my 2 1/2 year old licks his hands and arms allot is this normal, he also still sticks his hand down his throat and gags himself from time to time is this also normal. he is in the regional center he was developmentaly delayed and he has other issue like tantrums where he will try to hurt himself. he also has been line things up to organize them sense he was 6 months old he will spend hours doing this. i was wondering if i should add this to the list when i take him to the doctor or if it was just a stage. please let me know what you think
You may want to request an evalutation looking more specifically for autism. Not to scare you, but these are not typical symptoms.
Hi S., No this is not normal, he should see a MD or perhaps an occupational therapist that can give you some insight to sensory needs that he may have. He's young and will get through this, and won't be licking himself, but eating dirt, rocks is called pica. And licking may be part of that. Your MD should have a good referral for OT, if you live in the South Bay of LA, the group called PTN is awesome. Pediatric Therapy Network.
good luck, Deb
Request an OT evaluation through the Regional Center - today, and document your request, either with an e-mail or a written letter. It will also be important to include an OT eval. looking at sensory issues when he Transitions to pre-school. Also, he should receive some Behavioral services through the Reg. Center, if not, request that right away also. There tends to be waits to see specialists, so if I were you, I would request from the Reg. Ctr. and from the pediatrician, and see who can evaluate him sooner. The school district will have to do a seperate evaluation regarding any "educationally necessary" therapies or services needed. Be prepared with answers to when he does these behaviors, what happens right before he does it, and right after? Does it seem worse at certain times?
Blessings....
Hi S.. I don't think that a toddler licking himself a lot is typical. Does he have other sensory issues or developmental issues? If so I would talk to your doctor ( if he/she listens) or call Regional Center to ask for an eval.
my son gagged himself too...he's done it to the point of throwing up. the weird thing is I can remember loving to gag myself with a cold spoon as a kid. With that in mind, i told my 2 year old to stop multiple times, but that just made him laugh. So, i decided to ignore it and not give it any attention...and it's pretty much gone away.
the good news is that he's not going to really hurt himself gagging or licking himself...perhaps he's experimenting?
i'm not sure about the development delays - and agree that getting any help with evaluation and early intervention could bring you a great deal and improve things. I know of so many stories where docs thought kids were terribly delayed and then by 5 years old they were caught up, perhaps by early intervention, perhaps by themselves.
Sounds like it could be an electrolyte issue as well as other things. You may want to try giving him 10-15 Hyland's Bioplsma (rather than junk like Gatorade)each day before you freak out and spend thousands of dollars on something that might just be precipitated by an imbalance.
It sounds like a nervous tic. My dad drummed on his legs, one of my daughters twirled her hair until it broke off, leaving ragged patches and bald spots, and my son scratched until he bled - not because he itched, but because it was a habit. Now, he tends to chew not his nails, but his fingers. It's annoying, frustrating and as I'm sure you've seen, it can leave rashes and raw spots.
My kids also like to arrange things and line them up. It's a way of both personalizing and organizing their universe. As a kid, I made parades with my toy animals almost daily. I find myself tidying racks in stores, especially books or cards. :)
Don't get angry, but gently and firmly remind him to stop every time he does it. You might, as he gets older, point out that it will bother people if he does it in public. Really, though, the only thing that stops this kind of nervous habit is substituting another. Try those squishy balls, pipe cleaners, anything you or he can carry around and play with to keep his hands busy. With my son, it helps if he's constantly chewing gum or snacking - he feels the need to have something in his mouth all the time, and he's 14 years old.
Good luck, and God bless.
I think gagging is probably not a sign of anything. He probably doe sit to get some attention from you which also rules out autisim-autistic kids don't want any contact. Still if you feel nervous about those as a mom, you would know the best. Then I would suggest that you mention it to your doctor just for the ease of your mind
this sounds like a sensory issue. sometimes you can get a referral from your dr. to go see an occupational therapist. they can give you some good ideas about how to help him satisfy those urges in a different way.
my son has a few little things like this -a more simple one is- he likes to be wrapped like a baby and hugged really tightly...he is looking for whole body stimulation, the OT told me to take him to the playground and let him hang and swing on the bars to alleviate this need. it works and makes me feel better about future social interaction. i tried to ignore this and it got worse. for some i know ignoring it can help it go away. it didn't for me. the regional center is a great resource and it is free. your doctor can help you get an evaluation from there.
if this is a anxiety issue perhaps a substitution may help but it does sound like he likes does this to get a certain sensation in his mouth.
