arm flapping but no ASD?

[ktgrok]

My soon to be 5 yr old arm flaps when he gets excited. My oldest (different father) has Aspergers. Next child no ASD but did have a stereotypy when young that we at first thought were a type of seizure. Also when excited. She outgrew it by this age though. 

 

Normal? Red flag to consider other things? You hear it so much with ASD that I guess it throws me that he has it, but no other indications of ASD at all. 

[Carol in Cal.]

It's characteristic of a sensory processing disorder sometimes.  

[Arcadia]

My DS12 stims and that's it. He also hyper focus and that's it. So one trait of Autism and one trait of ADHD. I twirl my hair when I am bored which can also fall under primary motor stereotypy even though people would just call it fidgeting.

 

"Primary (Non-Autistic) Motor Stereotypies

 

Primary motor stereotypies (also called stereotypic movement disorder), are rhythmic, repetitive, fixed, predictable, purposeful, but purposeless movements that occur in children who are otherwise developing normally. Examples of primary motor stereotypies are flapping and waving of the arms, hand flapping, head nodding and rocking back and forth." http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/pediatric-neurology/conditions/motor-stereotypies/index.html

 

"Types and symptoms of primary motor stereotypies:

 

Common – As the name suggests, these behaviors are very common and include activities like thumb sucking, nail/lip biting, hair twirling, body rocking, self-biting, teeth clenching/grinding and head banging. Common motor stereotypies are often labeled “habits†and typically fade with age — though research has identified their presence in college students.

...

Complex motor – Movements include hand/arm flapping or waving, wiggling fingers in front of the face, rotating or opening and closing the hands, and finger wiggling. Generally a child will simultaneously perform the movement bilaterally (on both the right and left sides)." http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/pediatric-neurology/conditions/motor-stereotypies/symptoms.html

[ktgrok]

Thank you ! Sounds like just a stereotypy. I have a few probably as well, just less noticeable. 

[idnib]

DS has this, although it's declined through the years. I had him evaluated twice for autism (once through the school district and one through a private neuropsychologist) and both said he's not on the spectrum at all.

 

The neuropsychologist considered it a tic and diagnosed it as such. (At that point he was also blinking a lot, but that's subsided naturally.) She also predicted at some point in his teens he will probably find it more socially undesirable (he's 13 now, 10 when tested) and at that point she will refer him to a behavioral therapist so he can learn to substitute another behavior that's more socially acceptable. She said he will probably always feel the urge, and mentioned that she has anecdotally found rubbing the edge ridged of a quarter to have been the most effective substitute, with training.

Edited August 8, 2017 by idnib

[ktgrok]

DS has this, although it's declined through the years. I had him evaluated twice for autism (once through the school district and one through a private neuropsychologist) and both said he's not on the spectrum at all.

 

The neuropsychologist considered it a tic and diagnosed it as such. (At that point he was also blinking a lot, but that's subsided naturally.) She also predicted at some point in his teens he will probably find it more socially undesirable (he's 13 now, 10 when tested) and at that point she will refer him to a behavioral therapist so he can learn to substitute another behavior that's more socially acceptable. She said he will probably always feel the urge, and mentioned that she has anecdotally found rubbing the edge ridged of a quarter to have been the most effective substitute, with training.

 

The neurologist said something similar about my DD, that when it became an issue socially we could address it. She stopped on her own. I rub the edge of my shirt which may also fall into that category. 

[Crimson Wife]

It's considered a "soft sign" of ASD. Meaning that in conjunction with other symptoms, it would be a "red flag". But by itself, it's not. All 3 of my kids did it when they were little, but the two that are not on the spectrum learned to substitute more socially acceptable movements like "high five", arm pumps with a "whoo-hoo", or whatever. The one with autism is still working on "shaping" the behavior to be more socially appropriate.