who should I speak to about my DD's (3yr) involuntary movements?

[MonkeyChicken]

My DD is 3.3. When she is concentrating or observing she often has a range of involuntary movements. She rocks back and forth, her wrists twist quickly and then her arms start flapping, her head tilts and her mouth gapes, her body judders. This can happen maybe 5 to 20 times a day. It mostly happens with fairly mundain stuff - watching me load the dishwasher, crossing the road, waiting for me to open the car. It doesn't happen when she is physically engaged in something.

She's been at a pre-school for 4 terms now. They specialise in SEN. They set up a diary so I now have some eveidence that it's not just me that sees it. The pre-school have no other worries about her. She is very able in her speach & Language and her numeracy & literacy. (They have just suggested she starts learning to read.) She is shy in large groups but her social skills have rocketed since she turned 3 and she is confident in small groups. She has no problems with her physical development. Fine and gross motor skills all bang on.

It's like a tic. She first started at 3 months when I put her in the baby bouncer. I've spoken to HV and GP previously and they laughed at me. (They haven't seen the movements in action) Just had a parents' eve and the pre-school has suggested going back to the GP. Can anyone advice what would be the next step. Should I be asking to see an OT or a peadtrician or what?

Can you catch a video clip to show your GP?

It would really help if I could get a clip. I'll try this weekend when DH is home. It's amazing how tricky it is.

Hmm maybe perch the camcorder somewhere in the kitchen overlooking the dishwasher so then try and get her in kitchen to watch you load it iyswim. Don't tell her u will be filming otherwise she will be concious of it

You know, I wouldn't wait to catch it on film; I would go back to the GP now armed with what you observe and the written observations of the pre-school and I would be firm about wanting a referral.

If you can get an example on film before your refferal meeting so much the better but your descriptions are very clear and should be sufficient for a professional to understand!

good luck

You DO need to get it on film. you won't be taken seriously otherwise. your first step will be to go to the GP with the film. They may refer to a paed to do an EEG to investigate things like absence seizures, focal epilepsy, dystonia, myoclonus.

don't panic, lots of children have tics but you do need to investigate it.

Thank you all. We will have to record her with a regular camera. As soon as she clocks us we get cheesy grins or demands to "have a go". Think we need to prioritise this though. Every time I've mentioned it HV and GPs have been dismissive as she is a healthy, able girl. A clip would make all the diference. I think initally we thought maybe she could be on the low end of an SEN spectrum, but that's just not adding up at the mo. People keep saying the movements might stop or fade, but they are not and I think it's time I tried to find out a bit more. Pedalpants your suggestions are useful thanks.

Something like 15% of children have tics - it's very common, don't panic! My DS has them too. Not considered going to the docs, to be honest.

I have dystonia and it doesn't sound like that to me ( tends to occur during "learned" movements, writing, walking etc), but it does sound neurological. Agree with pedalpants though, video will be vital in getting a diagnosis if it's not something that happen on demand. Is it causing her problems, does it seem painful, embarressing, likely to cause an accident?