Tallforeheads

Believe me when I say that we have tried everything (except biting our child back) to get our child to stop biting…and then some. So, what do you do when everything you have tried isn’t working? You have to start working with a behavioral therapist who can teach you more about how to stop the biting behavior by pre-empting it, positive reinforcement and some collective cleverness by the people who work with your child on a daily basis.

This series of articles will be about my journey towards ”A Life Without My Child Biting Me”. She has been biting since she first started teething and it has developed into a different matter altogether. Some children are biters, others are not. No one really knows why some young children bite and others don’t. It is as common an issue with normal/typical children as it is with children with DS. In this article, we’ll begin by looking at why children might bite and the common solutions people offer, why it is called Non-Compliant Behavior, why it can escalate and when it is time to call in an expert.

Why do children bite?
Here is a list of some of the more common reasons in no particular order:
- teething/dentition
- anger or frustration from either a.) a lack of attention or b.) inability to articulate their needs
- hunger/thirst (generally because their attempts to get fed went unnoticed)
- a need to use their molars; work their jaw muscles and grind and chew
- sensory input and exploration
- using their teeth to hold on, for stability, as they move their hands and feet when unsteady

What people have told me to do to fix the problem:
- bite them back (this only teaches them that it is acceptable behavior although people who have had success with this will argue with me)
- provide teething rings and toys to accomodate the need to chew
- wait until they are older and not in the sensory input stage (aka, “This stage will pass.”)
- give them a time out (1 minute per year of age) each time they bite someone; say “NO BITING!” in a stern voice and put them in their crib to wait it out.
- paint the objects they bite with bitters to discourage biting
- give them a chicken drumstick bone that is clean (I don’t recommend this at all as bones can splinter)
- give your child some dried meat (jerky)
- spray them with water when they bite
- put hot sauce in their mouth when they bite someone

Try this first:
Last year, I read a study(forgive me on this, but I do not know who to credit this research to) given to my by her teacher from the Alcott Infant & Toddler Program that stated some interesting findings on preschoolers and biting. In the article, biting dropped significantly when the children were fed meat such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs and other proteins that required chewing at breakfast. Children would bite more when fed softer foods like oatmeal, fruit and cereals. It suggested that all biting disappeared when all children ate some form of meat in the morning. It’s worth trying first since it is an easy approach. I tried it and found that it works best if I meet all of the following criteria: a.) I feed my child before she gets too hungry, b.) I feed her protein that she must chew at every meal, and c.) I also pay attention to her signals for attention. If I can do all three all day long, I remain intact from her choppers and score one big one for mom. Sounds easy, doesn’t it, but in reality it is much harder to do in practice. And by the way, eggs don’t seem to help much with preventing biting. Great brain and eye food, but not much help in the biting department!

Tip Number Two: Time Out!
All biters need to become aware that they are doing something that is not acceptable. The moment they bite, you have to lower your voice, do not react from the pain (very, very hard to do!), tell them, “No biting! You get a Time Out!) and place them somewhere safe like their crib or playpen where they can be isolated without toys for one minute per year of age. This is important because minutes equal attention span and if you try for more than they can remember, you lose the lesson. A two year old will react to being put into a crib with frustration and anger, possibly cry and rattle the crib while the message sinks in. However, if your child is anything like mine, after two minutes, she makes herself comfortable and starts playing or talking to herself and her mind is gone from the lesson. After the required time out is over –and by the way, use a timer go and pick them up and tell them, “Remember, no biting! Ok?”  Note: Time outs don’t always work, but they have their place and it is a useful tool that you can use for other things like throwing, hitting and scratching. It will eventually sink in, but again, it is a numbers game and routine and repetition is what is called for. You must be consistent everytime you correct your child.

Getting Professional Help
Almost at my wits end and covered in bite marks surrounded by bruises, I consulted my case worker at the Regional Center and requested some help. I am now working with a behavioral therapist named Kerri Orr, who is brimming with inspiration, hope and suggestions that I have never heard before. I had no idea until our first and second meeting just how much I needed help.

Biting is Non-Compliant Behavior
Think about it for a minute. Don’t you tell your child not to bite and they continue to ignore you? If you explore further, you can look around and find other Non-Compliant Behavior elsewhere. For example, does your child obey you when you say any of the following:

- give that to mama
- take that out of your mouth (and give that to me)
- hold my hand/give me your hand
- use two/both hands
- don’t put that in your mouth
- wait for me
- don’t (__fill in the blank___) –mine are bite, throw that, pull the plant, eat that, etc.

Yes, toddlers are striving for independence and exploring how far reaching their power is however it should not be hurting you or any other person in the process.  

My next post will reveal the techniques we are trying and the results we are getting. Stay tuned!

Tags: non-compliance, Teething, time out, toddler biting