What's this called please?

[weeleighluigi]

This is a weird one...

Can any of you help me... I need to know what a seemingly involuntary body movement is called.

My youngest daughter (7) does this thing I have noticed when she is talking to me. When she blinks, her right eye opens much slower than the other, so for a moment she looks like she has one eye open and one closed. It can also half close even if she has not blinked...it's alike to dolls eyes, that's what I think of when it happens, you know, like the dolls eye got stuck half way up when you sat it up.

My daughter is hopefully going through ASD assessments soon (in my part of rural scotland, they are slow and stubborn at these things). I need to pass on this thing she does with her eye, it's getting worse and I wonder if it's a tic. And also that, of her many quirks, she likes to pick at her eyelashes and run the eyelash she has pulled back and forth through her finger tips. She likes the feeling.This screams self stimulation (or stimming) to me... we have tried to stop it with putty, slime, blue tac, fidget toys which she uses a lot. But she has still managed to pull all her top eyelashes to nothing

[jndt]

I have no advice about picking eyelashes - my asd son picks the skin off around his nails until it bleeds, it's like a compulsion.

The blinking thing - look up asymmetric blinking and see if that gives you any clues.

[Juliemack]

Could it be ptosis? I have a mild version of this that is only noticeable on photographs. It's to do with the muscles around the eye. If you haven't already, I'd take her to an optician in case its affecting her vision.

[WhereIBelong]

Originally Posted by jdndt

I have no advice about picking eyelashes - my asd son picks the skin off around his nails until it bleeds, it's like a compulsion.

The blinking thing - look up asymmetric blinking and see if that gives you any clues.

See more...

I do that - the skin picking, it is indeed a compulsion. (I'm 55) I have been told it is a comfort and control thing.

(being told why I do it did not stop me doing it)

My daughter had a tic - she had to blink 3 times rapidly and move her chin forward, up and to the left when she did it. That got better when the doc told her that her hay-fever antihistamine would stop it. Placebo effect on childhood tics is well known.
The tic would return every year and when she was put on her antihistamine would stop as if by magic. Her tic stopped after 4 years of that - pretty much when she went through puberty.

[weeleighluigi]

Originally Posted by jdndt

I have no advice about picking eyelashes - my asd son picks the skin off around his nails until it bleeds, it's like a compulsion.

The blinking thing - look up asymmetric blinking and see if that gives you any clues.

See more...

Yes! If she is not picking her eyelashes to run through her fingers, she often picks her toenails. I know that's an everyday thing but i still find it significant. Interestingly, since I noticed her eyelashes and asked her to stop (which she does btw) she has started picking her toenails again. If her toenails bleed and I ask her to stop doing it, she will... but she will then go back to eyelashes.
As you said, it's like a compulsion.

I will search droopy eye lid and see what appears I was searching all sorts earlier!

[weeleighluigi]

Originally Posted by Juliemack

Could it be ptosis? I have a mild version of this that is only noticeable on photographs. It's to do with the muscles around the eye. If you haven't already, I'd take her to an optician in case its affecting her vision.

See more...

I did find this in my Google search, I will have a look, thank you.
I'm not sure it's affecting her vision as it only seems to be happening for a second, but i will take her to the opticians too.

[weeleighluigi]

Originally Posted by WhereIBelong

I do that - the skin picking, it is indeed a compulsion. (I'm 55) I have been told it is a comfort and control thing.

(being told why I do it did not stop me doing it)

My daughter had a tic - she had to blink 3 times rapidly and move her chin forward, up and to the left when she did it. That got better when the doc told her that her hay-fever antihistamine would stop it. Placebo effect on childhood tics is well known.
The tic would return every year and when she was put on her antihistamine would stop as if by magic. Her tic stopped after 4 years of that - pretty much when she went through puberty.

See more...

Interesting, I love a good placebo effect!
My daughter is unaware it happens, it's quite quick. I know several autistic children who have tics, that's why I wondered if that's what it may be

[storm]

Re eyelashes maybe try the trichotillomania web sites. Useful info ie apply a thin coat of vaseline to lashes/brows it makes it difficult to grip them.
Re Eyes maybe visit your local optician to rule out any problem.
Have you spoken to school, do they notice it? Might be a tic/tired/vision issue.

[neilhd]

It does sound like a tic. My DS has had a few different ones over the years. They usually go away after a few weeks.

[400ixl]

Optician visit would be the first thing I would do in this case. Does she have regular eye checks?