My 4-year-old has in the past week started using this ritualistic set of gestures...one hand slaps the other, some elaborate hand and finger maneuvers, each hand slaps the front of the head, then one hand to each ear, and then often starting all over again within the minute. When asked, she will tell you it has to do with "cleaning".
I'm not as freaked out as I otherwise would be, because I used to have quite a menu of these behaviors myself as a child. However, I don't know what it is (or even what to call it, for googling purposes), I don't know if it's related to the other sensitivity symptoms I've observed, and I'm not sure how to react to it (if at all).
Is it related to other behaviors associated with giftedness---the sensitivity to noise, temperature, and shoes/clothing? Dabrowski mentions nervous habits and tics (along with the sleeplessness and need for speed that she also clearly has). Or should I be looking outside of giftedness entirely: it could be mild OCD (I suspect this too runs in the family), or it could be a stress reaction (positive, but big changes in the past two months).
Should I back off on cleanliness a bit (asking her to wash her hands or noting that something is dirty)? Should I just ignore it? Should I advise her that it's okay at home but don't do it in front of others? Any advice is much appreciated. This is my first time posting here, so sorry for the long message!
