AUTISM SOLUTIONS
What triggers head banging?
Minshawi also makes the distinction that self-injuri-
ous behaviors, such as head banging in those with
autism, is usually classified as a “highly repetitive
behavior (occurring at frequencies up to dozens
of instances per minute).” She also notes that head
banging can be episodic and triggered by the same
stimuli or appear to start out of nowhere. Monitoring
your child’s activity closely and taking note of what
happened right before head banging begins will
be most helpful in determining any triggers. When
a child diagnosed with autism head bangs past the
age of two and a half or three, there is likely one of
four things happening:
1. The child is in pain
2. The child is attempting to communicate
3.
The child is attention seeking, or
4.
The child is experiencing sensory overload or a
sensory deficit.
60 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 68
Self harming behavior
as a response to pain
Many parents are confused as to why a child would
inflict more pain via head banging if a child is already
experiencing discomfort. Head banging serves as a
distraction from the pain they are experiencing else-
where, or it may offer the child a sense of control.
If you discover that your child regularly uses head
banging as a way to manage pain, you should speak
with your pediatrician to develop a plan to manage
your child’s discomfort. This may include checking
your child’s body for cuts, bruises, redness, swelling,
or other physical signs of injury. Working with a com-
munication specialist to help your child develop new
ways to show you where he/she is experiencing pain
could be helpful as well. Some children are able to
point to where they are feeling pain, draw a picture
of what hurts, or communicate verbally using short
phrases. Verbal children may need prompting to tell
you where they are experiencing pain, as head bang-
ing may be their first instinct.