Why does my toddler bang his head against things?

Описание: You mentioned that you have a toddler who likes to bang his head on occasion, and you're wondering if this is normal behavior. You're wondering if it's associated with autism. And head-banging can actually be a normal part of toddler development. Sometimes kids do it because they're frustrated. Sometimes they do it because they're bored. Sometimes it's a form of self-comfort. People don't always think of repetitive behaviors as being normal, but in kids, they can be. And they often outgrow them, and they're usually not a sign of an underlying problem. With that said, you also mentioned that you have another child with autism, and so you likely know the warning signs, and so that may be why that seed has been planted as you've noticed this behavior.

If you see other abnormal social interactions or you have other concerns, definitely bring it up with your pediatrician. They can perform an evaluation and give you tailored information and advice. With that said, usually the earliest autism can be diagnosed is around 18 months or so, and so your pediatrician may want you to take note of all the things that you're seeing and then do a more complete evaluation at 18 months. But it is good to talk with them about it just so that they know it's something on your mind.

For now, when you see him starting to bang his head, consider what's going on. If he has an emotional need and that might be why he's doing it, see what you can do to fill that or distract him. And if that's not working, just, ultimately, make sure that he's safe, that he's not going to hurt himself or someone else. Do whatever you can to prevent injury. But ultimately, if he's just doing it (it's not very hard, it's not going to hurt him), do what you can to just avoid it, because the more attention you call to it, the more likely he is to continue doing it. If you have more questions in the future for me, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at   / intermountainmoms  , and recommend us to your friends and family too.