My son bites!

My son used to bite only objects when he got frustrated. Now he has been biting his arm to the point where he has bruises and sometimes breaks the skin. He bites his 20mo. year old brother on the arm too. I tried to put the thumb sucking stuff on him but that didn't work and I have tried the sour spray. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I make this stop! I'm desparate!

What do you think is causing the problem? Is he frustrated over communication issues? How old is he? If you can figure out why he's biting, you may be able to figure out a way to get him to do something else instead. If he's doing it for the reaction he gets, ignoring it as much as possible might help. We were successful in reducing our sons' tendency to bang their heads against the wall or furniture by withholding attention (including negative attention). It was hard because they were hurting themselves (bruises mostly), but it worked. In your son's case, I can see how you can't totally ignore him because he's biting the toddler, but maybe you can try not reacting to other bites?

Sue

My son is 3 1/2 and he usually bites himself out of frustration say if his train set falls off the tracks or somethings doesn't work the way he wants it too. He bites his brother if he starts playing with what he's playing with. I can't really ignore it because most of the time it happens when I'm not in the room, but I have a monitor where I can keep an eye on them. The therapists seem to think it will eventually go away, but I'd rather try to stop it now.

Hi Reece'sMom.

Biting can involve several different factors, including sensory issues (like seeking oral stimulation) and trying to communicate frustration. When the biting becomes aggressive or self-injurious, it is probably time to seek some expert help with the problem. You may want to consult your treatment team, especially those professionals who are knowledgeable about problem behaviors in autism, and possible behavioral interventions. If you have an occupational therapist, they may be able to assess the sensory part of the equation. A behavior specialist or other child mental health professional may be able to suggest ways to intervene and eliminate the behavior.

(There's really no "one fits all" answer to this kind of question, as each child is so different.)

It's not only important to stop the biting so children don't injure themselves. If they are biting other children, parents end up having to be hypervigilant, both at home with siblings and on the playground with other kids, which adds to parental stress and exhaustion. Biting can also become a big problem with a school program or any other setting where children meet, and that can interfere with a child's chance to participate in a lot of activities: playgroups, Sunday school, etc.

My son --now a young teen-- also bit at your son's age, so I know how difficult it can be. I hope you are able to get some assistance with this.