NT Hand flapper

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I have always flapped my hands since I was really little. I do it when I'm excited, when I'm imagining things, etc. In fact, I used to go to my room and imagine things and hand flap. Yet, no one has ever suggested that I'm different in any way and so I never thought about it until one day when I searched it up on the Internet...and realized I'm not the only one that does this-that people with Asperger's do this too!

Now I'm a bit worried that I may have it. I'm 21 years old. But my parents don't know about these things so its possible that no one ever caught on. Anyways, I just wanted to say hi! I'm new...and not sure if I have Asperger's or not...I'm pretty sure I'm NT because I don't have any other symptoms at all.

Have any of you ever heard of a NT that hand flaps at 21 years old?Or is this an asperger's-only thing? I'm just not sure...

It might be something else. It is very unusual for people with Asperger's to still do 'hand flapping' at your age. Usually by the time puberty has passed we have replaced it with a less 'embarrassing' stim. It is pretty much a child thing, unless you're talking about lower functioning Autistics who don't really learn to appropriate stimming behaviors.

You might just do that when you're excited, it's all good! )

Thank you for your reply!

I am pretty normal in most other ways. I go to a great university, have friends, etc. But I also realize some people with Asperger's do this too. I don't think I'm a low-functioning anything. I also took a comprehensive test online and it said I was NT. It didn't ask about hand flapping though.

You're probably right, it's probably not Asperger's. It could be something else. But I have no idea what other thing would cause arm flapping... So for now, I'll stick around.

Is it? I'm 23 and I still hand-flap...

If it is not causing problems for you do not worry. Asperger's or not, if you have no social problems and are happy, I do not see what is wrong.

I have seen NTs flap their hands when they are nervous or excited. It is like pacing. I have certainly seen NT children flap their hands while playing or pretending. I do not flap my hands much anymore. However, when I did, it was rarely because I was pretending. What you describe sounds different

I know some adults who still like to play with toys and make up stories (I know one NT who played with toys past the "normal" age for it and he is one of the smartest and most "normal" people I know.)

If you do not have any other signs of asperger's you should not think you have it. If the fact that you flap you hands truly bothers you, perhaps you should see someone about it.

I would point you in the direction of neuromuscular conditions.

This one symptom, in isolation, certainly does not point to AS. However, it may be connected to a movement disorder. It is worth raising the subject with your doctor, and potentially getting a referral to a neurologist.

Many movement disorders can be indicators of comorbid conditions, or may be degenerative conditions that are best addressed if diagnosed early. Even if your hand movements don't significantly impact your daily life, now, it is worth understanding where they are rooted.

Thanks for the input!

I don't think it is neruomuscular. I can control it in public...instead I just sortof rub my fingers together. I also gallup and prace around rooms when at home. I may just be a very excitable person...and that's what most of my friends think. I had no idea what it was called and now I know it is called stimming.


I suppose I could just not worry about it. But the truth is, I acually do need to stim quite often and do it in private mostly. But I'm worried about what will happen if I ever get married and lose that privacy. I wouldn't want my husband to think I'm strange.
It also takes up time.

And after reading some of these discussions, I'm beginning to think maybe I am somewhere on the spectrum. Maybe it's just very slight. I did have social problems and I had to learn to navigate my way through social situations by reading about them. Now, no one would ever know this because I make friends and keep friends easily...but when I was 9 or 10, I had social issues.

I know a guy who is in his thirties (AS) and still hand flaps sometimes. His mother also still handflaps too, she is in her 60s.

MISTAKE!! ! Do not use this forum to make considerations about whether you're on the spectrum. It is a cess pit for that kind of thing. The posterboy for so called "NT"s could come here and leave thinking he was on the spectrum with all the rubbish that gets talked.

no dont ever feel bad, ill be 25 soon and still flap, and bounce, spin u name it. my nt bf flaps now more then me haha he started flapping to make me happy, so now he flaps to get me happy and i notice when he gets excited he flaps now on his own haha. ive seen nts flap before especially when their happy, dont fret about it! and welcome by the way!

Yes it is. It was actually the subject of my last group weirdly enough!!

You're probably right. I could be completely NT and leave thinking I'm AS simply because many symptoms are commonly seen in NTs. I still think I am NT. I'm mostly here to see what people think of hand flapping since any other forum would be like "what do you mean by that????"

I am 34, and hand flap occasionally. Lots of times, i knock my fists together...It sometimes causes people to ask me if I am ok.

Thanks It's good to know some other nts do this. My only concern is that he only recently started to make you happy. I've done it my entire life...and I can't stop. But still, its good to know others do it. it may just be that easy to catch onto because it feels good.

It's just another way to control sensory input, for any number of reasons. Plus, I have to admit that pacing and stimming does help burn off a bit of energy.

Aspies tend to have a host of issues which never really 'go away'. Our social difficulties continue well into adulthood, and we may end up feeling like outsiders our entire lives. The symptoms 'appear' to go away for those who don't know better, but for those of us who have it the struggle is very real and ever persistent.

However, autism is on a spectrum. In fact, we're seeing this a lot in some of the new research. People who graduate from prestigious math and science schools are far more likely to have autists in their family. Scientists and researchers are more likely to have autistic kids. A lot of these people have autistic traits themselves, but never enough to even suggest a diagnosis.

I think it's a very inaccurate to say that handflapping only happens in childhood.

I also think it's incorrect to assume that NT's do not handflap etc. Although, the only NT's I've seen handflap are excited teenage girls. So yes, I'm going to assume you are an easily excitable person and this is why you handflap.