How to discipline a mentally handicap child

[LVG0308]

I have a child that has cerebral palsy, autism and is mentally retarded.  One of her biggest issues is hair pulling.  She pulls her hair out and is almost bald on one side.  How can I disipline her to show her to stop.  I know she can understand to a degree, cause sometimes when she goes to do it and I yell NO she will stop for a second, but goes right back at it.  She is also very abusive to us, by biting, pulling hair and hitting and kicking.  She will scream for hours if you do not give her 24/7 attention.  I've tried letting her scream it out so she will entertain herself, but she won't stop.  What can I do!  Please help!

[LVG0308]

We do not have a PCA, however, I am trying to figure out how to get one.  Her insurance should pay for it but we have to jump through hoops of course. Nothing is easy.  She is 3 yrs old. I wish we could do time outs but she doesn't understand the concept.  I'm not sure she understand much at all. I've tried the weighted thing and she can't stand it.  She doesn't like to feel confined. Due to her Cerebral Palsy she kicks and flails all the time, so when you try to stop that it makes her mad.  I've tried putting things on her head but she won't keep it there.  She hates to have anything on her.  She pulls it off immediatly.  The only thing I've found that helps her from pulling her hair out is taking the kid arm leashes that you velcro to their arms and tie them around her stomach just enough to where she cannot get to her hair.  She can play and crawl, but she cannot reach her hair.  Although now she has found if she leans her head down low enough she can still reach it no matter what. I just wish she would stop crying all the time.  I know it's attention seeking but I've tried to let her cry it out and she could cry for days.  Most kids would fall asleep or give up after many many hours but not her.  Trust me I've tried.  We're seeing many therapiest etc, so hopefully something will work soon.

[skepticalpeach]

Do you have a PCA? If she needs attention 24/7 then it will be easier for everyone if she gets it. Now, it's not possible for you to give that to her, that's why there are PCAs (personal care attendants). It is also possible for her to get a service dog. A service dog can be trained to help stop this behavior. Is she receiving any sort of therapy? If not, I would get her into occupational therapy. They will be able to help you figure out some strategies for at home that will stop the destructive behavior.

How old is she? To be honest, it's very difficult to find a constructive way to discipline a special needs child. They just don't understand. My daughter has autism and we mainly stick to time outs. These can be difficult to enforce though when she's banging on the door and throwing stuff. We've found it's better to find a therapeutic way to calm her down. Distract her. Massage therapy, brushing therapy, deep pressure, weighted blankets. My daughter chews her hair so I just cut her hair short in a bob. It's not something I'm gonna fight her on. Would your daughter wear a hat or scarf wrapped on her head? If not you could always try putting gloves on her hands. I would also discuss this with a therapist. Let us know if you figure anything out!