Does hand flapping look ret*d?

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Obviously that's a simple topic question. My dad while in the store saw my flapping and said STOP! Get away from me if you are going to do that you look ret*d!! I was like oh and put my hands in my pockets and fidgetted with my fingers around in my pocket. I fidget with my fingers ALOT! So does anyone else NOT like your hand flapping?

No.

Punch your dad for thinking such.

Many non hand-flapping people look ret*d to me...

It does look odd. And I say that as someone who used to flap their hands a lot, when I was excited.

I've managed to tone it down now, to the same sort of gestures that NTs use. So I'll rub or 'wring' my hands rather than flapping them. Will still tap my feet when I'm concentrating, and scratch my head when I'm stressed, but these things are more acceptable and go largely unnnoticed. BTW I'm 34 years old.

It takes a lot of determination and practice to look 'normal'. Whether you want to do that is, of course, another debate entirely.

I've wringed my hands my entire life, but I've never really flapped them. I don't care what people think of my hand wringing. I'm going to do it, anyways.

This kind of depends on what your question is. Does hand flapping make you stand out (I find "ret*d" used in that context to be almost obscene)? Yes, it does. Should you care? Well, depending on how much control you have over it, probably not. Why does it matter what other people think?

Who cares if it does? Looking, or even being ret*d doesn't make a person any less of a person.

Unfortunately, to the majority of people out there, yes it does.

I didnt think I did any hand flapping but I guess I do that and a whole lot of other strange things. When I asked my mother if I do a lot of hand flapping and odd movements she empahtically said yes. I have not had a lot of negative attention from it, as I have been undiagnosed for 37 years! So I dont think it looks "ret*d"- that is a mean thing for him to say.Of course, I didnt hear his tone

You know, when I was a kid I did a lot of pacing and spinning and my mom would often make me stop in public and told me that people would think I was "ret*d" but it wasn't to be cruel.

ret*d, ret*d.
Socially, yes, kind of.
Mentally, no.
I think.
No.

I just think it really stands out to other people. It just depends on if you care what others think.

Yes, it does, that's why I don't do it around others.

Hand flapping is about the only thing I haven't done. I've always been more of a scratcher/picker/hair twiddler. I've found that I like to have something in my pocket to fiddle with...coins, a pretty pebble, etc. Some stores sell "worry stones" for your pocket. I've found a worry stone is a big help for me.

My parents didn't like this either, but I can see why. Basically, practically nobody else does it so it singles you out, thus the people who you may have to work or associate with may make unfair judgments about you. Try to limit how often you flap your hands in public.