Is head banging and rocking a symptom of reactive attachment disorder?
Head banging and rocking are part of the family of stereotypies, which are repetitive behaviors. Stereotypies are common in normal healthy children and reflect periods of tension and anxiety. Institutionalized children may chronically exhibit these behaviors due to boredom, lack of stimulation, anger, and a need to provide their own form of rhythmic stimulation. The brain requires a certain amount of external stimulation, which should have some basic rhythm and in a sense provide the central nervous system with a sense of existence. In essence, if a person rocks then that rhythm gives feedback to the brain that there is life and activity. Head banging, also reflects an inner silence, which is not easily tolerated by the nervous system. The brain requires that there be input for the cells to grow and organize themselves. With proper stimulation, these stereotypies disappear naturally. There is no need to extinguish them with punishment. Parents need to trust that as a child adjusts to t
