Hi I have a question for the parents of those with autism. Did your child ever pull at their ear constantly or pull at their hair like they were trying to pull it out. My daughter does this all the time and I was just wondering if your child ever did this also.
a friend's son did this and she discussed it with their occupational therapist who specialized in sensory issues and they did techniques to help with this. don't remember what as it was so many years ago. also i remember she told the pediatric neurologist about it and i think he eventually started medications. one theory is that the child is trying to get sensory input and this is one way they achieve it.
Hi Kell,
My son was always very sick with ear infections as a baby . I do know that this could be a sign of an ear infection, if the childs ears are ok , I would be more inclined to believe the child is trying to control sound . Sensory input .
My son is autistic, I am not , However , I am very sensitive to noises and sounds myself. Extremely . As an adult I do have a little more control as to what to do , moreso , then a child. Mine is I avoid the sounds lights at whatever cost.
My son is sound sensitive too, however, not as much as I. Bright lights, for example, I have a physical reaction to them as well as have a 0 tolerance. my Dr has suggested wearing ear plugs ... one way to drop the noise levels down . Autistic children will cover their ears or eyes to try to stop the sounds or lights from coming in .
I understand , it is a very big struggle for people with sensory issues.
Dear SocialWorks: Did the Dr. prescribe any medication to help with this hair pulling? How awful that she is pulling her hair bald. I seem to remember reading about a med that helps counter this.
Yes... the doctor did prescribe Concerta for her which seemed to help. The hair pulling stopped and she's able to focus a bit more. Mind you, she was put on Concerta for ADHD and her side effect was a loss of appetite and she wasn't really enthusiastic about much.
Now, we're trying Adderall to see if it helps with her concentration.
She still exhibits some signs of being on the spectrum though and I'm not sold on the ADHD diagnosis.
Hi I have a question for the parents of those with autism. Did your child ever pull at their ear constantly or pull at their hair like they were trying to pull it out. My daughter does this all the time and I was just wondering if your child ever did this also.
My son used to pull at his hair; when I asked for a reason why he came out with "it feels funny" & "I don't like it hanging around my ears/face" ; as near as I could figure out, it was a sensory problem--he inherited straight hair from his Dad, and he didn't like the feeling he perceived when the strands would blow around on his head. We solved the difficulty by allowing him to keep his hair buzzed short (like an inch), but at one time he grew it out and had it tight permed: He said it felt okay; however, then didn't like when it grew out. Perhaps a very short hair-style may help? I'm not sure what help this may give you, but I hope it's some!
Apart from the hair pulling, my daughter is terrified of touching strands of hair that are not on her head...
Not sure what to make of it really but it simply freaks her out. She will ask me to remove a strand of her own hair when she's in the bath. Ever since I can remember her hair in any place other than her head caused her to scream (as a baby), jump out of the bath or cry out of disgust.
Dear Kell,
I agree that the hair and ear pulling is a sensory issue. Just be sure to rule out ear infections if/when she really pulls at her ears. Sensory issues are a big thing with our autistic kids, be it that they're hypersensitive or hyposensitive to touch.
SocialWorks, please note that my daughter was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 7. It wasn't until she was 16 that we finally got the Asperger diagnosis. Just be sure that the doctors are adressing the physical symptoms and emotional issues. In addition to ADHD Nancy was also diagnosed with Childhood Depression, Anxiety Disorder, OCD and a bunch of others.
Peggy
Actually a couple of months ago, I sat down with the professionals in my child's life and told them that I wanted autism/Asperger ruled out point blank.
Two of them said there's no way point blank.
The third looked at me like I was nuts and told me she was willing to put her degree on table and let me know right then and there that my child was not on the Spectrum.
This is after letting them know that I was on the Spectrum and could trace it in my family.
Guess I'll have to keep looking for a professional that can get over themselves and do the damn assessment (frustrated angry sigh).
Hi I have a question for the parents of those with autism. Did your child ever pull at their ear constantly or pull at their hair like they were trying to pull it out. My daughter does this all the time and I was just wondering if your child ever did this also.
Children with Autism often experience sensory integration problems. They either become easily stimulated by their environment and therefore may dislike or avoid bright lights, loud sounds, tags in their clothes, etc., or, conversely, they seem to seek stimulation from the environment. They may engage in behaviors such as hair pulling, clicking their fingers by their ears, constantly touching objects or picking at parts of their body, scabs, their nose, etc. What you are describing seems to be one of those instances of the Autistic child seeking sensory stimulation.
Usually occupational therapists deal with these sensory integration issues as another poster already noted.
Question, please help 
