Autism- Agressive behaviour

I have an 8 year old niece who is blind and has been diagnosed with autism. She is becoming increasingly aggressive, head banging, pushing and pinching. Becomes very angry and crys loudly. any advice on how to help?

[FromTheAshes]

Hello, I'm an Aunt of two great kids that both have Autism. Their mother (my sister) though never diagnosed officially is clearly on the spectrum so I have been raising them.  Tia is 13 (puberty is NOT fun) and Alex is going to be 11 on Sept. 6th. He is also blind (no eyes) and non-verbal.

I know with Alex that a sensory diet is a must, he loves pressure, weighted blanket and vest, lotion rubbed in with pressure on legs and arms. We did OT brushing but have dropped that.  An OT should be able to help put together a plan for your niece. There is info online as well.

Alex was very self abusive (still can be at times but much milder).  He was compensating for the lack of visual stimulation by creating a different kind.  But giving him a sensory diet helped.  When he was younger unfortunately behavioral approaches didn't stop enough of the self abuse so he was on medication to help. But that worked well for us.

Good Luck hope you find a system that works for your niece.