Stereotypic Movements

[Lidya123]

My 20 month old daughter twirls her hands and feet while holding her breath, making an "o" facial expression. There will be days she only does it once all day, while other days are more frequent, such as once per hour. She does this more when she focuses on something, such as: trying to press a button, configure an iPad, trying to paint or trying to draw.

There are NO other red flags developmentally. She has a great vocabulary, understands direction, can detect feelings in others and express her own feelings. She seems quite bright in all her developmental milestones. In researching online (bad idea I know), I'm thinking she may be doing "stereotypic movements." Also, she slightly bangs her head to soothe herself to sleep, every night. Has anybody else had experience with this and if so, please elaborate. I am sick to my stomach in thinking "the worst." Any comments are appreciated. Thank you.