Self-Stim Grunting? Fitting In?

Earlier we went to Splish Splash and after 10 minutes there DS started making his grunting/whining sound. Some kid turned to him and said "Why are you making that sound? You're hurting my ears." I used the "he's tired excuse" but it has been eating at me all day.

I know its new and I know they say this PDD-NOS diagnosis could just be provisional (and I have really been clinging to it). I pray everynight that DS will fit in with other kids and not get picked on because he is different. For months DS would make that grunting/whining sound....its been so long that I dont even remember when it started. Everyone chocked it up to he's tired...then we chocked it up to his teeth are bothering him....lately we chocked it up to frustration because of his lack of speech. Well I looked it up and I guess it is none of the above....it would appear that its a self stim behavior....I guess Splish Splash stressed him out? If thats the case nearly everything stresses him out because he does it often.

I am feeling very sensitive because of what happened and then when I looked up tecniques to help ease it, a suggestion was sucking it up and getting an "I'm autistic" shirt for him or me to wear.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Can it get better? It is pretty loud...are kids always going to make fun of him? He's only 21 months old and already it has started. . .

Re: Self-Stim Grunting? Fitting In?

Is he getting OT?

When my son started stimming it got worse before it got "better". He is an arm flapper/jumper. OT help him a lot to organize his senses better and it is so much less now. His centers around excitement and non-structured activities.

I personally wouldn't get the shirt. First of all, most kids wouldn't know what autism is. And second, I don't want to feel like I'm advertising his disability.

I know times like you had at splish splash are stressful and so upsetting. Many hugs to you.

Message edited 7/20/2011 12:16:15 PM.

Re: Self-Stim Grunting? Fitting In?

Your son is trying to regulate himself using that behavior. His brain is seeking proprioceptive feedback, in the form of vibration. He is also looking for auditory feedback. Many times the brain is in a low arousal state in those areas and it comes up with ways to alert itself. (kind of like raising the volume of music in our car if we feel we are losing focus) . For instance, the more tired my dd is, the more she jumps.

If you can come up with ways to give your ds some of that proprioception especially in oral motor it may help. For instance, drinking thick smoothies through a straw, using a vibrating toothbrush on his face as well as his teeth. You can even maybe get him a toy to hold that vibrates he can take out with him (if it's smalll and non intrusive). Sometimes I let my daughter just chew on a straw if we are at an amusement park because of all of the extra stimuli. I always bring crunchy foods..especially pretzel sticks wherever we go. If your son likes chewy foods maybe some fruit chew stuff .. Even some deep pressure massage before and during his time at splish splash may help ground him. Keep giving him squishy hugs... throughout your day. Music before going to an event may also give him some vibration.

I think it's trial and error , and certain things in his daily routine will lessen the stimulatory behavior.

Finding an outstanding OT can really make a huge difference. To be honest, finding an OT who truly understands all this has been a challenge. I do know of one though....his knowledge is vast. FM me if you are interested.


Oh and as far as these behaviors lasting...with the right help, they can diminish. My dd used to spin in circles, with just a few sensory experiences with the OT I was speaking of, it completely went away.

Sensory processing is difficult for a lot of little ones. As their nervous system develops I believe the connections between the senses becomes stronger and they can overcome a lot of these issues. Of course, if they can communicate it will also lessen because they will be able to tell you what exactly is making them "out of sync" and what they are craving.

Re: Self-Stim Grunting? Fitting In?

My son does some things that yes, appear odd (doesn't sound nice, but there is no other way to describe it) so yes, I do understand where you are coming from. But he's 3.5, and honestly, none of the kids in his daycare seem fazed by it at all, so unless your DC is with older children, I think most are going to ignore whatever he's doing. They are still so much in their own egocentric worlds at 2 (and 3)!

And yes, the PPs are correct that a good OT can make all the difference in the world if the grunting is sensory related. For awhile DS was sniffing everything--dirt, the slide, etc. Generally things you wouldn't usually sniff. So we wound up giving him a scratch and sniff sticker to put in his pocket each day (I left some at daycare in case he lost them), and we told him to sniff that instead. And he pretty quickly did just that. Now he barely ever sniffs. Then he went on to licking, then dropping to his knees suddenly (hopping like a bunny while walking helped him stop this). He cycled through these behaviors, and once we found alternatives that worked, he stopped doing them pretty quickly. We never made a big deal about it when he sniffed or licked things either, just stopped him if it was something that wasn't good for him. His OT said this is pretty common, and most kids pass through these phases.

I know it's hard, but try not to worry about other people and what they think. If you do have an OT, let her know what DS is doing so she knows what areas she might need to focus on, and ask for a sensory diet if you don't have one already, but I think it will pass.

Re: Self-Stim Grunting? Fitting In?

I provide home ABA. For my little man that I have been working with for 6 years I have been using head phones to decrease some of the sefl-stimulatory behavior. When he was getting input in he was less likely to make sounds.

Every child is different though.

I have tried crunchy foods as the PP said.

I have also taught students to ask for a break (whether verbally or visually) when they need to get that out.

If there is anything I can help you let me know!

Re: Self-Stim Grunting? Fitting In?

I just wanted to say I have an idea of what you are going through. My son is almost 10 and has tourettes and I even have adults comment on his sounds etc. So insensitive. Breaks my heart :(