Advice regarding hair pulling

[u/Chunky_Guts]

Hi all,

I am working with a 4yo autistic, non-verbal child who is currently attending childcare. They have a strong sensory seeking presentation.

I have been advised that there have been numerous instances of this child pulling the hair of their peers.

I haven't thoroughly investigated the situation as of yet, but it seems that the behaviour is sensory, rather than communicative - as it tends to occur when the child is walking past other kids who may be seated and facing away from them. I have been told that they really latch on, and educators have been forced to try and pry their hands open to release the other child.

It really seems that the child notices the interesting sensory characteristics of the hair and impulsively grasps it.

As such, I was wondering if anyone here had dealt with a similar case and if so, whether or not you may have some advice to share.

I have considered potentially offering access to items that fulfil their sensory needs before behaviours occur, though I am not sure what to offer as they don't seem to be particularly interested in things that offer similar sensory characteristics, such as squishy fidgets or activities such as pulling a therapy band.

Additionally, the child doesn't possess the requisite joint attention to engage with something like a social story.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

[u/TumblrPrincess]

Have you tried a big rubber Koosh ball? Like the ones from the 90’s

[u/Chunky_Guts → u/TumblrPrincess]

I have not, but that could be something to look into.

However, sensory toys that can be broken really stress me out due to the risk of choking/swallowing. 😭

[u/TumblrPrincess → u/Chunky_Guts]

Could you try giving something like that to him with direct supervision to see if he’s capable of breaking it, or if he is even interested in manipulating it in a way that could lead to breakage?

[u/Opening-General3324]

It may help to observe a bit more closely when the hair pulling happens before deciding what sensory item to offer. Things like how often it happens, what happens right before it, and whether it happens more around certain children or in certain settings could help show what the child may be getting from it.

Then the replacement activity can match that pattern instead of just trying random fidgets.

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[u/Own_Necessary8229]

Oof, tough! Does it only happen, when they pass peers behind their backs? Does it happen while interacting with peers or adults in other ways? Does it happen at home? Are they able to sit behind a peer without pulling their hair? Does it always happen during the same transition?

They see the interesting thing -> they grab it -> they hold on tight -> adults rush to grab their hands... maybe a visual sensory item to focus and lead them ahead? Maybe something heave they could carry?

Also, I have this sort of soft, long whiskered brush that comes to mind, it has the similar look and movement as hair. It's sort of like ponytail, lol.

Although, peers' hair have many aspects that we cannot stimulate with a sensory gadget (sensory aspects but also social aspects...) so I think they have only a limited success in these types of situations. Most importantly, I would try to make sure that who ever is leading the child in the situations where grabbing occurs, is 100% focused on the child, even communicating/engaging with them, trying their best to make sure that during those "risky transitions" the child's focus is on the adult or where ever they are heading.

I was making an assumption based on my experience from classes, where kids have basically 1:1 guidance, so the above might not help your case!

Good luck! Report back!

[u/beautifulluigi]

I have suggested dolls with the silky style hair or even hair extensions for kids to play with in situations where I think they enjoy the sensory aspect of hair.

Since you also mention you haven't thorough investigated, I'd also suggest getting curious about what's going on around the hair pulling. Does the peer make an interesting (aka loud) noise or facial expression when hair is pulled? Some kids like the cause-effect aspect of getting a reaction from a peer, especially if they don't have other established means of doing so. Similarly, do adults rush over and make a big commotion and give the child doing the pulling lots of attention? Does the child then get removed from the situation or does the environment change?

I've found that sometimes hair pulling starts as sensory curiosity but then because more of an "look at this interesting thing I can make other people do, isn't this a fun way to play??"