Hair twisting

[laurasnowbird]

Ethan has a new hairstyle, courtesy of Mom. Not his best look, I have to say, but he's been twisting the back of his hair until it breaks off and he's managed to make himself a spot devoid of hair! We've always dealt with self-stims, things like picking at his shoes, twisting his hair, tapping his chin, etc. But the bald spot he's made is ticking me off!

Anyone have any luck with this type of behavior? I'm wondering if he's anxious.......but he does it when he's doing things he enjoys too, so I don't know.....

I took the electric clippers to the back of his hair last night and shortened it so he can't twirl it until I can get him to his hair stylist. Aidan has t-ball tonight, so I know we can't get there tonight and I'm afraid he'll do permanent damage to the hair follicles if I don't make him quit!

[kg91207]

Have you tried giving him something else to twist? A wash cloth, piece of fabric, pipe cleaner (it might take some experimenting to see what he will pick up instead of his hair!)...I know I am a hair twister, etc. I love little little things that I can hold in my hand and fiddle with, especially since my hair is short now. But, I've noticed Kaelyn has some of my habits-she plays with her hair when she's tired, picks at her lip like I do, and plays with her eyelashes!

[Jackie]

As Emily got older she developed some 'fiddling' activities too. For a while she colored whole sheets of paper with markers then tore them into tiny bits to put in plastic bags for ....confetti?? Endless bags of confetti. Then she went through a period of shuffling cards while she self talked. The big answer to all of this for her a number of years ago was getting her drawing pads and markers and pencils. Now this is when she does her best drawings to make paintings from. She does this both alone in her room and when she is out with us all watching tv. Still a bit obsessive but more productive and far less irritating to those around her. We also make sure no one gives her a deck of cards as a gift ... ;D

BTW...my husband has always twisted the side of his hair!!!!

Jackie

[Jackie]

found this www.kidsgrowth.com/resources/articledetail.cfm?id=2251 don't know if it will help and you probably know all this.

[laurasnowbird]

Thanks, Jackie. I am familiar with the hair pulling compulsion, one of my best friends never has eyelashes, LOL! I wish it was just hair-pulling, but when he quits that, it will be something else. We've sent chewy tubes to school, and he was holding the chewy with one hand, and twisting with the other!

I've long wondered if there is some component of OCD to this behavior, but it doesn't seem to fit the descriptions I've read. I think it may be time for a more thorough look-see by someone with expertise in those type of disorders. I've also wondered, both his older sister and brother have ADD (and the older brother was diagnosed at age 24!) and I'm wondering how that looks in kids with DS, because they both have the inattentive variety, and Ethan definitely struggles with that. It's hard to tell if that is a cognitive thing, or might be an ADD thing. I'm new to all this!

[Chris too]

I wonder how he'd respond to deep relaxation training...

I mean, I've always been a fiddler from a long line of twiddlers. My grandfather used to jingle the change in his pocket, my dad "feels" the spot right under his lower lip and folds things again and again. Me, I feel stuff - buttons on remotes, the ridges on the steering wheel, the veins in my husband's hands - just about anything with texture is there for me to feel with my fingertips when I'm not totally relaxed (even then, I do want to feel things). My oldest, Mary, is a hair twirler but she's not done any serious damage since she was 5 or 6 I had to learn how to relax so that I could be still. I didn't learn this skill until I went to a professional in my mid-twenties, but I have taught it to my oldest three who are all fiddlers of one sort or another. The youngest three have yet to learn these skills, but it's coming - soon before they make me crazy.

[Googsmom aka Jennifer]

Hmmmm, I don't have any ideas but I do have {{{{{HUGS}}}}} Maybe teh shorther haircut will work and he will forget about hair twisting ?