Autism or similar?

[acbuchan]

Hi I have two autistic boys, I also have a 1 yr old, who has many movement disorders including ataxia, tremor and another wierd jerky movement. They initially said that he has ataxic cerberal palsy, but have now decided that it may be something else. Anyway I was wondering if any one knows, he is an unusual child, we are almost 99.9% sure that he is not autistic as he is very very friendly, love eye contact and is so nosy and friendly towards people that it is almost abnormal. We were eondering he also often does not answer or hear us when we call him (hearing tested fine) it like he gets so absorbed he doesnt hear us, he is so happy that it is abnormal, he has a lot of repetative movements like hand opening and closing and shoulder shrugging, and various intermitent stiffening (not epilepsy). He also every now and then gets a really bad temper when somthing is taken away and over reacts and screeches and hits out. He also has a wierd blinking things, when things get close to him (not really close) he blinks very fast and repetitively, he also at times does a scrunching up thing with his eyes, like adults do when they cant focus. Anyone heard of any of these hings in thier or other children? They say that we are going to have to wait until he is a few years older before they may be able to define exactly what is wrong with him but it is painful waiting! Thanks

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

By your description of his relational abilities, a key component in Pervasive Developmental Disorders, he may well not display PDD, though he is really too young to know. The neurological component seems paramount, and it may be a while before it's clear because development needs to take hold in order to reach some clarity.

[acbuchan]

Hi I was also wondering, he hits himself on the head a lot. He doesnt do it too hard, well not hard enough that he could bruise himself or anything but hard enough to be like a slap. We have never smacked him so it cant be learnt behaviour, anf his brothers havent smacked or hit him ever either. Do young children do this often? Do they get somthing out of it, some wierd pleasure? or is it an abnormal things to do? He also hits his ears a lot, which I checked his hearing/infections with the doctor, they were fine. Thanks

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It's not an unusual behavior in young children, who tend to do this when they are angry or frustrated (rather than as a self-stimulating behavior).