While many people have a stim they use to self-regulate, it's not always obvious to others. You may not use your stim often, or you may know how to control the behavior. For people with autism, stimming is much more pronounced. This is because people with autism experience senses differently.
Self-stimulatory behavior is not unique to individuals on the autism spectrum and can be seen in neurotypical individuals as well.
Stimming does not necessarily mean a person has autism, ADHD, or another neurological difference. Yet frequent or extreme stimming such as head-banging more commonly occurs with neurological and developmental differences.
Stimming might be rocking, head banging, repeatedly feeling textures or squealing. You'll probably have seen this in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but not really wanted to ask about it. It is a term used widely in the ASD community.
Stimming is a form of self-soothing often associated with autism, but it's common among nonautistic individuals as well. Self-soothing is a natural and necessary part of the human experience. Stimming, or self-stimulatory behavior, is an example of just that.
In reality, neurotypical people stim, too - they just might not realize it. Common examples of stimming include rocking, clenching fists, tapping fingers, and humming. Some people stim in response to anxiety or stress, while others stim when they're bored or fatigued.
Stimming – or self-stimulatory behaviour – is repetitive or unusual body movement or noises. Stimming might include: hand and finger mannerisms – for example, finger-flicking and hand-flapping. unusual body movements – for example, rocking back and forth while sitting or standing.
Stimming differs from fidgeting and often includes unusual behaviors, like hand-flapping or repeating meaningless words and phrases.
That's right, stimming (not swimming) is voluntary behavior people use to either self-soothe or—when they need a boost—to keep their minds engaged. You don't need to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism to stim because like swimming, it can sometimes help anyone stay afloat.
Stimming is self-stimulatory behaviour which is also known as stereotypic behaviour in layman's term. Even adults engage in stimming behaviour by biting nails, twirling hair, pacing around the room or tapping pen on the table. Sometimes the stimming behaviour can be quite annoying to people around.
Many autistic people stim when they're excited and happy, not just to defuse feelings of being overstimulated or distressed.2 While most stims aren't harmful, some behaviors can be. Stimming can also become a problem if behaviors persist for hours or become a daily occurrence.
Management of emotions: Both positive and negative emotions may trigger a burst of stimming. We've all seen physical reactions to joy or excitement, such as jumping or hand-flapping. Frustration or anger may intensify a stim to the point that it becomes destructive.
Stimming actions can vary in intensity and type and can occur due to various emotions. Autistic people of any age may stim occasionally or constantly in response to excitement, happiness, boredom, stress, fear, and anxiety. They may also stim during times when they are feeling overwhelmed.
People with ADHD may stim to help improve focus and impulse control, while people with autism may do it to relieve anxiety. The stims themselves may be different, too. For example, people with autism may flap their hands or flick their fingers. Lining up objects is also a common stimming behavior in people with autism.
Humming or singing is a common type of vocal stimming. It can be a way for individuals with ASD to regulate their sensory input and cope with the overwhelming environment around them. They may hum or sing a favorite song repeatedly, or create their own tunes.
Everybody stims in some way, regardless of neurotype. It is often not as noticeable or impactful when neurotypical people stim compared to neurodiverse people, because the types of stimming done by neurotypicals are seen as more socially acceptable.
Autism stimming refers to repetitive behaviors, such as tapping a foot or rocking back and forth. OCD stimming involves ritualistic behaviors, such as a teen flicking a light switch every time they enter a room or washing their hands every hour.
Stimming can take many different forms: visual: staring off into space, drawing, spinning things like pens or coins. verbal/auditory: repeating sounds, excessive giggling, constantly clearing throat. tactile: rubbing fingers, chewing/biting nails, chewing the inside of cheeks.
Remember, stimming occurs for a reason. Requesting the child to stop will result in the child needing an alternative means to fulfill the sensory need. Instead of stopping the behavior, think of a behavior that is more socially acceptable.
neurotypical and neuroatypical
Some people use the term neuroatypical to refer to any person who has autism or any similar condition. However, this term has largely fallen out of use and the terms neurodiverse and neurodivergent have largely replaced it.
What is visual stimming? Visual stimming is one of the self-stimulatory behaviours that children with autism often present with. It may include repetitive behaviours such as: Staring or gazing at objects, such as ceiling fans or lights. Repetitive blinking or turning lights on and off.
Some common examples of stimming (sometimes called stims) include hand flapping, clapping, rocking, blinking, pacing, head banging, repeating noises or words, snapping fingers, and spinning objects.
People with ADHD may engage in happy stimming to relieve boredom or stress. It can also be a way to express creativity or feel more connected to the world around them. If you see your loved one engaging in happy stimming, try not to discourage them. Instead, support and encourage their interests and activities.
Many participants said they experienced it as involuntary and unconscious, at least at the beginning of the behaviour. Although many described stimming as automatic and uncontrollable, no participants consistently and inherently disliked their stims (as opposed to their social consequences).