I love, love, love when Kate flaps. Behaviourists look away because you are not going to like this. It is the sweetest of all stims when it is done to show excitement. I see it all the time at work from ASD and NT kids. For Kate, it means she is very happy. I will be sad if/when she loses this stim. She looks like a little blonde fairy about take flight when she flaps. The amount of flapping she does when she sees you is directly correlated to how she feels about you so if she goes off the handle when she sees you then you should be very flattered. I swear she almost gets airborne when she sees her sister after a few hours apart. Try not to smile when you think of that. Please don't look to your toddler and panic if you see flapping. It is a perfectly normal toddler behaviour for many. Lot's of NT people flap: Lottery winners, people reunited with loved ones, women receiving engagement rings. I see it all the time from really, really happy people. It can't be all bad. So, behaviourists, lighten up, and unless it is hurting the child or a danger to others, let them flap. (Note: not all behaviourists have a problem with flapping. Some of them have pioneered the movement to allow for stimming)
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