How Stimming In Autism Can Show Up
Various symptoms and behaviors can be associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including self-stimulation behaviors, often referred to as “stimming.” Learning more about how stimming looks can be a way to understand yourself or an Autistic individual in your life. Stimming is often a way to cope with challenging sensations or emotions, but it may also be comforting for people with ASD without the presence of a challenge.
What is autism spectrum disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition and form of neurodivergence often diagnosed or identified in early childhood. People with autism can have difficulty understanding and reciprocating social interactions, and they may demonstrate fixed behavior and interests, such as the strong desire to adhere to a strict routine.
Other symptoms of autism may be less well understood. Stimming can be an example of a behavior associated with autism that the general public may not be aware of, but learning about the role of stimming for Autistic people can be a way to reduce stigma and increase understanding.
What is stimming?
“Stimming” is a term for self-stimulating behaviors, which often manifest as producing repetitive movements, sounds, or actions. While anyone might engage in self-stimulatory behavior, such as picking their nails or tapping their foot, the term “stimming” is used to describe behavior that goes beyond what is considered socially acceptable. This stimming behavior can be associated with people with ASD and other mental health conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Neurotypical people, considered to have “typical” cognitive, sensory, and emotional functioning, may respond to negative social feedback about their stims – i.e., a student clicking their pen nervously during a school test may stop if they notice another student glaring at them.
However, Autistic people may not respond to social cues in the same way, so they may continue clicking their pen or not notice that the noise could be bothering other people. However, some Autistic people might learn to “mask” these behaviors, which can lead to a buildup of emotional tension, which could cause symptoms like difficulty focusing or, in severe cases, sensory meltdowns.
In addition, self-stimulatory behaviors associated with autism may be less socially acceptable than neurotypical stims. A neurotypical person may twirl their hair, while an Autistic person may engage in head banging, hand flapping, or rocking back and forth. Stims might be short or last for hours at a time.
The purposes of repetitive behavior and stimming
For neurotypical people, stimming can be an activity that happens when one is bored, nervous, or focused. For Autistic people, stimming can happen much more often and in various circumstances. Researchers are still working to understand the various causes of Autistic stimming. However, some current theories may help explain this phenomenon.
One of the main manifestations of autism is heightened sensory experience. For some Autistic people, navigating daily life can lead to sensory overload. Overhead lights that a non-autistic person might overlook could seem excessively and painfully bright to an Autistic person, and the sound of passing cars could be painfully loud. In some instances, Autistic people may also have a reduced reaction (hypo-reaction) to certain stimuli, meaning they may not notice fire alarms or brightly flashing lights.
This level of complicated sensory input can lead to distress and overwhelm for an Autistic person.
Examples of autistic stimming
Stimming behaviors are typically classified into categories associated with which sense they stimulate. These categories include tactile stimming, which stimulates the sense of touch; vestibular stimming, which stimulates the sense of balance and place in the world; visual stimming, which stimulates the sense of sight; auditory stimming, which stimulates the sense of hearing; and olfactory stimming, which stimulates the sense of smell.
Tactile stims
Tactile (touch-related) stims may include the following:
- Finger flicking
- Hand flapping
- Head banging
- Hair pulling
- Scratching
- Skin rubbing
- Stroking, rubbing, or licking objects
- Snapping fingers
- Biting
- Punching (self or others)
- Skin and scab picking
- Hair twirling
- Tapping fingers or feet
- Splashing
- Running sand through hands
- Chewing fingernails
- Teeth grinding
- Fidgeting
- Biting the inside of one’s cheek
- Thumb sucking
- Rubbing one’s eyes repeatedly
Studies show that fidgeting can reduce symptoms of anxiety, which is a common mental health condition in people with ASD.
Vestibular stims
Vestibular (balance and spatial awareness) stims might include the following behaviors:
- Rocking back and forth
- Pacing
- Walking on tiptoes
- Jumping up and down
- Spinning in circles
- Walking in patterns
- Cartwheeling
- Head shaking
- Squirming in one’s seat
Visual stims
Visual stims might include the following:
- Hard blinking
- Staring at moving or rotating objects, like ceiling fans
- Squinting
- Wiggling fingers in front of one’s face
- Looking at people out of the corners of one’s eyes
- Spinning wheels on toys
- Watching running water
- Covering and uncovering eyes
- Pressing against eyelids to create “stars” in one’s eyes
- Lining up toys or organizing items by size, color, or other attributes to look at them
Auditory stims
Auditory stims can include the following:
- Repeating words and phrases, including those that are sounds or not words in any language (known as echolalia)
- Humming
- Covering and uncovering ears
- Squealing
- Reciting the alphabet over and over or counting to ten over and over
- Compulsive throat-clearing
- Singing
Olfactory stims
Olfactory (taste-related) stims could include:
- Smelling items or people
- Squishing one’s nose
- Covering and uncovering one’s nose
- Eating certain items repeatedly for their taste
- Eating an item for the texture or sensation it creates in the mouth (sunflower seeds due to the salty taste, crunchy snacks for the crunching sensation)
Repetitive behaviors
Repetitive behaviors can stimulate more than one sense simultaneously. These behaviors might include the following:
- Rearranging and moving objects
- Sharpening pencils over and over
- Opening and closing doors
- Flicking light switches and other switches or buttons
- Lining up objects, like toys
- Flipping through pages of a book without reading the book or looking at the pictures
- Shredding paper
- Spinning, tapping, or shaking objects
- Writing sequences, like numbers or the days of the week, over and over
- Crying
- Stacking up objects and then knocking them down
Does stimming need to be addressed or managed?
For parents and caregivers of children with autism, stimming might be a “tell” that provides clues to a child’s mental state. Since people with autism sometimes have difficulty communicating their emotional needs, an Autistic child may not be able to verbally tell their parent or caregiver that they are becoming overwhelmed. Stimming can become a sign that a situation is escalating beyond an Autistic child’s comfort level, which the parent or caregiver can use as a signal.
However, there may be moments when stimming is harmful to an individual or physically dangerous to others. Stims that cause physical harm, like head banging, can cause consequences. Less obvious but still harmful stims like scab picking, hair pulling, teeth grinding, throat clearing, or excessive skin rubbing may also benefit from being redirected. Stims that could expose a person to bacteria or pathogens, like biting or licking non-food objects, can have harmful consequences.
Certain stims may also negatively impact other people. For example, auditory stims, like humming or echolalia, could be distracting in a classroom while other students are trying to take a test. In these situations, it may be helpful to provide accommodations for Autistic people who require the stims to self-regulate and focus, such as taking the test in a separate area.
However, stimming can be a crucial tool for self-regulation for Autistic people and also other individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as those with ADHD. Normalizing stimming in public can help create a world where everyone, regardless of their neurodiverse status, can be welcome and included. Attempting to redirect stims that are helpful for someone can be harmful. Certain behaviors, such as not making eye contact, can improve cognitive functioning for Autistic individuals. In addition, studies show that stimming is highly beneficial for neurodivergent individuals.
Support options
Living with autism or caring for a child with autism can be complicated. In a world where stimming is sometimes seen as odd or disturbing, it can be challenging to be comfortable self-regulating. Some Autistic people can find additional support for such concerns through therapy.
Attending an in-person therapy session can be an overwhelming experience for Autistic people. If you experience sensory overload in public spaces, or you are nervous about possibly misinterpreting social cues from your therapist in an in-person setting, you may benefit from online therapy. With online therapy through an accredited service like BetterHelp, you can attend therapy sessions from the comfort of your home, where you can control the stimuli. You can also interact with your therapist in a manner that is more accessible via phone, video, or live messaging chat.
Research indicates that online therapy may be as effective as in-person therapy, and it may be more accessible to people with neurodevelopmental conditions like autism. One study found that people with ASD and other neurodevelopmental conditions benefited significantly from attending online therapy. Online therapy can be a helpful option for Autistic people to process stress and emotions.
Caring for a child with autism, especially an Autistic child who may be experiencing negative social feedback because of stimming, can also be complex. Parents and caregivers of children with autism may also benefit from speaking to a licensed mental health professional. Online therapy can be more accessible to caregivers in these situations who might already have packed schedules and limited flexibility in appointment options.
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