Jump to content

Menu

Sudden giggling spells in child with autism (Asperger's)


Walking-Iris
 Share

Recommended Posts

I'm looking for thoughts about this.

 

My oldest has recently started having these odd giggling spells.

 

Not regular laughter...usually nothing is going on that is truly funny. They are distinctly different from when he truly is smiling or laughing at something.

 

It could be anywhere/anytime and he'll suddenly start smiling and giggling. BUT I've noticed he seems bothered by it. I asked and he says he "can't control it" and that his "mouth feels heavy" and that his "cheeks hurt." The smile/giggling (I don't even know about what and he doesn't seem to either) will last a minute and then it's like someone just wiped a chalkboard, he's back to reacting normally to whatever is happening in that moment. 

 

He'll even cover his mouth with his hands, and even start taking deep breaths like he's struggling. NOT deep breathing from deep laughter...but almost panicky breathing at the same time he's giggling.  It's just started in the last month or two, but getting more and more often. Sometimes his eyes look scared for a second or two until the giggling stops. There's no real pattern...could be while doing math, eating, taking a bath, walking, going to bed...just unrelated random times.

 

Anyone else with a child on the spectrum experience this? 

 

Feeling confused. 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It sounds like it might be a tic?  It might be related to puberty?

 

My cousin had this some when he was a similar age, and it just went away.  However -- he had always had some facial "grimacing."  So it seemed like -- the grimacing got a little worse when he was around puberty, and escalated to the laughing. 

 

I think the smiling may be part of a "grimace."  I have had the word "grimace" used with me referring to my son who has autism -- sometimes he just has a rigid look on his face for a second, but it can also be a smile. 

 

I think it is worth asking the pediatrician about.

 

But, I don't think it is something that is "you should be very concerned."  I don't think it is too big of a deal, or a sign of something worse.

 

But, I think there may be medicine possible sometimes, too. 

 

For my cousin -- he had always had some facial expressions or grimaces or whatever, it just got worse and had laughing for a while.  But, it was not like it was nothing and then something.  If my son does it in the future -- I would see it as an increase from something existing.  I think I would be more concerned if there was no prior history at all. 

 

I would ask about medication though, if it were me.  I don't know what decision we would make -- but I would look into it at least, and see what my husband thought.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

anxiety?  Once when my DS was about 6, he started yawning excessively, all day long (not during sleep though), we took him for a number of neurological tests, doctors weren't really able to work it out, some thought DH and I were being ridiculous for bringing him in.  They were never able to help.  I should say, DS is not on the spectrum, but is very sensitive and has anxiety issues.  I would ask DS why he was yawning so much, but he couldn't tell me. I don't think he even realised he was doing it half the time.

 

The reason he became anxious was for a silly reason really - he was talking to my sister on the phone and she mentioned an item (toy) he had been wanting for ages, but which was no longer being sold (this being the first time he had been told it was no longer available to buy).  He actually became upset about it while talking to her, and almost immediately after, the yawning started. It took me a while to put it all together, but I believe that phone call triggered some kind of anxiety in him. 

 

Now if he is going through a stressful time, I notice the excessive yawning will start up - it sometimes is THE signal to me that he is stressed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does sound like a 'tic'.

I see that he is 11, where for some reason, they quite commonly develop around the 11 to 14 year age group, and then disappear in later teen years.

Tension seems to be a trigger factor.

 

Though you said that he starts taking 'deep panicky breathes'.

Where perhaps he could try intentionally breathing out, when it occurs?

While breathing in increases tension, breathing out releases it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aw, poor guy. Even if he doesn't show it, he might be kind of freaked out by it and trying to stop the laughing. I'd mention it to the pediatrician, but I've heard little tics are not unusual in kids. My littler guy gets winky in one eye when he's tired or stressed (not my Aspie).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you. He does have a history of facial grimaces/tics. It's also been suggested to me that he may be tuning out  the environment around him. 

 

It's odd because he has a gorgeous smile and I love to see him looking happy. But this seems different. 

 

Kbutton--he does try to stop himself. That's how I began to notice it seemed different than an ordinary smile/giggle at other times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He may be tuning out the environment, but if he is not, I think it is important to not think along those lines.  If he is trying to pay attention and he gets perceived like he wants to daydream or be left alone, I think that is not the best. 

 

It also could be one way sometimes, and the other sometimes. 

 

To be honest this doesn't sound like a "stim" to me.  It just doesn't.

 

If it was a stim though -- he could be doing it to help him to focus and pay attention.  Or, he could be doing it to take a second to re-group from being overwhelmed.  If it was a stim, it could be either way.

 

But I don't think this sounds like that.

 

But you might be able to ask your son about it, too. 

 

I think it did make my cousin feel self-conscious, and I think it was also hard on him to get perceived in a way that was not true to him.  I think sometimes the inside and outside just do not match ---- it is not always a thing where you look at the outside and guess the inside from it. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When my son had sudden giggling spells, I was told to look into "yeast overgrowth" (candida overgrowth) and related uncontrolled laughter. Apparently, yeast overgrowth produces a lot of alcohol in the body as a byproduct of the fermentation of the food in the child's body and one of the symptoms caused by a lot of alcohol in the system is uncontrolled laughter. For my DS, this happened at around 3-4 years (after several rounds of antibiotics for ear infections). I used probiotics to treat it. Hope this helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When my son had sudden giggling spells, I was told to look into "yeast overgrowth" (candida overgrowth) and related uncontrolled laughter. Apparently, yeast overgrowth produces a lot of alcohol in the body as a byproduct of the fermentation of the food in the child's body and one of the symptoms caused by a lot of alcohol in the system is uncontrolled laughter. For my DS, this happened at around 3-4 years (after several rounds of antibiotics for ear infections). I used probiotics to treat it. Hope this helps.

 

That's interesting. I'll think about that. I was thinking more along "psychological/emotional" avenues. But I will certainly look into this. I have long realized that nutrition/vitamins and various physiological things were very important in helping my ds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Sorry--older thread but wanted to add: has your doc considered gelastic seizures? Any experience that is focal/brief, repetitive and stereotypical (meaning very similar each time) makes me at least consider seizure. Also ASD kids have a higher incidence of seizures. (Seizures do not have to involve motor movements or even impairment of consciousness.). Just a thought.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to have terrible giggle fits - in high school mostly.  they lasted for several minutes and left my stomach in pain.

 

But if he has a history of grimace/tics you might want to get him evaluated for tourettes.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry--older thread but wanted to add: has your doc considered gelastic seizures? Any experience that is focal/brief, repetitive and stereotypical (meaning very similar each time) makes me at least consider seizure. Also ASD kids have a higher incidence of seizures. (Seizures do not have to involve motor movements or even impairment of consciousness.). Just a thought.

 

Okay never heard of these. Reading about it. You had to freak me out didn't you? :)

 

I don't feel that it's this. But you've given me pause and I'm definitely going to watch him closer. I worked with several children in college who had seizures, so I'm somewhat familiar with brief seizures. I haven't heard of gelastic before though.

 

It's tricky because facial grimacing has always been a part of his symptoms. I'm pretty positive it's not Tourette's.

 

Since I started this thread, they have decreased somewhat, although they are still there. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay never heard of these. Reading about it. You had to freak me out didn't you? :)

 

 

Sorry ! Was not the intent! I think tics and seizures can have a certain amount of symptomatic overlap and tics are way more common than gelastic seizures. A pediatric neurologist could sort it out (both seizures and Tourettes) and insurance should cover it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry ! Was not the intent! I think tics and seizures can have a certain amount of symptomatic overlap and tics are way more common than gelastic seizures. A pediatric neurologist could sort it out (both seizures and Tourettes) and insurance should cover it.

 

 

Thank you for the info! I had never heard of it. I'm not the type to jump to the worst case scenario, but I am more conscious and aware of what is going on with my oldest.

 

I really think that something along the lines of anxiety is causing these. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The developing brain goes through a major developmental stage from the age of 11 to 13.

Which is actually termed as a 'pruning process'.

Where it removes a lot of inefficient brain connections that were formed as an infant, which have become redundant.

But a common part of this process of removal?

Are random reflex responses/ tics, as a stress response.

 

Where 'reflex responses' are fundamental to how the brain develops?

The brain doesn't sit and wait for us to learn how to use it?

Rather it demonstrates a whole range of 'reflexes'.

Where the developmental process involves gaining the ability to inhibit these reflexes, and then take control of them.

 

This is what occurs with a baby and the 'Primitive Reflexes'.

But with the 'pruning process' of neural connections, from 11 to 13?

What seems to also be 'pruned', are 'stress responses'?

So that having been removed,  'tics' are quite likely a part of the brains search and develop of new ways to respond to a 'stressor'?

 

Given that 'tics' with 11 to 13 year olds,  seems to be neuro-typical?

It concerns me that we could pathologising what is in fact a normal developmental process?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...