Neurotypical child “stims”

amother

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 8:41 pm

My 3 year old daughter does this weird thing when she get excited or really into playing- almost looks like she is “stimming” with her fingers near her head. She’s been doing it since she’s very young. Like ten months. Does anyone have a kid who does this or know what I am talking about ? When I ask her about it she says “because it’s perfect”

amother

Burgundy

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 9:05 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

could be a tic.

jeweled

Sun, Jul 12 2020, 9:15 pm

Sounds like complex motor stereotypy. Sometimes kids see pictures in their brains when they stim. Sometimes not. Nothing really to do about it. Sometimes the kid learns to control it when they get older.

amother

Natural

Mon, Jul 13 2020, 12:54 am

The word "neurotypical" is stupid. You're not "typical" just because you don't have a diagnosis. Would you call Einstein Neuro"typical"? Mozart?

amother

Mon, Jul 13 2020, 7:25 am

I was trying to explain that she doesn’t have autism and she does this type of thing. And I actually got her diagnosis from my description bh! I’ve been searching the web for over two years to figure this out and jewel on imamother had the answer. But thanks for your critique.

FranticFrummie

Mon, Jul 13 2020, 7:37 am

amother [ Natural ] wrote:

The word "neurotypical" is stupid. You're not "typical" just because you don't have a diagnosis. Would you call Einstein Neuro"typical"? Mozart?

I agree that it is a weird sounding word. Personally, I hate it when posters ask "is this normal". What is normal? I'm not fond of being labeled "bipolar" or "manic", but if it gets me the help I need, at the end of the day I don't take it personally.

But I hear what OP is saying. Neurotypical is an awkward word, and doesn't sound very PC, but it's the current lingo for doctors to use when trying to make a differential diagnosis.

It's just words that help point doctors in the right direction. I like to think of them as signposts on the road, so the doctors don't go off on the wrong track.

amother

Pink

Mon, Jul 13 2020, 8:15 am

amother [ Natural ] wrote:

The word "neurotypical" is stupid. You're not "typical" just because you don't have a diagnosis. Would you call Einstein Neuro"typical"? Mozart?

Einstein and Mozart were not neurotypical.
Stephen Hawking was.
What should OP write? Her child without Autism? Neurotypical is the word.

amother

Natural

Mon, Jul 13 2020, 9:31 am

Sorry if it sounded like I was blaming OP, I just think it's a terrible word because "typical" has its own meaning. Why not just say neurohealthy?

It would be like saying "he had a typical body" for someone who doesn't have any disease. Even if he's 6'5. Even if he is a super muscular body builder. That's not the meaning of typical! Of course you could happen to really have a "typical" body, be average height, average weight, not particularly muscular...

amother

Yellow

Mon, Jul 13 2020, 10:07 am

amother [ Natural ] wrote:

Neurodivergents are different than typical, not necessarily less healthy. "Neurotypical" means typical neurologically, and it's an okay word.

amother

Yellow

Mon, Jul 13 2020, 10:11 am

Brains are different from bodies, and the comparison doesn't make sense. If anything, physical features are more likely to be considered typical even if they are not average. Tall, short, dark, light, freckled and non-freckled people are considered typical.