# 10 mo shaking head = autism?



## sierra's momma

I think I am just being paranoid... but I would feel better if I knew other babies did this.

My 10 month old dd started shaking her head back and forth (like saying no), she tends to look up while she does it and her eyes kind of roll up as well. She will do it for about 30 seconds. I figured she justed liked to see the room moving but my dh freaked out when he saw her doing it and wanted to know if it was ok. I think she is fine, she shows no signs of being developmentally delayed, but I would feel better if I hear of other babies doing this!

Oh, thanks to all of you great mommas! I'm usually just a "lurker" but find comfort and validation in your discussions.


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## moonshine

My second daughter did a similar thing for a while too. I think she might have been slightly younger than 10 months old, but she would just randomly start shaking her head back and forth, sometimes more vigorously than other times. Both my DH and I thought it was a bit weird, also having thoughts like you are having, but not really taking it too seriously. After a while it stopped on its own and I forgot about it until I read your post. (She is now 14 months old.)

I wouldn't worry about it at this point. If there is anything seriously wrong, you will surely see other signs and also feel it in your gut. She is probably just checking out new sensations!


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## snuffles

One of my kids did this. I remember being really freaked out about it. SHe would shake her head back and forth really fast. I think she just liked the way it felt. She is not autistic. Does your child have good eye contact with you? Smile? If so, I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Diane B

Ditto. My daughter started doing this sometimes at about 10 months. We think it's when her teeth hurt and maybe the pain is referring up into her ears. I live with an pediatric occupational therapist, so I have an expert in the house, and she's not worried. It does look a little freaky though.


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## chersolly

Ha! DD did this a few months ago. It scared the crap out of me. She did it on and off for a few days and hasn't done it since. My theory, they're trying to go "up".


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## sierra's momma

thanks I feel better!


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## super duper

i am sooooooooo glad to see so many others with kiddos who did/do this. my dd started doing it right around 9 months old, i remember because we asked the ped about it. it totally freaked us out. she still does it on occasion but now it has become a game, where i do it back to her and go "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" while i do it, and she mimics me and laughs. oh and now she sometimes does this with nodding her head like she is saying "yes" but she does it really slowly and deliberately, which is why its a bit odd.

she does have a new weird thing, though, where she squints her eyes and looks at things like that. so now im freaking out about that.







. but we see the dr tomorrow so hopefully he will tell me its another normal "weird" baby thing.


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## rubelin

Ben used to do this, it's just one of the ways they play with their bodies. i wouldn't be suprized if the squinting thing is, too. Try it, I'll bet things look cool and funky like that, lol!


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## my2girlsmama

My soon to be 11 month old dd does this side to side, like saying no. At first I too was concerned but not now, she does everything else fine, is very bright, and so I think she is starting to associate it with saying NO.


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## lilylove

Before I had children, I spent a few years working with autistic adults. I was taught that, autism is alot like never gowing up. Physically the person looks like an adult, but developmentally they are at the level of a young child or infant, depending on the degree of autism. So following that, it seems to me that what may seem like a child acting autistic is more like autism acting like a child. Because developmentally they just never passed that age (or they regressed). KWIM?
Also I think the head shaking/nodding or rocking back and forth would be similar to a toddlar spinning around to get dizzy. They learn they can make themselves feel light headed or dizzy. Kinda neat to discover that you can do that to yourself
Sandy


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## jraohc

My dd (almost 9 months old) does this occasionally. I sort of figured it was normal, but I'm glad to hear that she's not alone. Thanks for asking and answering.


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## jeyer

Our dd started doing this at around 12 months. Unfortunately, it was right after she had her MMR, so I of course was _freaking out_. Then we realized that she was just getting her molars. The shaking was her way of trying to rub her jaw against her shoulders!


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## mollyeilis

Oh I am SO glad to see this post!

My 8.5 month old just started doing that last week, after getting his first little cold and fever. We don't vax, but somehow a vax reaction went through my head, too! Don't know how that would have happened since we hadn't been anywhere, but I was scared.









I did think about teething...even though he's so young he already has 8 teeth and we think he's already (ack!) starting on his first molars, so that totally goes along with what some of you have said...since he's done so many things so early, just goes to show that he'd be starting THIS early too.

Gosh I am glad you posted, sierra's momma. Thank you!


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## Galatea

My baby does this too occasionally. He looks a lot like Stevie Wonder when he does it . It cracks me up. My mom taught him to do it and now he thinks it is funny. Don't worry.


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## mainegirl

A little late to the party...

Another thing to consider (and this isn't to unnecessarily scare anyone, either)...my older brother and I both have Tourette's Syndrome. His is very pronounced and one of the things I remember about him as a child is that he would sit watching tv and shake his head back and forth every few seconds. As an adult he has a number of tics in his face, he twitches his shoulders and knees and things like that. It's not a harmful malady, just annoying and embarrassing for him as a child.

As for me, I remember having a number of compulsive behaviors until I was about 6 or so, and then I grew out of it. My mother also has TS but it's confined mostly to her mouth and her hands and not very severe at all.

Of course I'm hoping that it's just kids getting their synapses wired correctly and all that, but I thought you'd like the info.


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## Isis

Quote:


Originally Posted by *super duper*
she does have a new weird thing, though, where she squints her eyes and looks at things like that. so now im freaking out about that.







. but we see the dr tomorrow so hopefully he will tell me its another normal "weird" baby thing.

My ds does this too but I've never thought twice about it. He thinks it's funny when he does it. Remember... they can't verbalize anything, so their crying and facial expressions is what they do. Their expressions are more like "wow, I can do that?" And then it becomes a game! :LOL I can't wait to see what else is next!


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## Vicitoria

It's neurological development.

When I was at the Chiropractor when Lukas was doing it one of the Dr's was playing with Lukas when he was doing it and she played back and forth with him and said that he was just working on his neurological development.

She has special neurologist training.

You have to admit, it's really cute when they do it. Lukas did it off and of for like 2 or 3 weeks. Now he's working on cross crawling. I guess that's the next step in neurological development. It's really important that kids don't skip crawling and go onto just walking like so many parents encourage.


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## Flor

Ahh, I remember this... lasted about 3 months and was about the time he liked to bang his head on things, too. It passed. He really liked to do it in the swing.


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## jstar

our ds has always done this (well from about 2 months on). we call it his autistic head shake (in jest because everything else about him seems normal)

he used to do it laying down when he was falling asleep or being woken up. now he does it when he's tired or when his teeth hurt. he's shakin away the sleepies and pain


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## rcb215

Holy crap. This thread is a massive relief.


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