Flapping - is it Motor Sterotypes instead of Autism?

[Guest guest]

I wish I had gotten more responses to my recent query about the extreme stimming/flapping our grandson we are raising (age 5) does (flapping cords/string in front of face about 25% of the day, from sun up to sun down, nothing stops his need to do this ). Last night I viewed a youtube clip of Motor Stereotype children, who flap, self stim an awful lot but are otherwise fairly normal in between (all the videos seemed to show girls who were fairly verbal, if you said their name they 'came out of' their flapping. to respond.) I am surprised that in all of my grandson's diagnosises no one has ever mentioned that label. I'd have to say that my grandson does stim a lot more often than the kids in those videos though.

Interesting is their contrast to tics. They said that this type of "motor sterotype" stimming is not a build up of tension that is relieved and then builds again like a tic or Tourette's. Also interesting, the fact that medication was not proven to 'lessen' it (naturally the doctor has asked me try medication when he starts Kindergarten next year to relax him to stop the stimming so 'he can learn better." ) . And that studies seeking more info on this condition were currently taking place ('s Hopkins) and that maybe it's a genetic thing. Also, that for some of the children the involuntary body motions did not start until later on, like age 2, or for a few, around age 3 (this would decribe our grandson) , much like autism doesn't really show up more clearly until a child fails to go above the level or paralled play with others (among other traits). Many of the children sucked in their lower jaw (which our grandson does) as they did the self stim behavior. For some of the kids they sort of described motor sterotypes not so much as a disability but a birth defect (in other words, it's not going away and the treatment is learning how to deal with it. ) That kids could be perfectly normal except that their body has to do this electrical stuff. Sort of like bad cases of hair twirling or thumb sucking (stage 2 I think they called the extreme body motions as compared to stage 1 for thumb suckers.) Interesting. Also mentioned was that autism could be a co-morbid (?) condition to motor sterotype conditions. I would have to say that the need for the physical self stimming seems to be more of a problem for our grandson than 'autism' characteristics.

Anyway, at school they are going to try to 're-classify' grandson on Wednesday so any comments are very very welcome ASAP. The school is seeking to 'get him more help' after the state hospital refused to diagnosis him with autism (4 visits and extensive testing) which of course would have gotten him more services. In the classroom he is usually off task and self stimming (I don't know how the teacher can stand it, or the other kids concentrate, with all the noises of him flapping stuff or drumming stuff. At home it gets awfully annoying from 3 - 9 p.m. I can assure you, bless his heart. ) He did have an aide last year when he started at the public pre-school (many tantrums the regular teacher could not deal with, he'd have to finally be carried from place to place ) but once they put him on a picture schedule and got him to stop tantruming, the aide was taken away. The doctors at the state hospital finally diagnosed RAD, reactive attachment disorder as they felt his "self stimming had become a habit when he was neglected as a baby" (which I disagree with, as he showed absolutely no self stim behavior until age 2 3/4) combined with possible mini-strokes (you have to call his name over and over to get him to zone in on about half your command/requests, but then he is quite graciously compliant.) He is very good with the adult therapists, having had that as his entire non-family social life since age 2, so they see him as charming and cute and much more interactive than the usual autism child.

He is not social, has never played with or talked to any other child at pre-school (but does talk some and play some with his little brother 15 months younger). But then again, what pre-school child wants to play with a spinning flapping kid who ignores you and is awfully busy 'doing their own thing.' He flaps stuff (or finds anything to stim out on) about 25% of his time. He does not do it while eating or during transitions (like driving in car or during a new and interesting experience). That was another hallmark of Motor sterotypes, the child could be 'distracted' out of it, at least for awhile.

Grandson sees a speech therapist twice a week and also goes to O.T. twice a week for an hour each (even visits with her have never slowed down the stimming one iota.) The websites for the Motor Sterotype info said that what's needed is a 'behavior specialist' who can work on cutting down the self stimming (age 7 and above) or making it more socially acceptable or learning to do it privately, etc. I know our school has access to the O.T. & and P.T. but where the heck do I find a behavioral therapist? What sort of disability populationsn do they normally serve (so I can find out where to find one). Is that something the school should find for me? I am a teacher and I have never heard of one. (Yeah, I'll look it up on the internet.)

Our grandson's vocabulary started out incredibly late and was incredible low, and while he is not chatty and there's not much two way conversation, his vocabulary (a bit unclear) is very large now between age 4 1/4 and 5 1/4, and we are so thankful. Much easier to reason with him now (although 10 times harder than reasoning with his 3 year old brother who seems quite normal and is quite social). Thanks for putting up with all my parenthesis and hope I hear from some people on Motor Sterotypes vs. autism/aspergers.