Biomedical Autism Intervention - Autism and Aggressive Behavior - Part 2

A biomedical Autism Doctor Explains The Different Types of Aggressive Behaviors Displayed in  Autistic Children In part 1 of this article on Aggressive Behavior and Autism I discussed some of the common issues seen with individuals on the autism-spectrum such as food sensitivities, intestinal issues and others that biomedical autism intervention and treatment can help. Here I explore these and other concepts more in-depth, and things you can do to assess your child's aggressive and/or self-injury behavior (SIB). Biomedical Autism Intervention - Assessing Your Child's Behavior The first thing to do is assess their pattern of aggression and/or SIB. The following is a list of things to consider. Does your child's behavior fall into one or more of these categories? Continuous - is the aggression and/or SIB almost continuous.
In many individuals this can indicate pain - physical or emotional. For example, pain from constipation or intestinal cramping, infection such as the sinuses, headaches or even a tooth ache. I have seen kids who have aggressive behavior clearly because they do not feel well. Some individuals will bite themselves or hit their head as a way to deal with the pain. Biomedical autism intervention, treatment and assessment takes this into account and recognizes that underlying medical problems can be at the root of adverse behavior.
 For example, years ago I saw a child who had almost constant head-banging and was hitting himself in the mouth. After a number of medications and visits with all kinds of experts it was assumed that this condition was just part of his autism. The child was finally referred to a dentist who determined he had dental cavities in the front of his mouth. The cavities were taken care of and his self-injury behavior resolved.
Intermittent - aggression that is intermittent can many times be associated with food sensitivities or food colorings and/or flavorings. For example, corn or corn derivatives, i.e. corn syrup for some kids can cause aggressive behavior. This happens quite commonly, and the affects of food sensitivities can go undetected for many years. Many times a trial of eliminating common food allergens such as wheat, dairy, corn, rice, citrus foods and others for 1 to 2 months, and then slowly reintroducing a food one at a time to see what the offending food(s) may be can help determine this common cause of adverse reactions.
Situational - this type of aggression is seen with a situation at school - such as a new classroom or other agitating situation. Some kids clearly do not like being told 'no' so they  act out behaviorally. Other situations that cause anxiety such as crowded places like restaurants or shopping malls can contribute to behavior issues. Sound sensitivity is an issue for many individuals on the autism. Being in crowded places can be overwhelming to their brain causing irritability and tension.
Autism Symptom or Behavior Problem? One other issue is kids (as well as teenagers or adults) being aggressive to one parent versus the other. Is your child's aggression only focused to one parent or one sex? I have seen kids who are aggressive to only women - such as mom, sister or an aunt. Evaluate your child's behavior in relationship to who they act out to. A child who is particular to one parent or one sex has developed a learned response that they can get away with aggressive behavior in this way. Usually, this is not a biomedical issue, but a behavioral problem and discipline is in order to stop this type of activity from continuing. If your child is displaying any of the above aggressive behaviors you should investigate biomedical autism intervention and treatment. Your child's behavior could be due to a medical problem that, when treated, could quite possible be eliminated.

Don't let ANYONE tell you there is nothing you can do to help your child. Autism really is treatable! Start your child down the road to recovery from autism. Biomedical autism Intervention, treatment and therapies have resulted in many, many children improving - even losing their autism-spectrum disorder diagnosis. For more information and a free ebook on biomedical autism treatment go to http://www.AutismActionPlan.org
Dr. Kurt Woeller is an autism biomedical specialist, with a private practice in Southern California for over 11 years. He has helped children recover from autism, ADD, ADHD, and other disorders, and has the information you need to help your child. Get his ebook, "7 Facts You Need To Know About Autism (But Probably Weren't Told)." You can download it right now for free at http://www.AutismActionPlan.org