Self injurious behavior

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Could somebody please explain to me me why my 8yo PDD-NOS/MR son who has sensory/ADHD and is nonverbal is deliberately hurting himself? Since last fall he has been banging his head and putting his feet through walls and windows and for the past couple of months he has been tearing at his wrists and hands with his teeth, drawing blood and leaving scars. It's so bad that I fear he may have concussed himself at least once. He's already on Abilify and has been institutionalized once briefly but these behaviors seem to be persistent. Is it the medication? He's had a revolving door of 20 or more therapists both at home and in school this past year alone so is it the inconsistency? Could it be his little brother demanding more attention and showing a resentment toward his brother? Could it be we as parents not knowing how to deal with the almost nonstop behaviors that are wearing down on our emotions? What could it be?

It could be a whole number of things. The children I work with (most of whom have autism as well as other learning difficulties) will self harm for a variety of reasons.

Some will do it in order to get their own way, because families/carers etc in their past have given in when they start doing this.
Some will do it simply because they're so distressed.
Some do it because it's learned behaviour.
Some get so frustrated if they're not understood, particularly if they're non verbal.
Some do it because of changes in environment which makes them upset, for instance in loud places or if a lot of people suddenly come into the room.

It sounds like it could be any of the issues you mentioned. If all those are happening at once, it may explain why he's doing it. Have you noticed things which trigger this behaviour?
Maybe start keeping a diary. Note changes in routine, behaviour before and after, incidents with his brother, changes in environment.
Does he have any other way of communicating? PECs? Makaton? Reference objects? See if you can introduce these into his communication.
What calms him down? We use different spaces in the school, for instance a sensory room, when some children are distressed. It's got padded floors and walls which means kids can roll around without hurting themselves. It also has soothing lights and music. This may not be possible in your home but try to create a space which has toys/activities which calm him and is away from the rest of the house, which also has a lot of soft things so he doesn't hurt himself so much.

I don't know if there's any truth to this, and I'm very new to the concept of having AS (I'm 99% sure I have it, but didn't know it). When I was a child, I put my head through a few walls. I used to hit my head on the floor, and cut myself on purpose. Now as an adult I dig my nails into my head and bite my knuckles. I have scars as well.

I've always done this because it stops the over stimulation. My best guess is that it forces my brain to switch from "I'm going crazy with input" to "ouch that hurts" or "I think that's going to leave a mark" mode. When I'm feeling over stimulated, just about anything is better than having to deal with it, especially if it's when I'm trying to make sense of something emotional that happened (like when my parents would verbally abuse me).

The best I've been able to do to control this for myself, is to avoid becoming overstimulated in the first place. Or...if I feel like I'm starting to get overstimulated, I'll try to take a walk or a bath or watch a TV show or something. Anything that helps me to stop thinking so rapidly.

I hope that helps you. Like I said, these are just my own interpretations of what happens to me. I started concluding a lot of that before I even knew about my AS...so I really don't know what a professional would have to say.

well 20 plus therapists is definitely not a good thing....

1 probably isn't >< they tend to like to mess with your head.

abilify is not a drug i trust....

i use clonazepam aka klonopin for agressive meltdowns or shutdowns.
though this drug comes with its own vices....(as do all drugs)

Some also do it as a form of self-punishment after being reprehended by their parents because they feel that they've been bad, therefore they should hurt themselves.

I used to punch myself in the head I dont know why I did it would just happen. It still happens rarely when im really stressed.

Dont know what your sons reasons are for self harming. I self harm to reduce the frustration, tension, stress, emotions, deprssion, rage etc. that i feel. Self harm produces natural opaites (painkillers) which make it easier to cope with how I'm feeling. Hurting myself also causes me to feel greater control over the situation and what I feel.

I didn't self hurt, I just destroyed everything around me when I was his age. I think your son is more severe than most of the people here but I can at least tell you what I felt when I was his age. When I would become stressed from sound, lights, or forced contact I would feel 'bad'. I'm not sure what I was feeling exactly, just 'bad'. I would have a difficult time thinking and it felt like my brain was itching, I just can't describe it in any other way. I know it's not possible for a person's brain to actually itch. There's no way to scratch it and it just builds. The inability to think and that feeling in my brain caused me to try to destroy everything around me to try to stop that feeling. I had almost no control over it. Over a long period I gradually gained control over it and I rarely get that feeling now, but it still happens once in a great while. I just have enough control now to not damage people when it does happen, but doors, walls and other objects are fair game.

I don't know what to tell you other than interview the mental health professionals before you take your son to see them, if possible. It's a numbers game and eventually you'll find the one that can help you. The fact that you're seeking advice on a internet forum is a testament to how ineffective these doctors were. You may have a situation where you'll never be rid of the behavior but be able to reduce it significantly. In any case, researching the therapists is as important as researching the condition. Don't give up.

To the OP: you might also try posting this in the Parenting section and then you might get replies from other parents who have had to deal with similar situations although I think this thread is important too because some people here who do self injure are describing why we do and giving you some possible reasons your son might.

Some do it out of frustration because they have all these feelings inside them and they get overloaded with them or don't know what to do with them. I still feel like banging my head or hitting it when I get that upset. I just cry and scream instead and throw things or slam things or hit things.