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spinng more than he actually walks HELP

luluandneil

my 2 year old son has for ppast 8 months done lot of spinning and flapping and i no spinning is normal with autism but to this extent im afraid for his safty he spins so fast and for so long practically all day every day even spins more than he actually walks is this another problem we need to deal with or is this normal thing with autism? We have our health visitor come once a fortnight but she clueless to what we can do till he diagnosed we are waiting to see the  special needs hv but again there is a waiting list i see him regressing infront of my eyes and am helpless and fustrated incase there is other problems as well as the autism and ive got no body to speak to or give me any answers what is happening and how to help and deal with my boy we have zero communication so have no idea how he feeling and cant explain anything to him as he doesnt understand

  • Yes he is very OTT but i dont no why all i noticed is he does it less when out of his comfort zone or other people are in his home then hes more fingers and hand flapping feet stampimg and pasting up and down in circles which i think is him bit anxious that something bothering him but when he seems more settled and comfortable with his family and few close freinds the spinning is just constant yet he rarley gets dizzy from it

  • Hi again - it sounds OTT if it's happening every few mins of the day.  I hadn't realised it was that frequent.  I hope the NAS link/contact no. will be helpful.  All I can think of is that something is permanently over-stimulating him in some way.  I wish I could be of more help + hope things improve soon for all of you.

  • thanks for the replys i have tried to see if there a reason for it but its just to frequent to be related to anything it which is why it so hard to understand its happens every few minutes all day everyday thank you for the contact number i will ring as i really need help to understand what happening as he constantly biting him self poking his eyes am so concerned for his saftey lately as he changeing so quickly

  • Hi luluandneil,

    I am sorry to hear about the worries you have about your son's spinning and also for how lost you are feeling.

    Our Autism Helpline may be able to help. Advisers can talk through the different types of support and search for services in your area, if you would like to call.

    The Helpline is open Monday to Friday, 10am – 4pm on 0845 070 4004.
    Adél, NAS

  • Hi - I'm no expert on spinning, altho my son did do a bit of spinning every so often when he was little + a bit of flapping as well.  He did it in response to being over-stimulated in some way, usually, looking back, because something was making him anxious.  But that may be only 1 of the reasons.   I was always amazed he never seemed to get dizzy or suffer ill effects from it.  He also enjoyed fairground rides where a lot of spinning was involved - totally loved it.  I also knew a little autistic boy who loved being spun round + round as much as possible + would actively seek it out.  So I think it can be enjoyable as well.  Obviously he needs to be able to spin in a place where his safety won't be compromised.  You can also try to distract him with something he enjoys doing.  You can identify what takes place prior to the spinning to see if there is a connection.  

    You could keep a diary to see if a pattern emerges.  Are you sure you have zero communication.  My son didn't start talking until he was 5 but he understood a number of words + short phrases.  He would find ways of communicating my bringing something to me, such as a cup if he wanted a drink, or he'd get something out of the fridge.  Keeping a careful eye on his body language + facial expressions can help you.