My two year old son will bang his head on hard surfaces, head butt hard objects, hit himself with his fists and also with objects. He has always been a "head banger" but now that he's older he is using more force. He has been evaluated for sensory issues and they say there are none. He does not do it for attention, he will continue if I ignore the behavior and leave the room. If I try to move him from pavement to grass he gets even more furious. I realize it is common for kids to head bang and even hit themselves but it can't be normal for a child to injure themselves on purpose. He bangs his head so hard he screams in pain. Other forums on this issue point to stress, divorce, new sibling, etc. I am a stay at home mom with a wonderful husband, he's an only child and is with other children his age on a daily basis (playdates, etc.). I can't think of a cause of stress in his life. Other than this he is a great kid. He doesn't watch t.v. other than Thomas the train, and none of his little friends exhibit these behaviors. His pediatrician has nothing to say. He is so violent towards himself it scares me. He is loving and gentle to others, animals, and his stuffed lovies (feeds them, hugs and kisses, etc). He is very loving and snuggly with his father and I. I have tried teaching him alternatives for expressing anger (stopping feet, punching pillows) but nothing has worked. I really need help. Thank you for reading all this.

Have you had an evalutation with a child psychologist? My son has an anxiety issue and he used to bang his head when upset. It could also be Aspberger's syndorme, my friend's son used to bang his head to the point of knocking himself out and he was finally diagnosed at age 5. Although Aspberger's children usually don't show affection.

A psychologist can work with you on ways to deal with this and maybe even get it to stop completely.