Question about my niece that stares alot...and also bangs her head ...?

Question

This didn't concern me at first but now that i'm watching her alot more it bothers me that maybe there is something wrong. She can be playing one second and then the next she is mindlessly staring off in the distance...you can drop a book and she'll keep staring till I guess she's done. She also has this thing she likes to do on the furniture is bounce her head on the cusions of the furniture. I might be reading to much into this but none of my kids ever did this like she does.

Sorry...I forgot to add her age...she will be 2 years old in 3 days!

Also...she is a normal kid any other time and very smart...knows her abc's can count to 10, recognizes letters and numbers, knows about all nursery songs you could ever think up...and talks all day long...I don't think it's autism?

Answer 1

Talk to her parents and see if they are also concerned. Maybe they have already spoken with her pediatrician about it but have not yet shared that with other family members. She may be having petite mal seizures. . . my aunt used to have them when she was a small child and it just looked like she was staring for long periods too.

Answer 2

Could be autism. If her mom is concerned about it, she should take her to the doctor...
You'll have to bring it to her mom's attention, just be careful about it. I know from my own sister, who has a baby, that any kind of help or criticism isn't wanted. So I have to keep my mouth closed.
You could research the head banging and staring on the internet and see if there is any "test" you can do at home without her mom knowing and then see what she says...
Just my thought. It's a good thing you are so aware and such a great aunt though. Good work!

Answer 3

she could be showing signs/symptoms of autism or another disorder. staring the way you describe it, could also be a type of seizure...do a google search for more in-depth info on symptoms. best of luck.
**addendum** children are not diagnosed with schizophrenia. schizoactive disorder maybe...you didn't state how old the child is. at any rate, she would need an assessment.
**addendum again** autistic kids are very smart...there's nothing stupid about them. your neice is at the age when a lot of kids are being diagnosed. there are varying degrees of autism, and many spectrum types under the auspices of the autism umbrella; aspergers syndrome, pervasive devlopemental disorder (pdd) and others. i have worked for many years with autistic kids and adults. some had very severe symptons, others were "savants." extremely smart in one or two area...like "rain man." the earlier a child is diagnosed, the sooner they can get into an early intervention program. much better for the child and family.

Answer 4

The staring episodes could very well be seizures. I'd head to a Neurologist as soon as possible.

As far as the headbanging goes, a lot of children do this for reasons other than Autism. She could have a slight sensory processing disorder or Sensory Integration Dysfunction. For it to be Autism, she'd have to exhibit more than one sign. I would definitely mention it to the Neurologist though.

GOOD LUCK and I hope you find some answers for your niece.

Answer 5

Maybe Autism, it is more common than most people think, 1 in 166 children suffer from autism.

Answer 6

I can understand your concern but you need to openly express it to the parents because there could be something abnormal. Just find a way to suggest a check-up without offending them.

I would be very grateful to have a relative that is concerned about a family member.

Answer 7

Could be a form of autism or possible focal motor seizures. I would recommend talking to her parents about a trip to the Neurologist.

Answer 8

she might be scitsafrenick thats when your cant controll your actions see a doctor it would be safer you might save her life by seeing a doctor