DS3 pulling out hair.

[CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs]

DS3 is 2y3mo. He is having his ADOS test next month.

Just recently, he has when tired or bored, started to twiddle his fingers in his curls and then yank the hair out.

Distraction isn't working.

Any suggestions on how to stop this before he ends up bald?!

[hazeyjane]

My friend's dd did this, at about the same age, the only thing they could do was cut all her hair off, I know it sounds really drastic (it was shaved off when she was asleep, as she wouldn't tolerate haircuts), but she also used to eat it, which was grim. I'm sorry that it wasn't something more, um, creative!

Dd2 used to do it with my hair, to the extent that I ended up with a bald spot (very attractive), I used to wear a beany hat, which sort of stopped it, but knowing what 2 year olds are like about wearing hats, I'm guessing that wouldn't work!

[CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs]

Hats won't work - he wouldn't even wear them as a tiny baby. I can't cut off his hair, his dad would go volcanic at me! It's only grown in the last 3 months, he only had a smattering of ginger fluff before that, so I guess he would have been doing it for longer if he had actually had hair before!!

In wondering if there is a little dolly or something that has hate with a 'real feel' so that I can redirect him to that, but I can't find anything through Google.

(DON'T Google 'little doll with real feel hair. Just DON'T!)

[CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs]

A dolly that has HAIR, not hate. I don't want a hate-filled dolly in my house, I might become a bit-part in a Horror movie!!

[nsure]

Hi, my ds has been doing this since he was 5, he is now 12.

He twiddles his hair down( quite expertly) and then pulls .

Was under cahms for it before amongst other things but nothing seems to help , apart from keeping his hair short which he doesnt like.

I was told its anxiety based .

I did try to give him his sister's barbie dolls , when he was younger to fiddle with their hair instead , putting on hats , fidget toys , but its really only keeping the hair short that works.

[CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs]

Anxiety based? Tbh, he only seems to do it when he's tired or bored, rather than being in situations that make him anxious. Not ruling it out, mind you!

I don't want to cut his hair yet, and his dad would go mad at me, his dad's family have this thing that children shouldn't have their first hair cut until it touches their shoulders...

[nsure]

I wasn't convinced about it being anxiety either. That seemed to be cahms answer for everything .

I bought my ds a bag of fidget toys , it doesn't stop it completely but it does help.

[CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs]

Fiddle toys. Will try that.

On a brighter note, Physio and Speech therapy going well - he now can 'keeez' (squeeze) a foam ball, 'boi' (boing) it, and 'woah' (roll) it.

Just trying to increase the vocabulary at the moment, bugger the pronunciation, that can be worked on later!

It's helping his physical abilities too.

Play dough next...

[CouthySaysEatChoccyEggs]

Well, all I can do is what I know how to do. Seeing as he gets no formal speech therapy, just a 3-monthly observation and some Makaton worksheets, and despite stating that DS3 is hypermobile, Physio aren't going to offer him sessions because he walks and climbs.

Ignoring the fact that he is a determined little toad, he is so hyperactive that even pain and subluxes don't stop him from moving.

His wrist pops out when you put a long sleeved top on him. His joints, all of them, need strengthening. Hence starting the Physio stuff that I did with DS2.

[mrsbaffled]

Is it a sensory thing? I have to admit to a lot of hair fiddling and I pull out the ones that feel 'wrong' to me. I can control it as an adult, though. Could you give some nice things to feel instead like a velvet blanket or fur cushion to stroke.