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Things I did as an autistic child and why I did them

 Things I did as an autistic child and why I did them

(A Guide for parents) 


Sensory regulation 

  • spin in circles 

  • Bob my head aggressively 

  • Swinging while sobbing 

these are examples of vestibular stimming* While it doesn’t always look good to others it is important to help autistic people regulate their feelings


Refusing to communicate verbally 

  • I am semi-verbal. This means that when I am distressed or tired I cannot communicate verbally

  • I do this because I literally cannot speak. When this happens I need people to find alternative methods of communication with me to avoid straining myself further and risking meltdown


Self-harm behavior 

I would-

- Hit myself in the head 

- Kick things 

- Bite myself

These actions were also a form of sensory regulation but this regulation came from a place of distress. My world was bringing me overwhelming sensations or changes I couldn’t handle


Self-harm cont… 

I understand that the instinct as a parent is to force your child to stop these behaviors. They do need to be stopped I will not argue with that!

But it can cause more distress and prolong the episode if an overwhelmed autistic child is grabbed. Instead, consider giving them another outlet or forcing a pillow between them and what they are trying to hurt

If you need to grab them try to make the least physical contact possible to minimize distress. Still sometimes for a child’s safety they need more forceful intervention. Learn SAFE methods of restraint.

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