Do autistic children pull out their hair?

Author: Rosalind Flatley  |  Last update: Monday, June 30, 2025

Some autistic people can display distressed behaviour. It includes what would normally be considered physically aggressive behaviour, such as slapping, biting, spitting or hair pulling, but can also include other behaviours if they are having a negative impact on the person or their family.

Is pulling out hair a form of stimming?

However, stimming can become harmful when the behavior itself inflicts physical damage (for example, pulling out one's hair), causes significant disruption to others, or is embarrassing for the individual. In those cases, learning strategies to minimize or redirect the stimming behavior could be beneficial.

What are the traits of autistic hair?

The researchers also placed children with abnormal hair whorls — multiple tufts of hair growing in the opposite direction from the rest — as well as children with a prominent forehead in the autism group.

What things overwhelm autistic people?

Social situations (for example social anxiety or misunderstandings) Sensory overload (for example to much noise, light, itchy clothes) Experiencing changes and unpredictable things.

Do autistic people have trichotillomania?

The coexistence of trichotillomania and autistic disorder has rarely been reported in psychiatric literature. The current study describes successful treatment of trichotillomania in a young autistic girl, using combined clomipramine and behavioral therapy.

Trichotillomania aka Hairpulling | Child Psychology

Why is my autistic child pulling his hair out?

The occurrence of trichotillomania in children or adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is uncommonly reported. The neurobiological pathogenesis through serotonergic pathway, impulsiveness in the context of hyperactivity and self-stimulatory mechanism could explain hair pulling in this group of patients.

Is hair pulling part of ADHD?

Background. Individuals with trichotillomania (TTM), a disorder characterized by repetitive pulling out of one's own hair, often have co-occurring ADHD, but little is known about this comorbidity. Additionally, there have been intimations in the literature that treatment of ADHD with stimulants may worsen TTM symptoms.

What is looping in autism?

Perseverative thoughts can happen because a person may be trying to manage stress, process information, shift attention, can't stop thinking about certain things, or can't control behaviors. This kind of thinking, or looping thoughts, is not done consciously or on purpose.

How to tell if someone is high-functioning autistic?

Children with high-functioning autism are likely to exhibit a wide range of symptoms in early childhood including:
  1. Delayed speech.
  2. Fear of social situations.
  3. May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence.
  4. A tendency to avoid eye contact.
  5. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes.

What are the most common obsessions of people with autism?

Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers. For many younger children it's Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs or particular cartoon characters.

What are autism lips?

A broader mouth is another facial feature commonly associated with autism. This refers to a wider oral structure, including the lips and the distance between the corners of the mouth.

Does autism affect hair?

Yes, autism can lead to hair loss, although it's not a direct symptom of the condition itself. Many individuals with autism experience sensory sensitivities and anxiety, which can contribute to behaviors such as hair pulling or repetitive actions that may lead to hair loss.

Do autistic kids have a certain look?

Some of the frequent facial features of autism are a broader upper face, shorter middle face, wider eyes, bigger mouth, and the philtrum [19]. The use of facial features as a physical marker to detect autism is one of the most exciting topics in autism research.

What does hair-pulling indicate?

Trichotillomania can be related to emotions, including: Negative feelings. Pulling out hair may be a way of dealing with negative or uncomfortable feelings, such as stress, anxiety, tension, boredom, loneliness, extreme tiredness or frustration. Positive feelings.

What is non-autistic stimming?

Stimming can also refer to repetitive actions that are common among people without autism, such as jiggling a foot, biting fingernails, twirling hair or drumming fingers.

How to get an autistic kid to stop hitting?

Positive Reinforcement

Reward your child when they manage their frustrations without resorting to aggressive behavior or to hitting. This could be verbal praise, a favorite activity, or a small treat. Over time, this can help to reinforce alternative behaviors.

What are 5 common signs of autism?

Common signs of autism in adults include:
  • finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling.
  • getting very anxious about social situations.
  • finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own.
  • seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to.
  • finding it hard to say how you feel.

Who carries the autism gene, mother or father?

On average, the data showed that siblings with autism share about 66 percent of their genetic material from their father. They only share about 30 percent from their mother. Siblings without autism share just about half of those percentages.

Do people with autism walk differently?

Children with ASD tend to augment their walking stability with a reduced stride length, increased step width and therefore wider base of support, and increased time in the stance phase. Children with ASD have reduced range of motion at the ankle and knee during gait, with increased hip flexion.

What calms autistic people?

Below is a list of common calming techniques you can use with the autistic children you support.
  • Remember the rule of one. ...
  • Deep Breathing. ...
  • Isometric Exercise. ...
  • Deep Pressure. ...
  • Massage. ...
  • Provide a Box of Tactile Items. ...
  • Create a Calming Area. ...
  • Communication.

What is the hardest part of life for a child with autism?

Difficulty With Social Skills

Many children with autism struggle with social skills, making it challenging for them to understand and adjust to the unspoken expectations of new environments. Navigating social situations can be taxing and lead to heightened anxiety during change.

What makes autism symptoms worse?

What Makes Autism Worse?
  • Sensory Overload. One of the most common challenges faced by individuals with autism is sensory overload. ...
  • Changes in Routine. Individuals with autism often thrive on routine and predictability. ...
  • Social Isolation. ...
  • Co-occurring Conditions. ...
  • Lack of Understanding and Support.

Why is my child pulling out their hair?

It can be more common in kids with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sometimes it's a way of soothing. Some people say that they feel a tingle where the hair is that they want to pull out. Or they notice dead skin along their cuticle, and they really feel like they have to get rid of it.

Is pulling out hair stimming?

Hair-pulling is a common self-stimulating or self-soothing behavior in people with autism and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).

Why does my autistic child pull my hair?

Under-responsive and over-responsive sensory processing behaviors are frequently seen in children on the spectrum. Hair pulling is one of the many self-soothing or self-stimulating behaviors they may engage in.

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