Dear Melissa,
I have two boys, ages 3 and 7. My 7-year-old son was diagnosed with Autism when he was 2 years old. My older son has several self-stimming behaviors including flapping his hands, spinning in circles, and rocking. He primarily engages in these behaviors when he is excited. During the past month, I have noticed that my younger “typical” son has also begun to flap his hands when he is excited. Should I be concerned that my 3-year-old has Autism as well?
Any time you see your child mimicking self-stimming behaviors, it can set off a firestorm of emotions. The prospect of a second child with Autism can be very confusing. I have had MANY mamas express this concern to me. Most of this blog is my opinion about sibling mimicking based on many years of working with children with Autism as well as their families and siblings.
The basics of stimming
Let’s go back to the basics of “stimming.” Stimming is a repetitive, stereotypical behavior that is one of the diagnostic criteria for Autism. Children with Autism engage in these stimming behaviors to calm themselves and help them regulate a sensory system that is often very out-of-sync. Many common stims include flapping hands, rocking, spinning, blinking, random mouth noises, chewing non-food objects, etc. Again, these socially inappropriate activities serve a purpose in helping soothe the individual with Autism.
Is it just a phase?
Let’s not forget that kids do weird stuff. They are kids…that’s what they do! This is what makes them so much fun! If a sibling of a child with Autism begins to spin or flap his hands, I generally don’t get concerned. The behavior itself is NOT the problem. The REASON behind the behavior is more of a concern. If the sibling is truly “neuro-typical”, then he won’t really get anything out of the stimming behavior. It will simply be a quirky act that he engages in for a month or two before moving on to the next quirky behavior. In other words, it’s just a phase.
When is there cause for concern?
Though the data is somewhat varied, siblings of children with Autism have a 7-19% increased chance of having Autism themselves. You should contact your child’s pediatrician if you: 1) observe that these stimming behaviors continue for more than a couple of months, OR 2) observe a significant regression in your younger child’s language or other developmental milestones lasting more than a couple months. I would also recommend consulting with your older child’s occupational therapist. It is likely that he/she knows your family well and has casually observed the younger sibling on multiple occasions. As someone who has been in this business for over a decade, I have learned to be observant for “red flags” in siblings, often months/years before the parent is aware there may be a problem.
Do you have a child with Autism? How have you addressed concerns with siblings?
Or do you have more than one child with a diagnosis of Autism?
I would love to year your ideas/comments for this question!
You can send questions to share@ChildrensTherapyTEAM.com
Resources:
American Academy of Pediatrics: Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Web MD: Child’s risk whenolder sibling has Autism
National Institute of Mental Health: Autism Risk in Younger Siblings