Strange Laughing Spells in Child

[hgonzalez]

I have a child that has been here 2 years, started a few weeks after he was adopted from China. He has cleft lip/palate and speech issues.
He is a very intelligent kiddo but has some odd behaviors that I am concerned about. He is now 4.5 years old. Several times a week he will out of the blue start laughing. His eyebrows form a deep V and he just starts giddy laughing and rolls around on the floor. He usually is not interacting with anyone during these times. He will often do this during naptime as well, just bursts out laughing. His facial expression looks like he is disconnected from the real word. Has anyone had this experience with a child before? I talked to his parents about it, and they don't seem concerned.

[MissAnn]

I have a child that has been here 2 years, started a few weeks after he was adopted from China. He has cleft lip/palate and speech issues.
He is a very intelligent kiddo but has some odd behaviors that I am concerned about. He is now 4.5 years old. Several times a week he will out of the blue start laughing. His eyebrows form a deep V and he just starts giddy laughing and rolls around on the floor. He usually is not interacting with anyone during these times. He will often do this during naptime as well, just bursts out laughing. His facial expression looks like he is disconnected from the real word. Has anyone had this experience with a child before? I talked to his parents about it, and they don't seem concerned.

Isn't there a commercial on TV about adults who do this?

[e.j.]

Isn't there a commercial on TV about adults who do this?

I was thinking the same thing!

If you google "Inappropriate laughing", you'll see there are quite a few conditions that could cause it - autism, brain tumor, social anxiety, Tourette's, etc. If it were me, I'd urge the parents speak with their pediatrician even if it's just to rule out the possibility of something serious going on. If possible, I'd even video and episode if I could so the parents would have something tangible to show the pediatrician.

[debbiedoeszip]

Maybe he had a funny thought or memory? I wouldn't worry about it if the parents aren't.

[Unregistered]

It could just be a way he is self regulating if he's feeling anxious but it does seem a bit "off". I'd document when and where it happens just to see if there's a pattern or time of day that it happens.

It's one of those quirky things that could mean nothing or something more.

[Hunni Bee]

My daughter does that as an avoidance technique. To keep from being disciplined, falling asleep, eating something she doesn't want, etc. She gets out of hand with it, but it's not uncontrollable.

Is he tired when he does it?

[Kelly]

It would probably be a good idea to suggest his parents get it checked out medically even though it's probably not anything to worry about. My cousin's daughter had a brain tumor that causes "laughing seizures". Also my daughter, who is on the spectrum, used to laugh inappropriately and the more you tried to get her to stop the more she would laugh.