I am getting more concerned about my son. Since he was about 9 months he did this head-bobbing thing, that seemed to be a soothing mechanisim for him. When he was still doing it a 4years old, I took him to the ped who did an eye test which came back fine. He blew it off and said it was probably just a mild tic. He also does hand-flapping when he is very excited or anxious. Over the past few months he also has started blinking a lot. He is a very normal kid, no behaivor issues, social, bright, etc. We went to a birthday party over the weekend and the kids were all standing in line waitng to play a game and he was the only one jumping, bobbing his head, and flapping is arms in excitment, like he couldn't sit still.
I am not sure if there is something going on with him or if these are just normal tics that he will out grow. I worry about him getting close to school age and getting made fun of.
My son is autistic and these are the behaviors that he has too. It is probably a VERY mild form of autism. He is probably very high functioning and these are the sorts of behaviors that soothe him. My son does EXACTLY what you son does when he gets excited.
My son has Asperger's and your description certainly sounds like him. I would have him evaluated by a developmental pediatrician or psychologist who can diagnose autism spectrum disorders. I know as soon as you hear autism you panic (I know I did) but there is a wide range of abilities and symptoms on the spectrum and your son sounds like he would be on the extremely mild end of the spectrum if he's on it at all. Most people who meet my son have no idea he has Aspergers (unless they are already familiar with the disorder) because he is outwardly a very, very typical child. He just has some anxiety issues and a few behaviors (such as you mentioned) that require a little extra attention.
Good luck,
K.
Hi Y., my nephew (now age 8) has the same issues. He has been flapping, jumping up and down, and making noises since he was a baby. He was diagnosed with ADHD while in first grade. He has been in occupational therapy through the school district, and about a year ago he started taking Straterra. The combination of the therapy and the medication have helped him a lot. He can sense when he's getting the urge to flap his hands, and has learned to stop himself.
So, even if your son does not have ADHD, maybe some occupational therapy might be helpful to give him the tools to learn how to control his urges to do those tics. You can contact your school district and have him screened. The therapy is free through the school district.
It sounds like he may have a form of autism. I work with autistic children and his tics sound like those exhibited by chidren with autism. Do some research online about autism and see if it sounds like the things that your child is doing. Then ask your doctor if this could be the case.
Lots of kids (including me, I learned a few years ago), could be placed somewhere on the Autism Spectrum. Asperger's Syndrome is pretty common, and although some kids with said syndrome may develop habits that seem a bit strange (perhaps "geeky"), they are usually extremely capable and even gifted.
Google Autism Spectrum and Sensory Integration Disorder to find checklists of behaviors. Here's one very comprehensive list: http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-proces...
Again, don't panic. Your little guy sounds basically ok, but might do even better if he has particular needs that you can take into account.
Hand flapping can be autism but with your the other tics, I suspect tourettes. If it is Tourettes there is often other disorders that can go along with it such as ocd, adhd. The doctor can run blood test and ct scan to test for it. Good luck.
maybe tourettes - you dont have to be cussing, sometimes it manifests as body tics
I hate to say it, but these sound a little like syptoms of very mild autism. I'm not an expert by any means, but you may want to look in to it. Good luck to you and your son. I am thinking good thoughts for you.
Get your pediatrician or school to have an occupational therapist evaluate him. He may be needed some sensory input to help him regulate--which he can learn to do as part of his routine later on.
My friend's son has similar issues. They found out his was sensory processing disorder. They took him to an occupational therapist who has been able to help him control the movements (like the hand-flapping).
Good luck and trust your instinct.
Don't get too freaked out- if he has friends and he is doing good in school and at home don't worry about it!!! maybe he is just naturally hyper! Maybe you should have another opinion and have him checked for add or adhd- but if you already trust your ped. then you should just wait and see if he grows out of it!
We had a somewhat similar concern with our 5 year old. We asked for a referral to a pediatric neurologist who examined her, and felt it was a tic-like thing she would outgrow. He added that if she didn't figure out how to control it, that a referral to a behavioral therapist would be in order. Interestingly, he added that something like 1 in 3 kids has some kind of "tic" if you look closely enough. As far as other kids noticing-so far only one girl said something and she called it "dancing," which was sweet.
Having said that, maybe keep a journal of how and when he does it then ask for some referrals from your pediatrician. Maybe a neurologist and or a child psychiatrist with experience in Tourette's. Feel free to email me.
J.
It sounds a lot like my son, who has autism and Tourette's. I'd advice taking him to a neurologist and having some testing done. There is no blood test to test for either of these like a previous poster had stated; just a list of behaviors. I, too, have Tourette's, and to be officially diagnosed with it, a person has to exhibit both motor and vocal tics. If it's just a few motor tics, it could just be a minor tic disorder. If it doesn't bother your son, and he's functioning fine socially, I wouldn't make a big deal out of it yet.
my brother is 21 and still does that. he doesnt even notice that he does. we call it his motorcycle rev, because he cups his hands and moves them forward and back like he is reving a motorcycle. he also claps his hands when he gets really excited. he does has some learning problems, but over all, is just fine. its just a little tic of his.
Yeah, the first thing came to mind was possibly autism. I hope it is not, because you said he behaves socially normal. Does he have problem communicating? Just have him checked for that to rule out that it is not autism and just a normal tic. All the best
