspect an illness like an ear infection. The following information is not meant to diagnose or treat and should not take the place of personal consultation as appropriate with a qualified healthcare professional andor behavioral therapist. Use empathetic words to share in their sadness over not having the toy.

With gentle reminders a child who bites will chew on his washcloth rather than his playmate or parent when hes feeling testy or. Some children on the spectrum bite caregivers siblings and other people. Some children bite because they are seeking to activate their pain receptors to an isolated place.

Because even if im talking about teaching a child to answer questions or tie his shoes or get a haircut half of the equation of teaching a child any skill especially for a child with autism is that you always have to be considering how to best prevent and treat problem behaviors around the clock. When a child receives sensory overload from their surroundings they might be compelled to control the input by focusing on painful stimuli. To teach your child not to hit the best response you can offer will be firm refusal to meet his demands after hitting.

If biting does not normally occur or if your child increases biting behavior when he feels sick he might be biting to indicate something is not quite right. Children with autism might also bite because they want to avoid doing. Im working as an additional educator in a child care centre with a boy with autism that bites when someone is in his space.

This is a great question. Make sure to give your child plenty of positive reinforcement in the form of attention and excitement when he or she is playing nicely and not hitting. Occasionally an autistic child will seek stimulation from biting hitting or otherwise harming themselves or others.

On the other hand if your child is hitting for the sensory stimulation try different activities to give your child the same physical feeling as hitting. Its not that you are supposed to fake feeling calm but that you actually do feel calm. The boy is 3 years old and speaks only a few words due to regular speech therapy.

Teach the childs peers to be respectful of stimming rather than teaching the autistic child to suppress it. Do not try and discipline your child right now you are most likely just encouraging the behavior by yelling or speaking with an irritated voice etc.

Biting Social Story Teaching Resources