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Help! My daughter won’t stop “dry humping”!

Papa

My 2.5 year old daughter was diagnosed with ASC last year and we’re slowly getting to grips with the challenges this faces us.

One thing that we cannot solve and would appreciate advice on is her constant “dry humping” on our legs, furniture, toys and floor.

We’ve been adviced it’s a sensory thing, and even had her urine checked for any potential infections, which came out all clear.

We’ve tried everything to stop her, including playing with her, taking her away from object/ leg, bathing and iPad with her favourite cartoons, but sometimes she won’t stop!

Sometimes she will make herself sore, but with some Sudocream application this seems to help.

She seems to go in to a real trance when doing it too!

Has anyone else experienced this please? 

Any advice is appreciated!

  • in reply to Kirsty

    Hi Kirsty, I'm having the same problem, did you ever get a solution? Thanks 

  • Hi my son does this and he went through a stage of doing it all the time but now he’s doing it less and definitely I would say it’s sensory and self soothing and more when he’s tired. I was concerned at first but now leave him to it as long as he doesn’t do it in public etc. He goes through phases and obsessions so I’m hoping it’s just a phase which will pass. To be honest it’s one of his least worrying phases as he’s not hurting himself or others. Hope this helps a bit 

  • I’m having the same problem with my autistic girl. She started around 2 year old and still does it (now 5). I feel helpless as I just cannot seem to find anything to replace the same pleasure she obviously gets from humping things! 

    Im getting so frustrated as there just seems to be no help out there and I feel like I’m avoiding going anywhere incase she does this in front of people (9 times out of 10 she will). I’m hoping someone replies on here with a solution! Disappointed

  • I’m having the same problem with my autistic girl. She started around 2 year old and still does it (now 5). I feel helpless as I just cannot seem to find anything to replace the same pleasure she obviously gets from humping things!

    Im getting so frustrated as there just seems to be no help out there and I feel like I’m avoiding going anywhere incase she does this in front of people (9 times out of 10 she will). I’m hoping someone replies on here with a solution!Disappointed

  • in reply to Papa

    It is easier to shape a behaviour into something else than it is to eliminate it. I'm thinking on the lines of what acceptable activity would give her a similiar sensation. Perhaps a rocking horse ( with a well padded saddle.) When she starts humping - "Oh, you want rocking horse," and steer her to have a ride instead.

  • in reply to Deleted user

    Thank you Tom!

    Will chase up behaviour therapist at our meeting next week!

    will also check out that book!

  • Hi Papa,

    Have you had any input yet from behavioural therapists about this issue?  Sounds like you've tried aversion techniques - though simply trying to stop her might make things worse. A traditional aversive approach most often will not work, and the behaviour will need to be worked with for often a long time in order to effect a 'change'.  I have, though, checked around on the internet, and it seems this is quite a common thing with young autistic children. 

    I work with young adults who are highly autistic, and they can have similar behaviour and rituals - mostly, as you say here, for sensory stimulation.  The hypo-sensitive ones in particular will spend long periods of time doing things like showering, jumping up and down, spinning, rocking, etc - even to the point of causing soreness on occasions.  Similarly with genital stimulation.

    A behaviour therapist is really what you need, though others may have some more direct experience and be able to give you pointers.  You could start by looking here, though:

    Behaviour

    There's a book here, which you might also find useful if you've not seen it:

    Autism: Understanding Behaviour

    All the best,

    Tom