Welcome to my "Ask Me Anything" blog post series!
I answer lots of questions on my social media channels, and it makes sense to share this information (anonymously!) in case it is useful for others, too.
"I’m looking for some advice. If there was a nonverbal autistic child aged 5-6 that is continuously grinding/humping, touching their genitals and pulling them out of his trousers, touching other people's private area would we class this as sensory?
This is new to us, and we are just unsure how to deal with it as he is non-verbal with very little speech but understands when we say no or stop, but continues to do it. Would it be normal for a child this age to be doing this as a sensory-seeking activity?
He has other sensory areas like he loves a tight squeeze, i.e. a hug, but then he presses his body against the person giving the hug, which they are finding a bit awkward.
If he doesn’t get anything from an adult, he then grinds a child or furniture in the classroom or sensory room. We are trying different sensory things to distract him but it isn't working.
Is this normal, or should it be ringing alarm bells?"
Such an important question; thank you for asking.
Yes, it really could be sensory seeking. There’s no more sensitive area than the genitals, but don't rule out SA. It's important that these incidents are logged on your safeguarding platform and not just ruled out as sensory behaviour. How else could it be communicated?? It's worth having a record of it.
If this was happening in my class with a child under age 11, I'd be seeking support from the CAMHS learning disability team. It isn't typical.
Sometimes, it can start as a sensory activity and then become an opt-out or an enjoyed social reaction activity. It’s best that medical professionals are involved to support you and the parents with this.
Whilst you wait for a referral to go through, try to keep him distracted by offering exciting and sensory experiences, including those with heavy weight, deep pressure, lots of movement, especially jumping, swinging, squishing between mats and vibration (not vibration on genitalia but maybe on back or head or feet).
More useful advice can be found on this NSPCC page.
I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, let me know.
*I am not a doctor or medical professional, so for some questions, you might want to contact your GP, the National Autistic Society, or the NHS.
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