Have you ever seen someone holding their arms close to their chest, with their elbows bent and their hands curled up, like a dinosaur? Or maybe you do this yourself, especially when you sleep or feel nervous. If so, you might be curious about what this way of holding your arms is called and what it means. Read on to find out.
The Key Takeaways.
• Autistic T-Rex arm describes a way of holding or moving your arms, where they are close to your chest with your elbows bent, like a T-Rex’s arms. This name is not a medical term or a label, but a way of describing a trait that many autistic people share.
• Autistic T-Rex arm is caused by the different ways that autistic people process and respond to sensory information, such as sound, light, or touch. Holding your arms in a T-Rex-like way can make you feel more secure or comfortable, or help you manage too much or too little sensory input. It can also be a way of expressing your emotions or interests or stimulating your senses.
• Autistic T-Rex arm can have both good and bad effects on you, depending on the situation and how often you do it. Some of the good effects are it can help you cope with stress or anxiety; it can make you feel happy or relaxed, it can improve your creativity or focus, or it can make you feel more connected to yourself or others. Some of the bad effects are it can hurt your hands, wrists, elbows, or shoulders, it can make it hard to do everyday tasks, or it can make other people judge or bully you.
What Causes Autistic T-Rex Arm?
• Different sensory processing and needs among autistic people.
• Feeling more secure or comfortable by holding the arms close to the chest.
• Managing too much or too little sensory input by reducing sound, light, or movement.
• Stimming to express emotions, cope with stress, focus attention, or seek sensory feedback.
• Proprioception stimming to feel more grounded, balanced, and coordinated, and relieve tension or pain in the muscles and joints.
What Are the Benefits of Autistic T-Rex Arm?
• It can help you cope with stressful or overwhelming situations, such as loud noises, bright lights, or new places.
• It can make you feel more comfortable, happy, or relaxed, especially when you combine it with other things that make you feel good, such as a soft blanket, a cuddly pillow, or a quiet music.
• Another benefit is that it can boost your creativity, concentration, or memory, as some autistic people may find that holding their arms in a certain way helps them think more clearly, remember things, or come up with ideas.
• It can make you feel more like yourself, more connected to others, or more part of a community, as autistic T-Rex arm can be a way of showing your personality, emotions, or interests, or relating to other autistic people who do the same thing.
What are the Challenges of Autistic T-Rex Arm?
• It can hurt your hands, wrists, elbows, or shoulders, especially if you hold your arms in a T-Rex-like way for a long time or with too much force.
• Another one is that it can make it hard to do everyday tasks, such as eating, dressing, writing, or typing, as holding your arms in a T-Rex-like way can limit the movement, skill, or coordination of your hands and fingers.
• It can make other people look at you, judge you, or bully you, as holding your arms in a T-Rex-like way can be seen as weird, clumsy, or childish by some people, especially those who do not know or respect autism.
How to Deal with or Avoid Autistic T-Rex Arm Issues?
• Stretch your hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders often, especially before and after sleeping or doing things that need fine motor skills. This will help improve the blood flow, ease the tension, and prevent stiffness or injury.
• Massage your hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders gently, using lotion, oil, or a warm cloth. This can help reduce pain, swelling, or redness, and make you feel relaxed and healed.
• Wear supports, wraps, or gloves on your hands, wrists, or elbows, as suggested by a doctor or therapist. These will help support, protect, or correct the way you hold your joints and muscles, and prevent more damage or discomfort.
• Change the way you hold or move your arms, or use different ways of stimming, such as squeezing a stress ball, playing with a fidget toy, or wearing a weighted vest. These will help you get different types of sensory input and output and prevent overusing or tiring the same body parts.
• Learn more about autism and sensory differences and tell others about your needs and rights. This can help you and others understand, accept, and respect autistic T-Rex arm and other autistic traits, and reduce the stigma or discrimination that may come from them.
What Is the Dinosaur Hands Sleeping Position?
The dinosaur hands sleeping position is a way of sleeping where your arms are bent at a right angle, like a dinosaur’s claws. This sleeping position is not only for autistic people, but it can be more common among them.
Why Do I Sleep with Dinosaur Hands?
• It can be because of muscle tension, tiredness, or weakness, which can make your wrists curl up by themselves or without you knowing during sleep.
• You sleep with dinosaur hands because you may have a health problem, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, or diabetes, which can affect the nerves, blood vessels, or muscles in your hands or wrists, and cause pain, numbness, or tingling.
• It can be a way of stimming, which can give you sensory feedback or stimulation, such as pressure, texture, or temperature, to your hands or wrists.
Is Sleeping with a T-Rex Arm Normal?
Resting your arms like a T-Rex can happen to anyone, but it can be more common among autistic people. So, it’s normal.
Are T-Rex Arms A Disorder?
T-Rex arms is not a problem or a disorder, but a natural and normal difference in human behavior and diversity. It is not something that needs to be fixed or changed, unless it causes physical or social problems for you. It is also not something that defines or limits you.
FAQs On T-Rex Arms.
Can people who are not autistic have T-Rex arms?
Yes, people who are not autistic can also have T-Rex arms, as this way of holding or moving the arms is not only for autistic people. But it is more common or easy to see among autistic people.
Is T-Rex arm related to hand flapping?
T-Rex arm and hand flapping are both ways of making your senses happy, which is a common behavior among autistic people. Making your senses happy is any repeated or rhythmic behavior that makes one or more of your senses feel good, such as rocking, spinning, humming, or tapping.
T-Rex arm and hand flapping are both ways of making your senses happy and they both involve the arms and hands, but they have different movements and purposes. The T-Rex arm is holding the arms close to the body with the elbows bent, while hand flapping is moving the hands fast up and down or side to side. T-Rex arm even makes you feel safe or comfortable, while hand flapping makes you show excitement or joy.
How can I help my child or friend who has T-Rex arms?
If your child or friend has T-Rex arms, you can help them by being supportive, understanding, and respectful of their ways of seeing and reacting to things that they sense and their needs. You can also help them by:
- Giving them comfortable and right clothes, things, or devices that can support or protect their arms, wrists, or elbows, such as supports, wraps, or gloves.
- Telling them to stretch, massage, or exercise their arms, wrists, or elbows often, to prevent or ease pain, stiffness, or injury.
- Giving them different or more ways of making their senses happy, such as fidget toys, stress balls, or weighted vests, that can give them different or more things that make their senses feel good.
- Learning more about autism and how people are different in their brains and telling others about their needs and rights. This can help you and others understand, accept, and respect T-Rex arm and other traits that autistic people have, and reduce the bad things or treatment that may come from them.
Can T-Rex arm be cured or prevented?
T-Rex arm is not a sickness or a problem, but a natural and normal difference in human behavior and differences. It is not something that needs to be cured or prevented, unless it causes physical or social problems for you. T-Rex arm is a part of who they are, and asking if it’s a problem is like asking how to cure breathing.
Is T-Rex arm from genes or environment?
T-Rex arm is gotten from either of both. It is a changing habit that is from both biology and environment, such as ways of seeing and reacting to things that they sense, brain development, personality, feelings, and more. T-Rex arm may run in families, or it may be caused by environment factors.
What are some famous or made-up characters who have T-Rex arms?
Some famous or made-up characters who have T-Rex arms are:
- Tyrion Lannister, a smart and funny dwarf from the fantasy series Game of Thrones, who often holds his arms in a T-Rex-like way when he talks or drinks.
- Dr. Sheldon Cooper, a smart and weird scientist from the comedy series The Big Bang Theory, who sometimes holds his arms in a T-Rex-like way when he is nervous or excited.
- Groot, a nice and loyal tree-like creature from the sci-fi series Guardians of the Galaxy, who has short and stubby arms that look like a T-Rex’s arms.
- Rex, a friendly and shy toy dinosaur from the animated series Toy Story, who has real T-Rex arms that make him feel bad or not good enough.
