My son Devin (almost 3 with autism) is obsessed with opening and closing doors, he pulls it back as far as it can go and then slams it with all of his might, well yesterday it turned into a compulsion. He went from the fridge to the cabinets in the kitchen. I closed the gate to block him from the kitchen so then he moved to my glass hutch doors in the dining room.In an ideal world, Devin's Mom would be able to use Devin's obsession with door closing as an entry point to play therapy. She might, for example, try to engage Devin with open-close-it toys available for toddlers - or work on getting Devin to play "peek a boo" with her by opening and closing doors (more gently, of course).Every type of redirection that I tried didn't work. He didn't want to play with his toys, cars, books, puzzles, nothing. Every time I went to redirect him, he hit and kicked me and threw this huge fit that I am not used to. I then put him in the den area putting the gate by one entrance and the toy box by the TV to block off the other exit from him. He kept trying to climb over the toy box and then when I stopped him, he would flip out again. Then he moved to banging the TV with his hands. I would stop him and then he would pick up toys and slam them onto the floor or open a book and slam it shut. Everything that he touched was about slamming it shut or against the floor. Absolutely nothing I did could stop him from this type of behavior. ...
I don't know what to do at this point. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Another possibility, assuming that Devin is more interested in noise and action than in doors per se, might be sensory integration therapy and play. The urge to bang and crash is fairly common in children with autism - and is often addressed by occupational therapists with additional training in sensory dysfunction.
In the real world, though, it isn't always possible to stop everything and engage your child in therapeutic play. Just as often, when you do try, your child isn't interested. And even if you are successful in using a child's obsession as a tool for engagement, no one can keep up the energy for therapeutic play indefinitely.
Other parents on the About.com Forum have made recommendations as to how to change the situation - so that door banging becomes less of an issue. One mom suggested weatherstripping all doors and windows, so that banging results in less noise and chaos. Another recommended removing glass doors from hutches, eliminating the danger of broken glass.
Have you dealt with a door-banging or similar obsession in your child with autism? If so - what worked for you? How would advise Devin's Mom?
Hi
It may be that your son has Strep bacteria, clostridia, yeast, or is not tolerating something in his diet (gluten/casein/soy). Here is some information and I hope this gets better.
http://www.cbc. ca/health/ story/2007/ 09/27/autism- study.html
Scientists make gut-brain connection to autism
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Compounds produced in the digestive system have been linked to autistic-type behaviour in laboratory settings, potentially demonstrating that what autistic children eat can alter their brain function, say scientists from the University of Western Ontario.
They announced their findings Thursday in Ottawa. Scientists are learning that the brain and body can influence each other, says a Harvard researcher.
UWO researchers investigated the “gut-brain” connection after many parents of autistic children reported significant improvements in the behaviour of their autistic children when they modified their diet, eliminating dairy and wheat products, Dr. Derrick MacFabe, the director of a research group at UWO in London, Ont., told CBC News Thursday.
Researchers were particularly interested in one dietary characteristic the autistic children seemed to exhibit, he said.
“Certainly, a lot of these children had peculiar cravings for high-carbohydrate foods that caused their behaviours,” he said.
“We were interested in finding a link between certain compounds that are produced by bacteria in the digestive system — particularly those occurring with early childhood infections.”
The bacteria produce propionic acid, a short chain fatty acid, which in addition to existing in the gut, is commonly found in bread and dairy products, MacFabe said.
To test their hypothesis that diet plays a part in generating autistic behaviour, UWO scientists administered the compound to rats’ brains.
“They immediately engaged in bouts of repetitive behaviour, hyperactivity and impaired social behaviours which had close similarity to what parents are seeing with autism,” MacFabe said.
When the rats’ brains were examined later, they were found to have inflammatory processes similar to those in the brains of autistic children, he said.
“We found, looking at the rats’ brains under the microscope, changes that looked a lot like what’s occurred from autopsy cases of patients who had autism.”
It’s remarkable that a simple compound like propionic acid would have such a dramatic effect on “normal” animals, he said.
MacFabe said his research team, and scientists at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and Harvard University, are now conducting screening studies looking at effects of dietary changes in the general population.
New way of approaching autism
Dr. Martha Herbert, assistant professor in neurology at Harvard Medical School, told CBC News that the study opens up a new way of thinking about the disorder.
“Now we’re learning that the brain and body can influence each other,” she said.
Autistic children are increasingly being seen as “oversensitized, ” meaning “things may bother them that don’t bother other people,” she said. “We need to pay attention to this.”
Treating a child’s health should be the first step in addressing autism, Herbert said, rather than solely focusing on behavioural therapy, currently a mainline approach.
“Behaviour therapy is certainly important. But the child’s health controls the bandwidth that the child has for being able to benefit from behavioural therapy. If a child is sick, they won’t be able to focus.”
Parents should watch their children closely to determine what foods trigger reactions and to consider removing those triggers, she said.
Herbert strongly advocates a balanced diet, consisting of all food groups, not just “bread and cheese.”
“If you have foods that child is sensitive to in their immune system, that can set up processes that can impact brain function, and it can do so in a negative way. And if you remove those foods, that negative impact can stop.”
http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1605&st=30
[PDF]
Swedo final (web) 04.17.07.ppt
http://gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/index.html
If there is a sensory need going on, I’d suggest allowing one door to open and close, and redirect to that door. Also you could try limiting the number of open and closing which would also teach counting. The only other thing is finding door locks. My son was this way, and it also started at exactly age 3 LOL! He included the oven door. One day, that oven door sprung the hinges and if I hadn’t been right behind him, that heavy oven door would have smashed a foot. I also had to remove cabinets with glass. I zipped tied cupboards that I could since the baby U shaped zip he broke. I closed all the bedroom doors and locked them, bought refrig and stove locks.
Some obsessions last forever, like lining up toys. The door slamming did not last as long and the obsession changed to something else, like paper shredding. I think some times for our kids, they learn to do something like door slam, paper shred, and then that’s al they do as if it’s a new skill gone way bad
. I’d suggest allowing some slamming, just direct when that slamming happens.
Hi
What you are describing may be bacteria, yeast, or a response to his diet (gluten, casein, soy).
Many children with these issues and a diagnosis of autism are also turning out to have high Streptococcus in GI, blood (see below). You may need a good doctor (see below) to do labs and help with offending foods. You are not alone. Behavior therapy cannot help when this is a medical issue. My daughter has made tremendous gains by diet and eliminating Strep and other bacteria but you need a doctor who is up on the most current research, like a DAN! doctor.
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/09/27/autism-study.html
Video
CBC-TV’s Suhana Meharchand talks to Martha Herbert of the Harvard Medical School. (Runs: 4:51)
Play: Real Media »
Play: QuickTime »
Scientists make gut-brain connection to autism
Last Updated: Thursday, September 27, 2007 | 5:29 PM ET
CBC News
Compounds produced in the digestive system have been linked to autistic-type behaviour in laboratory settings, potentially demonstrating that what autistic children eat can alter their brain function, say scientists from the University of Western Ontario.
They announced their findings Thursday in Ottawa.
Scientists are learning that the brain and body can influence each other, says a Harvard researcher.Scientists are learning that the brain and body can influence each other, says a Harvard researcher.
(CBC)
UWO researchers investigated the “gut-brain” connection after many parents of autistic children reported significant improvements in the behaviour of their autistic children when they modified their diet, eliminating dairy and wheat products, Dr. Derrick MacFabe, the director of a research group at UWO in London, Ont., told CBC News Thursday.
Researchers were particularly interested in one dietary characteristic the autistic children seemed to exhibit, he said.
“Certainly, a lot of these children had peculiar cravings for high-carbohydrate foods that caused their behaviours,” he said.
“We were interested in finding a link between certain compounds that are produced by bacteria in the digestive system — particularly those occurring with early childhood infections.”
The bacteria produce propionic acid, a short chain fatty acid, which in addition to existing in the gut, is commonly found in bread and dairy products, MacFabe said.
To test their hypothesis that diet plays a part in generating autistic behaviour, UWO scientists administered the compound to rats’ brains.
“They immediately engaged in bouts of repetitive behaviour, hyperactivity and impaired social behaviours which had close similarity to what parents are seeing with autism,” MacFabe said.
When the rats’ brains were examined later, they were found to have inflammatory processes similar to those in the brains of autistic children, he said.
“We found, looking at the rats’ brains under the microscope, changes that looked a lot like what’s occurred from autopsy cases of patients who had autism.”
It’s remarkable that a simple compound like propionic acid would have such a dramatic effect on “normal” animals, he said.
MacFabe said his research team, and scientists at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and Harvard University, are now conducting screening studies looking at effects of dietary changes in the general population.
New way of approaching autism
Dr. Martha Herbert, assistant professor in neurology at Harvard Medical School, told CBC News that the study opens up a new way of thinking about the disorder.
“Now we’re learning that the brain and body can influence each other,” she said.
Autistic children are increasingly being seen as “oversensitized,” meaning “things may bother them that don’t bother other people,” she said. “We need to pay attention to this.”
Treating a child’s health should be the first step in addressing autism, Herbert said, rather than solely focusing on behavioural therapy, currently a mainline approach.
“Behaviour therapy is certainly important. But the child’s health controls the bandwidth that the child has for being able to benefit from behavioural therapy. If a child is sick, they won’t be able to focus.”
Parents should watch their children closely to determine what foods trigger reactions and to consider removing those triggers, she said.
Herbert strongly advocates a balanced diet, consisting of all food groups, not just “bread and cheese.”
“If you have foods that child is sensitive to in their immune system, that can set up processes that can impact brain function, and it can do so in a negative way. And if you remove those foods, that negative impact can stop.”
PANDAS RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Lisa A. Snider, M.D. and Susan E. Swedo, M.D. Pediatric Obsessive … For those interested in more information about PANDAS research protocols at the ..
Latest PANDAS research [Archive] – BrainTalk Communities
[Archive] Latest PANDAS research PANDAS. … NIMH’s Drs. Susan Swedo and Lisa Snider, Christine Kirvan (CSU) and Madeleine Cunningham (UO) report on their …
[PDF]
Neurobiological effects of intraventricular propionic acid in rats:
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat – View as HTML
in autism? Propionic acid (PPA) is an intermediary in cellular fatty. acid metabolism found in high levels in the gut, along with a …
psychology.uwo.ca/pdfs/autism/MacFabe%20etal07.pdf
http://www.autism.com
TACA Talk About Curing Autism – Gluten-free, Casein-free GFCF Diet …
GFCF On A Budget. By Holly Bortfeld for TACA. So, you’ve chosen to start your child on the diet but wondering which bank you will have to rob to be able to …
gfcf-diet.talkaboutcuringautism.org/
I agree about the food issues. We saw tremendous behavioral improvements in our daughters after removing gluten, casein and soy from their diets. We also paid a couple hundred bucks for a food intolerance test privately and removed those foods. It took months before we really saw the benefits, but they came. Our kids still were kids, but responded better to our directions. And, they learned from having consequences, like taking away a favorite toy for a day for poor behaviors, like slamming doors. Or, they would get a reward, like a lollipop, for going an hour (at first) for not slamming a door. The previous commenter is right — you need a doc that knows about this stuff to help guide you and work with you to possibly add supplements to his diet, like zinc, that would help balance the body.
There are tests for such things, and my child had these tests which I would recommend, conducted prior to altering anything. For us, it was not bacteria, yeast, or a response to his diet (gluten, casein, soy). It was developmental issues.
If a child is developmentally delayed by months or years (my child is delayed 2 years) you also have to approach the child per his ‘mental’ age and expect behaviors to be that of that age. So while I had a 3 year old opening and closing everything, his mentality was that of a one year old in a 3 year old body.
These are al things to consider, and the best approach for a child with autism is routine and constancy.
In some ways, it is encouraging to see that Devin is displaying some behaviors typical of two-year old boys, most of whom love making loud noises and most of whom defy their moms when they try to stop the banging.
What worked for me when my boys were at that stage was to have one cabinet door in the kitchen that could be banged. Inside were some old pots and some wooden spoons so they could bang to their hearts content. Other cabinet doors had kid-proof latches and doors had hook locks up high. Both boys loved the banging and drumming for a period of time, then moved to another activity before long. Three keys:
1.RESPOND CALMLY. Obviously Devin can pick up on the fact that you are irritated and, since he is a two-year-old boy, he will often respond to your distress with defiance. Responding calmly keeps things from escalating.
2. PICK YOUR BATTLES. Change things that are hurtful or dangerous and ride out those that are simply irritating.
3. FORGIVE YOURSELF. All moms reach the end of their ropes. Your goal is to gradually increase the consistency and calmness at home and to learn to cherish even these “rowdy boy” episodes.
This strategy has worked for other families with rowdy little boys – some diagnosed with autism and some not.
Hi
Sometimes it can be hard to work out what your boy actually is wanting – is the banging because of the ‘open-close’ issue or the glorious noise? Certainly making sure he can’t get to glass fronted cabinets is important (and the fridge or oven too).
If it is the banging that is important, maybe a drum (or pots and pans) may be suitable. If it is the ‘open close’ issue, books, boxes etc may work – and would help with fine motor issues as well. From experience with my boys (one on the autistic spectrum, one with ADD/dyslexia/other undiagnosed issues), if the diversion doesn’t meet the inner need, it will not be at all effective.
And just one comment on reward – I could not imagine having a reward for 1 hour of not doing something – with my two a reward after 5 minutes would be much more appropriate! (which is why lollipops are a very rare reward in our house).
Good luck
Sheila
When my boys did this, we stappled washcloths on the top of the door on the corner. The doors would still close but the noise was gone. They quickly found another obsession, which unfortunately was paper shredding. It must have been the noise they were obsessed with. Mary Janice
i work with an 14 year old autistic child who has a obession with slamming doors every time he walks by one. What has been working for me is when we are approaching a door i walk on the side where the door opens. Alot of times he doesnt even try to open or grab for the door and when he does i let him open the door and tell him thank you for helping open the door now we need to shut it easy and guide him in doing so. Most of the time this works. However if he is having a off day there is probally a very little chance of him being able to control his impulsive behavior
As a practicing Orthomolecular psychiatrist the past twenty seven years I have absolute agreement with the Gut-Brain connection and of course the dietary changes suggested. zhowever it is my experience that without exception the children have a “Leaky Gut” as do at least 305 of the population today. unless the gut is repaired gross malabsorption will continue and results will therefore be limited.
I have a 3yo autistic son too and he is majorly obsessed with openin and closing the door I too would like to find a distraction but not even my sons favorite movie ( which he also obsessed with) doesn’t even distract him my son does have alot of sensory issues too I believe this is the reason he plays with the doors but please if anyone finds a miracle solution let me kno