What are Self-Injurious Behaviors?
You may have seen or heard of a child participating in self-injurious behavior (SIB) before, whether it be your child, a friend or family member’s child, or a child out in public. But what is SIB and why does it occur?
What is SIB?
SIB often looks like a child banging, slapping, or hitting their head, biting their hands or arms, rubbing themselves excessively, or scratching themselves (Edelson, n.d.). It may be a bit scary to witness, but it is actually more common than you may think. According to Soke et al., (2016) about 30% of children diagnosed with Autism participate in SIB. People with intellectual disabilities, mental health conditions, behavioral disorders, or other disorders may also participate in SIB. So, why do they do it?
Why does SIB Occur?
SIB can occur for numerous reasons. Below are just a few experiences that a child may be having when participating in SIB.
How can I help prevent this?
While there is no tell-all solution for preventing SIB, there are some things you can do to help your child, or a child you work with, who is participating in SIB. There is a process to approaching these situations that is called the Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence response, otherwise known as ABC.
Can’t make it past B & C? Here are some tips on what to do in specific situations
Physical/biological
Arousal: If they are under-aroused, give them more activity. If they are over-aroused, try relaxation strategies. Examples of each can be found here.
Pain: Try to figure out the source of the pain and resolve it. If they are hitting their head, it may be inner-ear related (Edelson, n.d.). Try using a visual pain scale or an image of the body so they can point to the affected area.
Sensory Need: Find and use safe sensory tools to replace the behavior. Use a chewy straw to replace biting, or a popper toy to replace skin picking, for example.
Social: Reinforce the use of verbal and non-verbal communication to assert their needs. When communication is the issue itself…
Communication: Work with your child and find an alternative way for them to communicate. If your child is nonverbal they may also benefit from Speech & Language services. Some examples of alternative ways to communicate can be as simple as printed visuals that a child can point to, to tablets with pre-programmed verbal commands, requests, and questions.
It may not always be possible to prevent or stop a child from participating in SIB, but the above strategies can be small steps implemented to help support you in assisting your child’s regulation. Giving in to the child may not always be an option for ceasing behaviors either, for example, if a child engages in SIB because they fear going to a doctor’s appointment. The most important thing is to continue reinforcing communication over behaviors, try to prepare your child for what may precede SIB, and remain consistent after an SIB occurs. While seeing a child engage in SIB can be scary and comes with its challenges, it is important to continue to try and understand your child and why this may be occurring. Remember: you are strong and fully capable of helping them!
References
Edelson, S.M. (n.d.). Understanding and treating self-injurious behavior. Autism Research Institute, https://autism.org/self-injury/
Soke, G.N., Rosenberg, S.A., Hamman, R.F., Fingerlin, T., Robinson, C., Carpenter, L., Giarelli, E., Lee, L., Wiggins, L.D., Durkin, M.S., & DiGuiseppi, C. (2016). Brief report: Prevalence of self-injurious behaviors among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder—A population-based study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2879-1