Autism questions?

Question

I have a 12yr. who hums all day long nonstop. At home and at school. He is also nonverbal and we have tried so many different techniques to rid him of this behavior usually trying each 1 for a month and no success. need help can not take him anywhere because behavior is so annoying and disruptive

Answer 1

Rather than trying to "stop" it you may want to try to get him "replace" it with something less annoying and disruptive if possible.  It seems that autistic individuals need to do these repetitive bahaviors so I doubt you would be able to get him to stop doing all his repetitive behaviors.  Therefore, you should try to think of some repetitive things that might not be as disruptive but could replace it.  Maybe something like tapping his foot lightly on the ground like a musician does when they are playing guitar or tapping his finger against his leg.  But, don't replace his humming with something that could cause self-injury.  Then you could reward him whenever he does this replacement behavior.  I'd also suggest you take him to a foot reflexologist or some kind of "touch therapist" in conjunction with this. Good Luck.

Answer 2

I would just be glad that is all he does.  He could be screaming all day long

Answer 3

It sounds like he may be on Sensory Overload.  Have you tried weighted vests?  Have you talked to an OT (Occupational Therapist) about deep pressure on the joints and brushing?  If not, this has worked for me in numerous cases; however, you would need to be extremely consistent with it.

Answer 4

My son is HFA and verbal so I don't know if this advice will work for you . . . When my son displays obsessive type behaviors we try to replace the behavior instead of stop it . . . For instance, my son is a chronic skipper (he skips in a pacing motion when he is nervous).  When he displays this type of behavior we give him his favorite book and tell him to sit down and read.  It has cut the amount of "skip" time by half and he is beginning (after six months) self regulation.  Also, I would try to lengthen the time you try each new technique . . . it generally takes a minimum of three months for significant changes with my son . . . Good luck.

Answer 5

Which treatment techniques have you used?  It's different with every child but my suggestion is to stick with a technique for longer than a month..it might be a matter of how long it takes for a certain treatment to work.

And always remember to focus on your child's strenghts more than on his shortcomings.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

He may be trying to block out sounds that are irritating. Try headphones that are used to block noises, industrial type.This is often helpful. He may also benefit from adding hard crunchy foods to his diet, celery/carrots/ pretzel pieces to give calming input to his nervous system . Your school OT or speech path should have more helpful information for you.

Answer 7

since you can say that he's non-verbal, and definitely are sure he has autism, i take it you took your child to a developmental pediatrician.

if you're doing these techniques on your own and on a trial and error thing, i suggest that you see a behavioral therapist. if you are seeing one, then you might want to ask for a second opinion with another behavioral therapist. seeing your developmental pediatrician may help you by recommending you another therapist. going to another therapy center may also do the trick.

try searching the web for your local autism society in your country. once you find one, i strongly suggest that you inquire and be a member.  there are a lot of parents like you who may have or are experiencing what you, your child and family are going through. these can be your support groups. they can even give you leads or referrals as to who to see for therapists, doctors,etc.

good luck!

Answer 8

has he had these symptoms for a long time? you should take him to see a doctor...also ask the teachers to do observations or have a specialist do observations to see if they can classify it as autism,

but it does seem like it could be something like that, i have 2 cousins who have autism, and the traits are very similar. but he can be helped. and please dont feel embarrassed to take him out just because of his behaviour!