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Behaviour/development

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Almost 3 year old grinding teeth and shaking head

2 replies

Katie28 · 23/02/2014 19:49

I am mum to dd 5, ds 2 (one month off 3) and ds 10 months. Ds2 is the most lovable, cuddly, caring little boy and is very bright and articulate. However he is worrying me with his behaviour.

He gets very excited and grabs his little brother's hands and jumps up and down, gripping them tightly and grinding his teeth. He also often bounces and shakes his head. He also has a tendency to turn upside down and wave his legs in the air. We think the start of this behaviour was when our third baby was born, but he is still doing it, now more than ever.

He goes to nursery two mornings a week and they haven't voiced any concerns. He is developmentally normal if not a bit ahead. He talks really well so it's not a communication problem.

I really hope it's just a phase but I'm worried he is hyperactive or autistic. I know very little about either of these things but have scared myself googling head shaking and teeth grinding!

Has anyone else had a child who displayed these behaviours? Any advice greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
nutty1966 · 24/02/2014 12:37

my DD grinds her teeth at night but seems to do so less since I've cleaned up the family diet (no E numbers, trans fats, etc.) I've thought of taking her to a cranial osteopath anyway as I've heard this can help a great deal.

It sounds like your DS is needing a lot of vestibular/proprioceptive stimulation. That doesn't mean he's autistic. My DS (age 7) is similar and he's "dyslexic"... the sensory seeking can happen for a number of reasons.

Katie28 · 25/02/2014 19:05

Thank you I will do some more research into what you've suggested :-)

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