My daughter just turned 18 mnths last week. Over the weekend I noticed that she slapped herself in the face a couple of times through out the day. I thought that she may have been doing it to distract herself from the pain of teething. She is starting to get her molars. But I also noticed her pick up a book and knock herself upside the head with it a couple of times. I am wondering where she is getting this from because I discourage any type of violence on TV and no one at home is getting slapped around. I also have spoken with the daycare and was told that she has done it there recently. She seems to get a kick out of doing this. I always tell her no when she does it and I try to redirect her attention. Has anyone ever experienced this type of behavior from a child this age?
I would like to give an update on the face slapping. My daughter definitely doesn't have autism. But she does have quite a temper , just like Mom used to have and Dad still has. LOL. (He'd say it was the other way around )I am so proud because she has accomplished so many milestones over the past few weeks. Motor skills getting better and better, she's becoming more attentive and she called me by my name. I'm a first time Mom, so to see my precious baby grow into a little person is amazing. I am amazed of how much she has been talking and starting to say a lot of multiple word phrases. Also she's showing more and more personality of a toddler versues just an older baby. She's a little clown with a hot temper, and likes to be the center of attention. As I paid more and more attention to her behavior, I noticed that she lashes out when she's angry, sometimes she'll do sort of a rain dance, running around in a circle, making a spectacle to show you just how angry she is. I have to fight to hold back the laughter, then I collect myself and threaten a time out if she continues.(Baby time out is for about a minute) Now, she will on a rare occasion, slap herself to express her anger or she may throw things at Dad and I. We have started a little discipline, like having to sit down when we have a tantrum and I do notice that it's working. And she is now starting to realize that naughty behavior may have consequences, like having to get in the high chair instead of roming freely. This is the terrible two's starting early. I'm not worried about developmental issues, this child knows exactly what she wants and she does like a little drama to get it. And I noticed that she understands what behavior will and will not get a rise out of Mommy, so I'm just reinforcing who's boss by staying calm and I appreciate everyon'e comments. it's important to know what to look out for as far as your childs development is concerned.
This is going to sound a little weird, but I suggest you talk to an occupational therapist if it keeps up. 18 months is a little young for testing but if it continues she could be engaging in a kind of self-stimulating behavior, which could point to some sensory issues. A good OT could tell you what's up. --T. content
If you live in Fairfax County, the Infant/Toddler Connection will come and do a free evaluation of your child aged birth to 3. Their number is ###-###-####. They're *awesome*.
My son (32 months old) was recently diagnosed as having Sensory Integration Disorder (sensation seeking and vestibular/proprioceptive areas & language delays), and they have been very supportive. If a child is found to meet qualifications (25% deficit in any tested area) they will coordinate services for you too. If your child does not qualify but still needs assistance they will make suggestions. They also work with ChildFind, which starts at 18 months and goes to age 5, and is free through Fairfax County Schools. Infant/Toddler Connection is a state program administered through counties, so even if you aren't in Fairfax County you can still get your county's information. They're awesome all over the state.
I would personally suggest you start with ITC and get the eval, and then take the info you get from that and apply for ChildFind. It can take a while to get processed for ChildFind but having the evals in hand from ITC speeds things along. That's how we did it and it's worked out well, and we have a *wonderful* counselor come to our home once a week to do play therapy with him and show me ways to help him continue with his development. They're awesome and the charges for services are sliding scale, based on income and expenses. We also have a referral in to an OT for getting him shoe orthotics and a nutritional clinic for his food sensory aversions. All of this since August. Like I said, it's a fabulous program and it really connects County Services and makes it easier to negotiate the system.
You're a good momma for knowing your kid. These sorts of things can be normal neural stimulation or they can be indicative of a need for something else. It's good to know what, so give ITC a call and they will help you. Good luck and congrats on having a great kid!
H.
You have already gotten some good advice, but I wanted to make sure that you don't worry too much as their has been quite a range of things said. I am a parent and a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. This behavior can range from being harmless (learning cause & effect) to the severe (autism spectrum disorder) or somewhere in the middle (sensory processing disorder). So, first I want to say is don't worry about it. Keep an eye on the behavior and note when it happens. If you have not done your 18 month check up then just mention it to you pediatrician at the appointment. If he does other sensory seeking or avoiding things (hates bath, clothes, picky eater, doesn't like getting messy, ect.) then further evaluation might be needed. If you are concerned about her communication skills or social skills then I would also suggest further evaluation as communication concerns, social concerns with sensory issues can suggest (but not always be) an autism spectrum disorder. Hope this helps with more information. Feel free to send me a note if you have further questions.
Hi S.
My 14month old has done this several times over the last 2 months. I believe it's related to her molars because she has 4 molars almost fully in and it seems as though she did it during her rough teething days. She would clasp her hands together and bounce them off her forhead. I think it's just a phase and something to express their frustration.
My daughter did it too but she all of a sudden just stopped one day. She laughed when she did too. Hopefully she will stop. I kind of ignored her when she was doing it. Maybe that is the reason she stopped, maybe its an attention thing.
my son would do things like that until i stopped reacting to it. he liked the reaction he got. maybe that's it with your daughter.
Hi S.:
I have heard/read that this behavior can be normal fot lots of kids. I have been told that the best way to deal with it is to ignore it and eventually it will pass, as long as you know for sure that it is not some sort of autism. Lots of kids do it for the physical sensation of it and then when they get a reaction they continue to do it for that. You might try ignoring her when she does it and encourage everyone else to also.
S.,
I know kinda how you feel a bout your toddler slapping herself i delt with a simular situation where my 2 1/2 -3 year old at the time (shes 5 now) used to bite herself when she was angry at something or someone Imagine the pain she was inflicting on herself was not fun for me or my husband...I asked the Peds about it He said if she wasnt drawing blood not to worry too much about it(which she wasnt)
That it was a phase and she would eventually grow out of it...BUt i do understand that you are frightened she may injure her head or face by smacking a object upside of her head it probably is just a phase and you are doing the right thing by trying to direct her attentions toward something else and hoping that the daycare will work with you to do the same in that situation as well. I would ask your Peds if there is anything else you should try.
Hope this helps good luck
M. P
This behavior may be nothing at all to worry about. It may be related to teething or experimentation and may go away. But still I suggest as other respondants have that you get her evaluated as soon as possible. If it is sensory seeking behavior related to a pervasive developmental disorder, the sooner you catch it, the better her prognosis is. Plus, if it is nothing you will have the peace of mind of knowing that. Also, here's a link to a webpage that lists some signs of autism: http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/learnsigns.php#redflags
although this list does not mention sensory seeking behavior (that is behavior like your daughter's), that is usually something you see in children with an autistic spectrum disorder.
Having your pediatrician screen her is a good idea, but I highly recommend having her evaluated by an experienced occupational therapsit trained in pervasive developmental disorders (this is the umbrella term that autism falls under, but there are many degrees of severity starting from very mild.) Many pediatricians are not very knowledgable about this disorder and may tell you to wait and see, but again this lost time is crucial if anything is wrong.
I don't mean to scare you with this information because your daughter's behavior may very likely be nothing to worry about, but early intervention is key with a diagnosis like this, so you don't want to take a chance waiting, just in case.
Again, I'm sure everything will be fine and good luck.
I think this behaviour is actually pretty normal, she is probably either self soothing, or my guess she is experimenting with cause and effect, as in, "I wonder what will happen when I hit my self with a book?" As long as she is normal in other areas, I wouldn't worry. If you are concerned, call her ped and ask.
It's normal, it's not about violence at all. My 15 month old does it with different toys but not as much as he used to. I think it's just a new thing they figure out then it gets old after a while. Just ignore it and don't draw any attention to her when she does it. If you say "no" and make a big deal about it she may just think it is a fun way to get your attention and do it more. My son thinks it is hilarious when I say no...a little frustrating at times!
S.,
I know this will sound scary, but how well does your child talk? My daughter, who is now 3, did that and still does. She was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder with Autism. Basically what this means is that she is developmentally delayed, but shows a lot of signs of autism. My daughter is really smart, but thrives on sensory satisfaction, like being hit up side the head with a pillow or throwing her head against a wall. Ask your doctor about it and see if maybe your child needs sensory satisfaction. This can happen at any age, but it usually shows up around this age. Good luck and if you need anything, I'm here.
Have her checked for an ear infection. My son did the same thing.
my 19 month old bangs his head on walls. talking to a friend of mine...so does her 21 month old.....we pay it no attention and it has seemed to slack off lately
