My ds is 5 nearly 6. He doesn't have any LD or SN. When he is stressed he does involuntary movements. He had very bad stage fright at the school performance last week, and in the first song he was just about coping, but in the second he was in a chorus and he started moving around in a noticeably uncontrolled way, then arms swinging, then head rolling around. The chorus then sat down, he calmed down and at the end as he walked off stage he was fine and acting normally and laughing with a friend he was next to. He has done this once before for a performance about 18 months ago. Since then it has been ok, and I think the difference this time was a much bigger venue, a big stage, lots of people in the audience. The school required all the children to join in, it wasn't optional.
When he is out and about, if he gets stressed he starts to do the movements to a lesser extent, and if I tell him all is ok and to calm down quickly he can stop himself. When at the school, the teacher doesn't step in and he then gets himself into a bit of a state, and afterwards gets scared because he lost control.
His doctor has no idea what it is, but he hasn't actually seen ds when ds is doing it either. I have looked it up and found info on tics and dystonia and it doesn't sound like this is what it is. I found an old thread on a forum which I have now lost in which a woman said her child had a similar thing, her child was at that point 19 and over the years he had learned to control it, and he still did it now but it was a very small movement which no one noticed. Her child was very bright, and my ds is considered very bright by the school.
When ds was a toddler he used to do twisty jumpy movements when he was excited and he has grown out of this mostly. Now it is when he is very stressed.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? I would like to check that there isn't anything I should be doing or not doing, or looking out for (and hoping for a bit of reassurance because it is difficult to not worry!).
Thank you.