Expert: James Michael Roan - 9/9/2008

Question
QUESTION: Dr. Roan,
I have a 61/2 year old daughter.  She had expressive language delay till about age 3 1/2. She also stuttered for about 6 months. She wiggles her hands when she is imagining.  This has increased lately.  She has always been very social, had friends, listened well in school and  stayed at her peer level educationally.  This hand wiggling thing is bothering me so much.  People are noticing and going silent when they see it.  I have an 18 yr old nephew with aspergers and am so worried about my daughter. She does not have half the problems he had but children are so cruel.  I have tried to avoid having her labeled but this wiggly had thing has gotten worse and don't know if maybe I could get help for this???
Thanks,
Teresa

ANSWER: Hi Teresa;

By "wiggly hand" do you mean "flapping?" Does she do it when she is very excited? Please tell me more what it looks like exactly. Do you live in the U.S.?

Kind regards,
James

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,

Yes, I live in Massachusetts.
No, she does not flap.  When she is imagining she raises her left arm and twists both her hands.  Her facial expression changes a bit too.  No, not always when she is excited.  It really is when she is playing with imagination.  Other than that, I would not be questioning anything.  I can work with her speech.  If I say her name and break her concentration, she stops immediately.  Her kindergarten teacher told me to put this out of my head but she never saw my daughter do this.  When she had her expressive language delays in pre school her teacher said I should have her tested, but I felt she was expecting way more of Christie than of the other children.
Any ideas??
Teresa

Answer
i Teresa;

It doesn't sound like an autistic behavior. In autism, children "flap" and flick their fingers at the corners of their eyes. I have never seen this before! It may be just an idiosyncratic behavior. Take the ATEC online at: http://www.autism.com/ari/atec/atec-online.htm

and let me know the results. I really need more data and she is too old for other tests. if you are suspecting a high functioning form of autism like Asperger's syndrome, then go to the Australian Scale for Asperger's Syndrome at: http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/DX_scales.html. There is also a PDD-NOS scale there as well.

I'm happy to discuss the results of these with you.

Kind regards,
James