REPETITIVE BEHAVIOR

REPETITIVE BEHAVIOR

Repetitive behaviors are common symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Many parents and caregivers worry about their child or ward whenever they are constantly doing things in repetitive manner.

I can relate to that. My little brother loves to line up bottles of water by the side of his bed. Sometimes, he goes back and forth in walking. It's something really difficult to understand.

Repetitive behaviors include arm or hand-flapping, finger-flicking, rocking, jumping, spinning or twirling or head-banging and complex body movements.

This is known as 'stimming' or self-stimulating behavior.

What we don't know is that these behaviors can be used to deal with stress and anxiety. Many people with autism feel very anxious when asked to change their routine or schedule. My little brother hates it when we change his routine and often reacts in an extreme manner.

These behaviors vary from individual to individual. Some people say things over and over again; some perform these behaviors physically by jumping or walking. Some extreme behaviors are head banging and face-slapping.

Repetitive behaviors are also tools for self-calming but they can be dangerous. It can become problematic when it gets in the way of daily activities, especially in working or education.

It is important to intervene early on these behaviors. Repetitive behaviors are harder to change the longer they continue. I can remember the constant efforts it took to stop my brother from lining bottles in his room.

Autistic people should be encouraged to reduce or stop the behavior before they reach a certain age where it’s no longer acceptable.

Comments

EASTER SUNDAY- THE DAY JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND THE DAY I THOUGHT OF SUICIDE

I believe in the opinion that everyone has thought of suicide, and you can argue, but you know deep down, something may have happened to you to make you say, “I’m going to end it all.” But let’s talk about something that happened to me. Now, this article is not to scare you, or to make me seem easily influenced by the other voice. It is to remind you of three things. One, bottling emotions is not good. Two, the role of caregiving for someone with a disability is not something that is your sole responsibility. Three, the devil is a bastard. Okay, let's get into it. If you’ve been following my space, you probably know that I have a brother with Autism. As much as it is a beautiful experience, it is very scary. Whenever my brother is coming to the house from school, we ‘ Tobi-proof ’ the house, meaning that we have to hide some things, lock some things up, and it is quite a lot. See also: Choosing Love as a neurotypical sibling Long story short. I had a meltdown on Sunda...

The Change

HOW I DEALT WITH THE NEWS. Hiiiiiii. Let me just say my awesome friends pushed me to doing this and I love them❤️ So I have been so fortunate to know the word “Autism and everything it entails. I have a brother of 17 years who is autistic and if you knew me well, you would know I mention Tobi like a million times a day, when referring to anything. He's just in my mind everytime, gosh. Is it weird that I don’t remember my childhood? Maybe, But I think it’s so weird that I don’t understand how it happened, why it keeps happening to children, but I can tell that they are beautiful in every way and when my brother became autistic, was he meant to be this or was cursed? As a Nigerian, you question things like this and search for spiritual help. I never knew of the situation till I was 14. When I was younger, I was ignorant. I didn’t know what was wrong with my brother. I was even too self-absorbed at that age or just busy looking for trouble. I didn’t know why he didn’t speak or w...

SPECIAL NEEDS PARENTS, BREATHE!

Sometimes, you need to say “ Screw it ” and take that break” As special needs parents and caregivers, we are used to being strong and ever-present. The word “ Break ” doesn’t exist in our vocabulary, except when we see intense moments of distress and realize that we need to rest. At the Exhale Conference 6.0, I had the honor of moderating a session on creating a sustainable future for children with special needs and I was reminded of one thing- Now is the time to start planning for the future. Not tomorrow, not next week, but now. But guess what? Your long-term planning for the children won’t be effective if you don't take care of yourself. The future is not just about setting up a trust fund but taking care of ourselves to ensure we can continue this journey with resilience and strength. The Exhale Conference was organized by a powerhouse, Mrs. Bukola Ayinde, a disability advocate and a special needs mother to a child with cerebral palsy. It was the first time meeting Mrs. ...

Why Special Education Can Never End

Are you aware that you’re unique? That there is no one else like you. This is not me trying to butter you up. I believe that everyone is unique and in this case, I’m leaning towards the aspect of learning. You know what upsets me? When parents and teachers compare students to one another. You’ve probably heard the words,” Does this child have two heads? Why did he do better? How is he learning this faster than you are?” Dear comparison master, everyone just learns differently. One thing that many people forget is that each person has unique strengths, challenges, and learning styles. My brother has Autism and leans towards learning in Audio-visual form. I’ve realized that people who are not on the spectrum or neurodivergent, also learn differently. This brings me to the important point that a classroom should be able to accommodate people’s learning differences. See: Ten Things to take away from Your Safe Space NG 2024 Let me give you an example. My brot...

Diary of a Beautiful Special Needs Sibling

Search This Blog