Expert: AliMcJ - 6/26/2004

Question
Hi Ali,

  My question is about my sister who  can be extremely "fidgety" at times.  What I notice is that she can't keep her hands off of other peoples things and is always tyring to change things around the house.  We can no longer leave food in the refrigerator because she will ruin all our food.  Almost everything she touches she ends up ruining it somehow.  She is not always like this but she comes in and out of it.  Do you have any idea what causes her to behave like this?

Answer
It's her learning style -- tactile. Some people touch everything (and have a hard time in museums!  I like to touch things a lot too, as a way of experiencing the world)

Your sister is extreme about this though -- if she touches things that aren't meant to be touched, like food, and ruins them -- I assume that by fidgeting you mean she touches things and then can't just leave it at that but continues handling things until they're a wreck -- it is a problem that needs attention.  The inability to stop handling things might be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Is she a little girl or grown?  

Have you given her the opportunity to learn ceramics or knitting or things she can touch and do with her hands?  It might divert her attention a little and give her something satisfying to do with her hands -- until you can get some help for her (usually medication for OCD is prescribed)