Biting

[SachiLars]

My son is 4yo, autistic, non-verbal and a biter.

Sometimes he bites in frustration or anger, which while not ideal, is understandable.

Sometimes he seems to bite as a sensory need, like he’s just curious what this leg or arm feels like. He’s got a load of different chew toys but they don’t seem as interesting as person.

Over the last few days I’ve noticed he seems to be doing it for a reaction. Generally with bad behaviour we try not to reinforce through reaction but it’s impossible not to react. Either it’s yelping in pain and trying to push him off or it’s jerking out the way when you see the teeth coming towards you. Either way he seems to think it’s all pretty funny.

He’s very affectionate and loves kisses, cuddles and tickles and I hate feeling like I’m on tenterhooks waiting for the bite to come.

Any suggestions welcome!

Bump
my daughter’s the sand and also scratches and pinches too! She does it in phases so not sure if she’s not well but it stops and starts

Forgot to add
sometimes squeezing her hands gently so she feels pressure helps a teeny tiny bit

Do you have any chewlery? Is you Google search it there are loads of different types. I would always have one on hand and redirect with it every time ds tried to bite someone.

We’ve got a few bits and pieces but he won’t wear any of it so it’s quite difficult to have it to hand.

Thanks for the suggestion.

We found the most useful thing if we could see it coming was to intervene with a strong physical interaction -

sorry posted too soon. A big hug or a grab him round the waist and make a physical game of it. But of course it's so difficult to see it coming.

I ended up walking out of the room when DS bit. I don't think he really got it so I'm not sure it was the best move, but it did interrupt the behaviour and gave me 10 seconds to myself. Interrupting it with a physical sensation was the only thing we found that seemed to help.

He did grow out of it in the end, but I know that is probably not much consolation at the moment.

Thanks. Knowing yours grew out if it is huge consolation! It helps to know it probably won’t last forever.

Sachilars, it won’t last forever if he’s anything like DS. This was a huge problem for us too, at one point school were ringing so much I had to split the calls with DH for my own sanity. He did stop, I’d say around 5.5? At the time I would simply say no! Very firmly, no further reaction and remove him from the situation. You think things will never change but they do.

They say everything's a phase with children. But some of those phases can be lonnng!

I found this stage really exhausting and nerve-shredding. I do feel for you @SachiLars

This is true. We have just concluded the fiddling with and turning on the microwave phase (with nothing in it ffs……) 😬

Thanks all. Appreciate your comments.

Just to add @SachiLars if you think about it it is quite understandable. With DS he was non verbal, couldn’t really communicate any other way and really was swept away with everything we did with zero control. This was one thing that gave him some control, some ability to influence outcome and make himself known. I do believe the better a child’s connection with others and communication becomes the more behaviours like this naturally subside. It’s like someone talking at you all day long and you not having the tools to be able to (sometimes) understand and really be able to respond. How frustrating would that be? Good luck x