Biting | Ping Special Education

I have been teaching since 1997.

Sensory processing disorder or SPD is a new label; some doctors don?t even know it is.

It is not autism although many kids with ASD have it.

A bites when he is excited. He chews paper, bits of plastic & non-edible stuff. He also ?slaps? others on legs & arms. Sometimes he is angry but mostly, he has to express his feelings/excitement via actions (slapping or biting). He is 3+, going on 4 this year. A has a history of language delay; last year, he started speaking phrases but had much difficulties understanding instructions & explanation. A has not seen any specialists. He behaved like any normal preschooler in 1970s in terms of development & achievement. Some fathers will argue that there is nothing wrong with him.

B was around 8 years old when I met him. He had seen many paediatricians; most refused to diagnose him with ASD which his family wanted (so that they can send him to a autism-specific school.) He had undergone many treatments, including a particular behavior therapy centre where he picked up many inappropriate behaviors from ASD kids.

B pinches & bites when he is excited/aroused. I have seen the arms of his family members covered in bruises. He has also bit/broke & chewed off some of my pencils, toys, puzzles. It was a first for me when he chomped up a pencil in one bite.

I saw C when he was around 10-11 years old. He has ASD & mumbles & chews pencils. His speech is almost unintelligible to strangers; I could understand 50-70% of his speech even though I?m fairly good at deciphering mumbled speech. He takes about 1 hour to chew through a pencil before it takes on the look of squashed sugar cane.

All three kids exhibit similar behaviours eg mood swings, inappropriate emotional reaction like laughing or excitement, biting, chewing. They have SPD.

For B I managed to get him to stop pinching me by flipping (turning away) immediately. He feels shocked/rejected when I do that. I feel bad as I?m like his surrogate mother; he REALLY adores me. As I?m talking to B, he may impulsively pinch me & watch my reaction. It?s almost a tic-like behavior. B has mild intellectual disability.

Some children with SPD love watching faces. They can get more excited & do more inappropriate behaviors to get attention. Scolding, time out & explanation do not work well.

Sometimes they may suddenly become angry. It?s because they are tired. They behave like toddlers in terms of emotional regulation.

Kids with high or normal IQ can rationalize behaviors. Some will switch to chewing fingernails compulsively. Some will have problems dealing with pride, mistakes, relationships, etc.

It?s impossible to do educational therapy without strong family support. Behavior change is required & it starts at family home.

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Source: http://pingsped.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/biting/

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