Finger/hand flapping-like movements when excited

Post Reply New Topic

Does anyone else have this issue? I've had it since as far as I can remember (currently 27 years old). It's not a big deal, it's nothing like a repetitive tic, and it only really happens when I'm excited or elevated emotionally in some way.

I don't have that particular issue but I have been known to squeal and carry on like a 5 year old when I get really excited.

I flapped my hands as a child and when I'm really exited or upset now I kind-of shake my hands and sometimes I jump up and down or run back and forth in the living room when I'm exited.

For me it is this finger flapping motion. Hard to describe. But it's really not a big deal. I just want to understand what the hell it is at some point in my life. I don't think it is autism in my case? But it seems to be strongly correlated with autistic behavior based on research I've done.

Your Aspie score: 95 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 121 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical trait

Last edited by probably_abnormal on 22 Mar 2014, 10:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I think it's normal.

It is most certainly not normal because nobody I know does it. I sometimes get comments about it, but it's not debilitating. But, I don't have a huge problem with socializing (besides being a typical nerd, but whatever).

Over a lifetime, I've moderated my stims toward the socially acceptable, or the least oddball possible. That was necessary at the time but now I'm retired and I'm trying to get my stims back because life is so much better that way.

Flapping hands and fingers morphed into keeping time with imaginary music. The one thing that seriously handicapped me was refusing to wave my hand in front of my face when trying to think. Now I do as much of that as I like.

It does sound not sound like a problem, just an idiosyncrasy. Fine finger flapping fun for familiar folk.

WP should have a hand-flapping emoticon.

I'm told I still do it when I get excited.

It's stressful and difficult to control flapping when excited or stressed. Some people will be bothered. I don't think it does any good to worry about. I stim when upset, when concentrating, when excited. Some people judge. Those people judge anyway, I think.

Last edited by Waterfalls on 23 Mar 2014, 12:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Since I was 3 or 4.

Could you tell me more about the "face" part of it? It sounds similar to what I did as a child/still do sometimes, but like you, I moderated it into more socially acceptable behavior. Mine wasn't what I would call flapping, but rather moving my fingers quickly - it's hard to describe - on my nose and just in general. I've never seen anyone else do it and it's been hard for me to deal with because it seems so strange. It's not the typical stimming I see in autistic children. As most people mention, it happens when I am thinking a lot/mentally excited. I could never articulate it - my mom is so disturbed by it, but doesn't seem to get that on the list of things that bother me, it ranks really low. I've controlled it as much as I can - she seems to think I must be totally unaware when I do it like I'm having some sort of episode, and I can't explain that I usually realize I'm doing it, but if I'm not around people, I just don't care. It's just like a tic or nervous habit. I never do it around her, but a few times she did catch me and she notices even when I try to hide it.

I also relate to the jumping/running around the room someone mentioned earlier when alone.

Most definitely. I also have one Aspie friend who does this when she's excited or in one of her giggly moods.

I can't say anything about the first part of your post in relation to my own self as a child as I don't remember that anymore and would have to ask my parents (and they most likely didn't pay attention to that), but yes, the second part of your post sounds very very much like me!
In fact, I'm feeling that way right now because I'm happy that I succeeded in doing something. I just feel hyperactive now!

I bend my fingers on the gear stick when I'm driving, and I really don't know why.

I also flap my hands when I've completed a task that I'm happy with/excited to have completed or I've bought some new gadget to fill my special aspie interests.

for me the following is true:

1. hand flapping / rocking back and forth / making various noises when happy
2. rocking back and forth when stressed
3. various noises depending on emotional state / when processing something (e.g. voice ID lookup, TimeTrack search, etc.)

any of these things can occur independently or simultaneously depending on situation