My son has been stimming for almost a year. It started just during care rides, but now does it several times during the day. The neurologist says that it's a response to being under and overstimulated. It's quite possible that over time he will find something else to do to replace other behavior.

In my daughter's case, she her symptoms have decreased over the years (diagnosed at age 4 now age 9). However, some of the things will come back after a few years, but don't last long and aren't as bad as they once were.

My son's stimming and OCD-like symptoms actually got worse with age.. He had almost no stimming behaviors and now has so many that his peers in school notice. It seems that anxiety can make stimming worse. Stimming can get better as well. I haven't done this yet, but a lot of parents are seeing success when they take gluten out of the diet. There is a strong correlation with ASD kids and their intestines.. The stomach has been described as another immune system. Just something to look into.

I am sorry I have not been on this site in ages! You are on the right track!!! Always try and switch the behavior so he does not get used to doing the same thing so it does not become embedded in his brain. I use to make games up too! But then the games became a ritual if done too many times. I gave me son ace bandages because he liked to be wrapped up like a mummy or the invisible man. This made him feel better because it allowed him to feel his body in space. Lots of these kids need pressure on their body to make them feel good. We would wrap him in a blanket and swing him back and forth. He loved that. But I digress, the ace bandages became a way he could stim by throwing them up in the air without looking like he was stimming. It helped his nervous energy and calms him. I told him when he was very young that he should only stim at home. He agreed and I have never seen him do it except at home. All of the behaviors I was worried about when my son was young have vanished. My very best advise is to change things up all the time. Even the simplest things like going in the back door always. Go in both doors. He might feel he is only safe if he does things the same way. I believe this causes him to become OCD. My son does not have any OCD issues but he did when he was younger. I hope my advice helps because every child is different!

Some of our son's sensory behavior dropped or happened less often when he gained more skills. He did pick up some new things, but seems easier to redirect and not absorbing. We were told to try to figure out why he stims etc. and find a toy or activity that fills the need. He played with doors. We turned it into a social game that moved him away from the doors. He stopped when he picked up more skills and became busy with preschool. He started again when he started a new school. At his IEP meeting the teacher mentioned how he liked to play with tent doors as if this were great. That told us why the behavior returned at home. He became used to doing it at school.

I'm not the same as I wasat 3 most of us like nt kids do grow out of some of the behaviors with good therhises an age. Some who are on the severe end I no a few are expsly the same as they were as 3 but if your child is getting lots of help an you work with him at home also how you treat your child make a big diff to

It's been a long time since my son was your son's age, but for my own experience, everything in autism take some time to change, so yes you might see different behaviors as he grows. my son is now 44yrs old and still have ocd; that is pretty staborn as I have seen over the years! but jim in spite of still having very difficult problems, has come a long way and is capable of things I never would seem possible! his intellectual growth has been good but the emotional stage, I'm afraid will stay as is! I have accepted it, and love him for what he is, we are very close and I'm happy with that!

@ G2k: My brother shot up in size by 16. One day he was this little, skinny, quiet kid to being larger than life. He'll never be fully independent (because of a seizure disorder) but at least he's learning how to control anger and learn to be independent. But you're right, it takes a large support group plus administrators to get him to this point.

My son is 16 years old (a very tall and big 16 year old!) and fortunately, he has matured (just a little). Of course, flexibility is still challenging for him (change of plans, or sudden life changes that I can't prepare him for in general). Even though he has improved a bit with age, anger management is still a big issue for him. Literally, it took my wife and I, good understanding neighbors, his teachers, specialists, therapists, medications, his personal assistant/mentor and lots of prayer to get him up to this point as a independent individual. But with today's society, he still has a long way to go curb his anger. But I'm prayerful that his anger management will mature as well.

Wow, did not know so many had waves. My son cycles. Couple days pretty much nt and then a couple of days of omg will he ever slow down/listen/stop throwing fits.