my 4.5 daughter is masturbating

for a few weeks my daughter has been rubbing her self  at first when i saw her dp this i wasnt sure how to deal with it then her teacher pulled me aside on day and told me she was doing it in class (ofcourse in front of everybody) i wasnt sure what to say so i called her doctor and she said more often than not it is abuse or a seisure but im not sure so i guess my question is has anyone ever dealt with this before and how do i get it to stop

[Rachel Thompson, Ph.D., BCBA]

I would certainly recommend that you investigate any medical reasons for this behavior, although I have encountered many young children who begin to masturbate without any medical reason. I am a bit concerned that your doctor would suggest abuse or seizures over the phone without an evaluation. I would suggest that you and your daughter's teachers interrupt her gently (by moving her hand if necessary) each time she touches herself inappropriately in public. Don't give a lot of attention while interrupting. Also, it would be worthwhile to try to increase your child's overall level of engagement in appropriate activities. Children with autism engage in many forms of self-stimulation, and this behavior may be one example. In addition to interrupting self-stimulatory behavior, it is important to teach your child to access more appropriate forms of stimulation through, for example, play.