Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Stereotypic Movement Disorder (SMD) - Who Knew?

I just want to share this info and study about Stereotypic movement disorder (SMD) and its differentiation from tics and autistic stereotypies and even ADHD. My son has this and he calls it his creative shocks. It's nothing pathological and is very often misdiagnosed and misunderstood. Here is the link:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2010.03627.x/pdf

I hope it helps others!

Very intersting. Never heard of it. DS has DCD (and possibly ADHD) and used to be a major hand flapper. I don't see it very often anymore. I was never too worried about it because he was obviously only doing it when he was excited, and it didn't look like stimming. He also toe-walked sometimes (and still does), so between that and the hand-flapping, I knew what people were thinking when they watched him. I would love to know how many kids with DCD toe-walk because I have seen it before in kids who clearly have DCD but not other disorders like autism.

Irena - thank you for posting this- currently I am trying to determine if my DS10 has tourettes/tourettism or SMD or both..

Your welcome, LAF. Also, if your son is having tics, one thing that seems to help a lot is magnesium. I have both of my sons take a magnesium salt bath at least three times a week. (I use san fransisco Epsom salt). One was having nervous tics and they completely stopped within one week of starting the baths. They have not come back and it's been a year now. You can give magnesium supplements but I like the baths because the body will absorb the magnesium through the skin and will only absorbed as much as it needs so I don't have to worry about his getting too much or too little. But I have heard good things about the supplements too. For the bath, I put a little over 2 cups (measured with a measuring cup) on bath water and have him stay in the bath for 15 minutes. It is a good mineral that many of us and many children are deficient in.

I will try the magnesium baths thanks for the tip