Helmet Head

Well, after 3 years of my self-injury behavior, yesterday was the kind of the last straw for my school. Mommy had to come get me because I banged my head on the table when I was mad during speech therapy. I was pretty upset because my teacher was trying to keep ice on it while Mommy drove fast like lightning to my school. When Mommy got there, I was calmed down and she saw that I had a big bump and it was bruised, but it's not nearly as bad as some of my other bumps (thank goodness).



(I was laughing at Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on TV this morning).

My school has now decided that I have to wear a helmet if I want to keep coming there, because they want to prevent any "future trauma." My insurance doesn't pay for a helmet, so the school is letting me use one of theirs in the meantime. So it's a yucky boy color. Mommy promised me that when I get one of my own, we can get a prettier color. We brought the helmet home so Mommy could try it with me before they do it at school. I did pretty good with it on, but I don't like the chin strap. It's itchy.

It didn't take me long to figure out that if I bang my head with the helmet on, my head bounces a little. That was pretty funny, but still a little frustrating. Papa says it's like trying to sneeze when you can't! I also find it pretty funny to stick my finger in the vent holes. And this morning when I had it on, I was slapping myself in the head and laughing!

Since it wasn't made for me, this one is a little too big, so hopefully I can get my own soon. My therapist is checking in to how much it will cost. It makes Mommy and Daddy very sad that I have to wear a helmet, because they hoped for so long that I would outgrow the head banging phase. But it makes them sadder to think about me giving myself big bruises and bumps, so they know that the helmet is the right choice. And Mommy is checking in to behavior therapy again. We've done that twice in the past for the same thing, but it's never worked. But since I have changed a lot in the last year, we're going to give it another try!

And I wore the helmet at school today, and my teacher said I didn't seem to mind it much. Luckily, tomorrow is my last day of school until the new year, so I won't have to wear it as much at home. It messes my pretty hair up!