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My son is 26 months old. He flaps when he is REALLY excited or REALLY angry. He also once in awhile toe walks. Not all the time but goes in spurts. Will do it for a week and then stop. I know these are red flags for autism but his uncle and grandma used to flap. Could this just be hereditary or should I be worried. Makes good eye contact, answers to name, and loves to wrestle and give kisses.
Hi there, Tanya!
The thing about autism is that it's not 'one red flag'. It is a number of them all coming together. Certainly, having several of these autistic tendencies makes it more likely that the child is, indeed, autistic, but it's not a definite. In addition, 'autism' does not necessarily mean that the child is extremely impaired. A high-functioning autism may show some of the 'flags', and yet they are unimpaired with their learning, education, and many social cues.
Essentially, the best thing to do is to keep an eye on him for his general development. Rather than immediately panicking, take down notes on when you saw these things starting and keep them around. If you see issues in other areas, or regression in things that he used to have, then you will have the method to address the doctor with the earlier 'issues' and when they had started in your young man. In addition, by writing them down, you will not have to try and keep in mind everything that you have seen; it will all be down on paper for you to have available if you want to check back and refresh your memory.
The thing with flapping is that many young children who are completely neurotypical will do it as well. It is an exhibition of extreme excitement or anxiety, as you have noted above. Think about all the movies where a girl gets excited. She tends to be waving her hands, palms out. This gesture is a very common aspect of the 'language'. The main places to worry are when the flapping is happening a great deal, or when the emotion doesn't seem as if it *should* be as high as it is.
Hopefully my answer has been reassurance, and at least a little help! Comments, questions, feedback, whatever are welcome!
Trey
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Answers by Expert:
Trey McGowan
Expertise
My primary expertise is in the area of the social, psychological, and mental development of Aspergers Syndrome and other high-functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorders. I am also very knowledgeable in the communication disorders and common co-existing issues. I'm well-read on most of these as well as having experienced it myself. Other aspects of autism, I can do fairly well at as well, from the oversensitivity to the recognition of it. Warning: I am *not* a medical professional, and while I can research answers through books and online, I can not give direct medical expertise.
Experience
I am 19 years diagnosed Asperger's Autistic, and have been reading up and studying it, as well as taking 'first hand accounts' for most of those 14 years. In addition, I have had three children, adopted elsewhere, all of whom are varying degrees of autistic from mid to high functioning. My mother has done some research on the subject as well, and passed some of it on to me.
Education/Credentials
I have completed grade school and most of high school, and achieved a GED. I've also received home schooling.
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