Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Why do autistics chew or suck things all the time?
Why won't they wear hats or anything else that's tight on their heads?
I have autism, and my life has been shaped around discovering what hurts the symptoms
of autism, what helps the symptoms of autism, and finding the science which can explain
this. In this video, I explain why autistics do
one of sixteen different types of behaviours. Then I'll let you know how to get more information,
if you want it. This is one of a series of 16 different videos which I hope will make
it easier for you to explain autism behaviours to extended family, colleagues, educators,
friends, or anyone who might be working with or supporting someone with an autistic spectrum
condition. I'm Jackie McMillan of Thrive With Autism.
I help parents, educators, health practitioners, and adult autistics to reduce or eliminate
the symptoms of autistic spectrum disorders, so that autism no longer defines their lives,
or limits their opportunities.
So, why do autistics chew repeatedly, or suck constantly, or refuse to wear hats?
Um, when you're autistic and you don't have a good blood-brain barrier, any toxins that
get into your skin -- through what you eat, or what you drink, or what you breathe, or
whatever you come in contact with that soaks in through your skin -- when those things
get into your bloodstream, they cross straight through to the blood-brain barrier.
What do they do? They cause brain inflammation. And brain inflammation is really, really unpleasant.
I have what I call a perma-headache. And what that means to me is that the headache never
entirely goes away. I have this, um, it's like cicadas constantly going in the background
in my ears. And I have this, this ache and heat in my head. And sometimes it gets really
bad. There are two types of ways that it can get
really bad, and I can go into that another time. But essentially, what it means is, you've
just about got a constant headache. And when that headache is worse -- 'cause it does get
worse, and it does get better -- when it's worse, just chewing and sucking do something
really magical. Now, imagine having shoes that are five sizes
too small. You don't keep those shoes on for very long. When your skull feels like it's
too small for your head, there's not much you can do. But chewing and sucking pull on
the muscles, pull on the muscles that are attached to some of the membranes inside the
skull. And every time you bite down and use your tongue, you're pulling on those membranes,
and you're slightly easing off the pain inside the skull. So it's a real coping mechanism.
So if you see a, a child who is, or an adult who is chewing constantly, or sucking constantly,
or will not wear a hat -- because any compression on the outside of your head can be completely
unbearable when you have this kind of compression going inside your head. -- um, if you see
this kind of behaviour, you know that brain inflammation is very high in that individual.
And you need to do some things to bring the inflammation level in the body down.
If you want more information, some free webinars are coming up; even if you can't attend, registering
will give you a copy of the video. Autism Essentials gives you the three keys
to help autistics thrive at home, school, and work.
The Five Root Causes of Autism lets you find the unique blend at the root of your particular
autistic challenges, and how that affects recovery.
We're into the last stretch before our next online series. If you're feeling frustrated
and stuck because you can't figure out what's getting in the way of the results you want
with autism, please let me help. My recovery program takes you beyond what medical doctors
speak about, because it goes beyond even the Bio-Medical model.
Thank you for caring about someone with autism.