repetetive behavior

My 3 1/2 year old son is a bright, normally developing child.  I'm wondering about some behavior that he displays (started about 7 months ago).  He has a tendency to either hop and flap his arms or will run back and forth and shake his hands.  This behavior increases when he's tired or relaxing at home.  I brought it up to my pediatrician and he said it could be just a soothing bnehavior such as when kids rock or bang their heads.  He almost looks autistic when he does it.  He is not autistic though. (I am a speech therapist and work in pediatrics with children with autism).  Can you think of any explanations?  Thanks

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Julie,

Given how well your son seems to be developing in general, the behaviors don't seem to pose cause for alarm. The pediatrician might well have a point, but this depends on the circumstances in which the behaviors occur.

Be very observant, and try to discern the pattern involved n the behavior. Probably the most important variable to discern is the precipitant to the behavior - i.e., what occurs just prior to it. It may well be a form of self-soothing, it may be an expression of excitement, it may be a sign of exhaustion or disorganization brought on by fatigue, etc. In other words, the behavior is meeeting some need - it's just not precisely clear what that need is.

[DENISE]

Hi. Have you ever heard of sensory integration dysfunction? some kids need extra movement to balance their sensory processing. Although this is often seen in children with autism, you can have SID and only SID. I have a few articles on my web site in case you'd like to read. My son has a slight problem with this, and I didn't even realize it until he was 6.
www.geocities.com/denisev2/
sensory integration dysfunction

Denise

[Stephany Fisher]

Have you considered Tourette's Syndrome as a possible cause for this repetitive behavior?