Some children do hand flapping during early development phase but the key is how long these behavior lasts. If the child grows out of these behaviors, generally around 3 years of age, then it is not much worrisome. But if a child hand flaps everyday then there is cause for concern.
Hand flapping is only a cause for concern if it results in self-harm or gets in the way of the child's daily living, through limiting the use of his/her hands.
Hand flapping and autism
Hand flapping can present itself as a stimming behavior in many ways, including: Moving fingers vigorously. Clicking fingers. Moving arms.
Although a common sign of autism, hand flapping does not mean your child definitely has autism. Many other children flap their arms when excited, particularly at a young age.
Is Hand Flapping Normal? Yes, flapping hands is normal behavior, but only if your child outgrows it by 2-3 years of age. If it is accompanied with other worrying behaviors such as not making eye contact, lining up toys, not responding to their name, etc.
Many people see a child rocking or flapping and they think, “Oh, that child has autism.” That's not always the case! These behaviors are caused by unmet sensory needs and can be found in all different types of children, even those without disorders. In fact, adults often engage in self-stimulatory behaviors.
Hand flapping and jumping are common motor responses among children with autism or other SPDs. These extraneous movements are a way for their bodies to cope with sensory overload and filter information.
Infants may flap their arms and hands when they are excited or upset. If you notice your child is flapping in response to an emotional trigger, it may simply be a physical way to express emotions. They will likely outgrow the flapping in time.
“High-functioning autism” isn't an official medical term or diagnosis. It's an informal one some people use when they talk about people with an autism spectrum disorder who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. They can live independently.
ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months of age or younger. By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered reliable. However, many children do not receive a final diagnosis until much older. Some people are not diagnosed until they are adolescents or adults.
“But they don't have loss of language, repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping or toe walking or severe language deficits,” Barkley says. With ADHD, Bertin says, there are often executive functioning delays which involve behavior, attention, organization and planning.
Hand flapping can be a sign of autism and is a repetitive movement that's quite common. It's not always a sign of autism, but could also be a sign of ADHD or a speech delay.
So if he'd want something he would take my hand and he would pull it and put it on the item that he wanted. This is called hand leading. Hand leading and lack of pointing with the index finger are core deficits often associated with early autism.
Unusual Body Movement
A child at risk for autism might move their hands, fingers, or other body parts in an odd and repetitive manner. Some examples are: arm flapping, stiffening arms and/or legs, and twisting of wrists.
Other times when hand flapping can be observed in children (both verbal and non-verbal) is when they are trying to express or communicate to others around them. It is viewed as them trying to express that they are: happy, excited, anxious, or angry.
Stimming does not necessarily mean a person has autism, ADHD, or another neurological difference. Yet frequent or extreme stimming such as head-banging more commonly occurs with neurological and developmental differences.
Some children do hand flapping during early development phase but the key is how long these behavior lasts. If the child grows out of these behaviors, generally around 3 years of age, then it is not much worrisome. But if a child hand flaps everyday then there is cause for concern.
About stimming and autism
Stimming might include: hand and finger mannerisms – for example, finger-flicking and hand-flapping. unusual body movements – for example, rocking back and forth while sitting or standing. posturing – for example, holding hands or fingers out at an angle or arching the back while sitting.
Children with autism often have speech delays, but speech delays alone do not mean your child has autism. Autistic speech delays usually occur along with other communication issues, such as not using gestures, not responding to their name, and not showing interest in connecting with people.
A child with a speech delay tends to naturally use body language and eye contact. Autistic children, on the other hand, may have trouble with social interaction, play skills, communication, and behavior. Children with autism may prefer to be alone.
Romski et al (2010) defined nonverbal toddlers as those whose Mullen expressive language scores were below 12 months and had fewer than 10 intelligible spoken words.
Stimming can take many different forms: visual: staring off into space, drawing, spinning things like pens or coins. verbal/auditory: repeating sounds, excessive giggling, constantly clearing throat. tactile: rubbing fingers, chewing/biting nails, chewing the inside of cheeks.
Children with ADHD often have difficulty paying attention to the same thing for too long, and they may get distracted easily. Autistic children may have a limited scope of interest. They may seem to obsess over things that they enjoy and have difficulty focusing on things that they have no interest in.