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SN children

pinching himself

5 replies

sphil · 16/06/2008 22:49

DS2 has never done anything like this before, but in the last week has started pinching his own skin repeatedly. It started almost as if he was doing it out of curiosity - like 'ooh, look what I can do' - but has become more frequent, and harder, as the week has gone on. He mainly does it on his stomach, knees and legs - sometimes he pinches the skin on his leg, then brings it up to his mouth and sucks it.It's got to the stage where he's leaving red marks and I think if he continues it'll start bruising.

Any idea of causes? And what to do?

(Although I said he hasn't done anything like this before, he does like pinching my cheeks - but can be easily diverted if I say 'No pinching, show me stroking'.Tried this today when he did it to himself, but he just kept repeating 'No pinching' and carrying on)

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getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 17/06/2008 13:10

DS1 started at about the same age.

He bites himself a lot now (moved on from pinches) and his knees are permanently bruised. Sometimes he does it when cross, sometimes he does it when frustrated, sometimes he does it anyway.

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pagwatch · 17/06/2008 15:27

Ds used to do this. he now just pinches me when very stresed.
I am sorry to be so vague but I can't remember what worked but I can remember that we tried..
giving him therapy putty as an alternative when he did it
giving him a a grip/stress ball as an alternative as an alternative
I also turned off the tv trhe second he did it ( as it was often when watching tv)
I always said pinching is not nice when he did it.

He did stop doing it eventually

sorry - a bit gibbery today

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sphil · 22/06/2008 23:58

Therapy putty might work - he likes it.
We've had a couple of experimental bites to the shoulder too - more love bites than real bites but even so...
Hopefully it'll go away and be replaced, like all his other stims. I'd gladly swop it for kicking the edge of the carpet...

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getbackinyouryurtjimjams · 23/06/2008 07:45

I'm not sure that it's a stim as such..... at least not in ds1's case. Seems more sensory. Davros went to a good talk on self injurous behaviour..... IN ds1's case it;s increased as hissensory seeking in general has increased. Yesterday in the bath I said to him 'don't bite your knees' (he was) and he then bit then even harder- really hard. But he was slamming himself around the place in general yesterday.

I've emailed a shiatsu practitioner who is experience in autism and hopefully will get some sessions with him. Think controlled deep pressure might really help.

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sphil · 23/06/2008 22:56

Yep, I'm sure it's sensory - but thought that's what stims were? [puzzled emoticon]. I've tried doing deep pressure when he's doing the pinching and he does stop - but then goes back to it when I stop. It's the same when I say 'no pinching' - he just looks at me, smiles and says 'Nopinching....Noooooopinching' while pinching away!

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