Monday, December 6, 2010

Gonna Find Out...

...if he is naughty or nice!
Colin bit his new teacher today! I was horrified when his current teachers told me because this time, it sounded like he bit a little bit out of anger! Apparently, during "art" time in his new classroom, Colin kept throwing the crayon and wasn't very interested in participating at the time. Miss Christina, his new teacher, kept giving him the crayon back and then assisting him with the coloring. She went to reach across him to get the crayon he had dropped and he leaned down and bit her arm! She yelped and then sternly told him "we don't bite" but I'm embarrassed! Everyone there kept assuring me that it's the "stage", but to be quite frank, I do NOT like this stage one bit! All you parents of a child with DS out there are probably pretty familiar with the "sharp" teeth so on top of the fact he bit, he bit with a sharp tooth on the bottom!
One thing that was mentioned to me was that it's common at this stage because the kids can't communicate their anger, wants, needs, etc., which does make sense to me. Colin's communication has been improving lately and he is starting to initiate more to us when he wants or needs something. Some of the most common things he has been initiating are: signing eat when he is really hungry (typically done in the morning if we wait to long to feed him), bath time (at the end of dinner every night he he signs bath because he loves it that much), and putting his arms up when he wants to be picked up (and then wining if you don't pick him up). His signs are really starting to pick up after being prompted which is also fun to watch change.
...Santa is probably watching Colin a little bit more closely these days!

9 comments:

Stephanie said...

Oh! he could take a chunk out of my arm and get away with it anytime. Em bites too, but just for the pure joy of inflicting pain.

Suze said...

Tommy says that Colin is his best buddy - this morning, when we arrived, Tommy went right over to Colin and bent in to him (he was sitting) to give him a hug!!! Colin waved hello and good bye to me too!

As for the biting, definitely a phase...Tommy got bit a few months go, and he has bitten...just the teachers and Mommy and Daddy so far, and it's tapered off recently. I don't like it either...just like the teething!

Rochelle said...

It is a stage (even though as parents we would only love our kids to do the nice stuff) and it will pass, our son used to bite our niece when she would take toys from him, he had great communication skills just found biting to be much quicker. But, he is 7 now and not biting anyone =).
Just be consistent and biting will be a thing of the past.

Kristin said...

Max bit his PT a while back, too. He still bites me once in a while. Naughty boys.

ch said...

You'll forgive me for laughing, won't you? It's just that NONE of our local DS buddies have been through the same shameful encounter. It's such a relief to have someone to share my embarrassment with! Sadly, I was present and able to witness the (multiple) times LC has bitten her speech therapist. It's the ONE therapy LC despises and she definitely did it after she'd hit her frustration threshold, but I was MORTIFIED. What a little STINKER!!!

Wren said...

No advice, I haven't had to deal with a biter yet, but I'm sure he isn't the first one to bite a teacher! If Colin's bottom teeth are as sharp as Sutter's then I can only imagine how much it hurt though...Sutter's gotten me a couple of times when he's giving kisses and it isn't the most pleasant kiss I've ever had!

I totally agree it is a frustration issue and once he can communicate what he wants or needs the biting should stop....until then I have NO idea how to make him stop. Hang in there and take comfort in knowing there are lots of biters out there! :)

Unknown said...

I am sorry! I know this is hard!! have you received any feedback on prevention of biting? or how to correct it? I am sure Maddie is going to bite...and I need all the help I can get! I am sure today was better and all is forgiven! and maybe the teacher realized coloring is not his thing!! smiles

Becca said...

Yep, it's a stage. One that you feel will be there forever, but it won't. I promise! :-)

Jennie said...

Sounds like Colin communicated perfectly that he didn't want to color anymore by throwing the crayons! LOL The biting was because his desires weren't accommodated.
And I sooooo understand about the teeth. I can't imagine how much it would hurt if Micah bit me with those super-jagged teeth.