Thanks for replying. Was it a neurologist that you went to? I know I had read about an fmri which is like a functioning MRI. That's what I've talked about with his ABA therapist that it seems like things are misfiring or something's going off obviously in his brain. What does SIB behaviors stand for?

The flip switch that you mentioned seem like its coming from something internal? Like one minute he's smiling and happy and then there's a little flicker in his eye and he is full blown attack?

My son used to have those and I decided it had to be some sort of internal trigger in his brain vs the external triggers from the environment. My ABA consultant couldn't figure it out either. They are great with external triggers but not so much those internal ones.

Anyhow, eventually I found a doctor that did neurotherapy on my son and that eliminated those internal triggers which were caused by overfiring of the electronic impulses in his brain. He still has aggressive and SIB behaviors today but they are most less frequent and always caused by external triggers.

I know it is so hard because you do feel like you're failing them because you can't help them. I know he gets so frustrated and does act out because of that but how do you help them when you don't know what's wrong or how to help them. It helps to have this forum to be able to reach out and talk to other people who are dealing with the same thing. People who have typical children have no clue! They always want to blame the parent saying you're not doing this or you're not doing that...well Chase isn't a typical child you can't always deal with him in the way you would with a typical child

Hey I’m feeling the same way right now. My four year old is aggressive and nonverbal. I feel like I’m missing something and I’m failing him. He has to be so frustrated because I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t have any advice to offer sorry, but I will say that you are not alone.

Sorry for the long responses. I don't always know how to explain things in a short version! My mother died in February 2016 and that's all the help I had. I see other people have posted about how there's not much help in different things in their area depending on States and counties... There isn't always a lot of help. The Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities is specifically there to help children like my son and they don't have funding. He's been on a waiver waiting list for the last 7 years! I just don't know what to do because I've tried so much and I follow through with things, I'm very consistent and I feel like we have not made progress. He's worse than ever...with me. His ABA therapist says it seems to be internal because he just flips out & then he's fine... Like a switch flips?! The therapist said....It is harder to fix something when we can't see a trigger or a pattern. Which I totally agree with. We don't know what's going on inside of him because he can't tell us. I do so much for him and at times I feel like a failure. Like maybe I'm missing something or I'm not doing enough???