Rocking in Autistic Kids

One of the first thing i did see Michael do from a very young age was over doing thing.
 E.g of this was at 15month old Michael love spinning at first it was a really cute but he would over do it.. As he got old the spinning stop but more the point it change to rocking.

Michael use to love to rock, and I mean rock all day everyday on the lounge.
 So we try to stop this being worry he hurt his head we got a rocker toy.

This stop him from rocking on the lounge but of course it didn't stop the rocking at all. So of course we left it along because it was something he was comfortable doing over time i say it take him until right now (4yr old) to completely stop the rocking... But it has now change to jumping.....

So we ask the question why does michael rock?

It called Self-Stimulatory Behavior 
What this kinder mean is that thing that are happen are too stressful so the rocking it a way of calming down so the only way to stop this sensory-overload. Was to change the environment so simple for us it was the house he wasn't relax at home. And also we just start to learn that he was autistic so we start change how we talk and did things with michael as slowly bringing visual in the house help. The main thing was watching Michael a little more to find what was coursing his need to do the rock and again it... And ever since that he has not need to rock at all.

WHY DO KIDS ROCK?

There are several reasons you may want to stop autistic rocking behavior:

• The rocking is violent, and you're concerned about your child getting injured.
• You're worried about the social aspects of rocking back and forth in public.
• The rocking is interfering with your child's or your ability to perform motor tasks or other appropriate activities.
• Your child or teen seems unreachable when he or she is rocking.
• You associate the rocking with the autism diagnosis, and it causes you anxiety.

How to Stop the Rocking

Whatever reason you want to stop the rocking, it's very important to remember that this is a coping behavior, and it's there for a reason. In order to reduce the rocking, you'll need to address its underlying cause, and replace rocking with a more appropriate behavior that serves the same purpose.

Gather Data

Keep a log of what is happening when you notice the rocking. In a notebook, write down the time of day and what the autistic person is doing. What might he or she be hearing, seeing, or touching? If you are addressing this behavior in yourself, make note of anything that is distressing you. The more thorough your notes, the more likely it will be that you'll see some kind of trend in the behavior.
Keep this log for a period of at least two weeks, and then study the data carefully. Does the rocking always happen at mealtime? Is the rocking in response to a change in routine? These notes will help you figure out how to address the situation.

Reduce the Stimuli

If you notice that the rocking is in response to a sensory experience or a stressful situation of some type, you can try to remove this stimulus. For example, your child may be stressed when it's time to go to school. If you can ease into this transition a little more slowly, you may be able to reduce the need to rock.
Similarly, sensory experiences like loud noises, clothing tags, food textures, or busy lobbies may excite the sensory system. The autistic person may need to rock back and forth in order to make sense of these experiences and calm himself or herself. Although it isn't possible to avoid all stimuli, you may be able to reduce the exposure and therefore reduce the rocking.

Provide An Alternative

If you notice that you rock when you are trying to concentrate or you suspect this is the case for your autistic child or teen, you may be able to provide this type of sensory stimulation in another way. For instance, if your child always rocks before arts and crafts time at school, try taking him on the swings right before class. The swinging may satisfy the vestibular sensory need, allowing him to focus on his project.
You can also try substituting a different behavior for the rocking at the time the individual needs it. If rocking occurs during dinnertime, for instance, she could try jiggling her foot instead. Although this movement doesn't provide the same level of sensory input, it may be sufficient to allow her to concentrate on the meal.

What Not to Do

Rocking can be frustrating, and it's perfectly natural to feel upset by this behavior. However, don't punish your child for rocking or feel ashamed of this behavior in yourself. This negative response can add to the stress level and make the behavior worse.

Getting Professional Help

These tips may help reduce autistic rocking behavior, but there's no substitute for professional guidance. If you have concerns about rocking, have your doctor recommend an occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration therapy.

But just remember their nothing wrong with what your kid doing at all it just helping him or she feel safe when a little stress or over whelmed just remember to keep calm, don't yell at the kid to stop, you just need to take it with a very relax you will get changes from your kid that you want because your super mum or dad if you want it to happen it will......