Bobby Miller
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What Should I Do if My Autistic Child is Banging Their Head? 4 Ways Parents Can Help
500 words
Children with autism are at increased risk of self-injurious behaviors such as head banging. Although it can be startling to see your child hit their head against a wall, floor, or piece of furniture, this behavior is not a form of self-mutilation. Typically, your child is not trying to harm themselves, but rather trying to cope with strong, confusing feelings. Let’s look at four constructive ways you can help your child navigate through these sensations.
#1: Give Your Child Pleasant Alternatives
As surprising as it may be, your autistic child may enjoy the rocking motion that head banging provides. Children continue to enjoy the swaying motions they appreciated as babies, such as being rocked in loving arms. To produce this rhythmic motion themselves, some toddlers, including neurotypical ones, will bang their heads. Head banging provides a way to calm down if the child is overwhelmed, or it can provide some stimulation if the child is bored.
Effective ways to provide your child rhythmic motion include:
- Rocking chairs
- Swings
- Vibrating pillows or stuffed animals
- Trampolines
- Hopper balls
- Yoga
#2: Keep Your Child Safe
In cases of severe head banging, a child could hurt themselves. To protect them, pad surfaces that your child typically uses for head banging. Place pictures or other pleasant sensory experiences in the area as well to grab their attention, distracting them from the desire to bang their head. If your child bangs their head in unpredictable areas, a helmet may be necessary. An uncomfortable helmet could frustrate your child, making the problem worse, but companies such as Guardian Helmets specialize in protection for sensitive children.
#3: Soothe rather than Scold
Responding calmly to your child’s head banging is especially important when they’re upset or seeking attention. Rather than deliver a frustrated scolding, gently redirect their attention to a toy or different activity. To discourage your child from using head banging to vent their frustration or get attention, spend plenty of time with them when they are behaving well and reward them accordingly.
#4: See a Doctor
It’s also possible that your child is reacting to physical pain by banging their head. Due to the soothing yet stimulating nature of head banging, it may help your child cope with a toothache, ear infection, or other form of chronic pain. Consult your child’s pediatrician to search for anything that could be causing pain, then treat it accordingly. Your child may stop banging their head once they’re feeling better.
If the pediatrician cannot find any clear cause of pain, then you should consult a therapist to address the issue, especially if your child is beyond the toddler stage. Keep a journal to catalogue your child’s episodes of head banging, including details such as the time of day, who was there, and what your child was doing before and after the incident. This could provide crucial information as you and an expert examine the issue.
We wish you the best as you support your child.
Unlike the other articles in this portion of the website, Bobby Miller didn't write this piece for Nvate. Rather, it was written to provide a sample for a job application in late 2022. The intention of this article is to introduce the reader to possible ways to help their child. It is in no way a replacement to medical advice. If you need assistance, please contact a medical professional in your area.