Compulsive Behavior or Bad Habit??

Our 6 yr old son has begun having repeated compulsive motions. At first it was repeated hand-smelling. That lasted for several weeks. Now he is repeatedily sticking out his tongue. He is worse when watching TV or doing some other quiet activity. But if he is outside or playing something with a lot of stimulus, he rarely does it. He is a very bright child and is not ADD or ADHD. If you ask him to stop, he will for a short time, but then forgets and continues. So far no one other than family seems to have noticed this behavior (it has only been going on for about 1

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Caroline,

It's too early to worry about your son's behavior. Incidents of such brief duration may not be a problem at all. Sometimes the most sensible strategy is 'watchful waiting', and I would definitely urge you to follow such a strategy now.

Should the repetitive movements continue, please keep us up to date. Early signs of Tourette Disorder can be similar to your son's behavior, and other tic disorders can look like this also.
But there's really no indication at this point that your son is displaying any disorder. Keep us posted.