8 year old "Happy Feet"?

In the last month or so, I have noticed that my 8 year old son has started tapping and stomping his feet.  If he is standing, he will tap, stomp, and shuffle.  He pretty much looks like the little penguin on the cartoon "Happy Feet".  If he is sitting down, he swings his legs, jerks his ankles, curls and uncurls his toes.  I have looked up as much as I can on the subject and have gotten everything from dyskinesia and tourette's to restless leg syndrome.  I am starting to worry because this has only started happening recently.  I am going to call his doctor tomorrow and set up an appointment.  I just need a little peace of mind about what it might be.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

The research you have done gave you an important insight: any one behavior or symptom can have any one of a number of causes. Only evaluation will determine what is occurring. But there is note of reassurance: the possible explanations are not reasons for alarm.