Why Do Autistic People Stim?

Why do autistic people stim? It's one of the most obvious things that autistic people do, from hand flapping to jumping to spinning. Find out why in today's video.

References:

Sensory Tiles:
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[glaceRaven]

Fun fact: purring is cat stimming. They do it both when they're happy and to self-regulate when stressed or overstimulated.

[DrummerBoy]

As a kid whenever I did it my parents and people older than me would tell me to stop doing it because “normal kids” didn’t do it. (They didn’t know I had a autism spectrum disorder) Now I do small things like fidget with my clothes or hands. It did effect my overall attitude though.

[johnmorris]

thanks Stephanie i'm 68 and just leaning about things i've denied all my life.

[nicatine]

I stim and brainrot at the same time. I do that because I have no other coping mechanism to control myself like I used to have back at the mental rehabilitation center (I used to do coloring books, play instruments, read chapter books and I don't have those at home, which is worst) I don't want to rely on my phone to stop the behavior whenever I use it and listening to music and watching whatever I've seen makes the behavior worst for me. I hate myself for doing it (because I'm bored or anxious), but that can be stopped if you learn more about self-control, clear meditation, and body/brain positivity. At least, in my experience it works with me. I know we're all afraid of changes because we're so used to stimming and we're so ashamed of ourselves for stimming in the past, but it's okay to look for advice and help. It's self grow, self care and self love.

[ThroughTheLensOfAutism]

As I mentioned in one of my videos, I talked quite a lot when I was young. I wonder if hearing my own voice was a form of stimming, of course I don't hear my voice the way other people hear it. When I got a bit older I developed habits like fidgeting with hands and fingers, and rocking back and forth.

[ingridcld]

Oh god I hate tight hugs and weighted blankets. They make me feel trapped

[JoyBean]

Also stress seems to add to a person wanting to stim. This did help a lot. I appreciate the part about not shaming that person because I think we are quick to judge sometimes or to say hey why are you doing this now and what is going on.

[dawnjozaities]

This was so helpful- I’m getting ready to go into a meeting to advocate for a client I’m working with in school- I’ll be watching this video a few more times and taking lot of notes on the wording- I really appreciate you posting this. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[nathanmiller]

4:25 Ah...so you, too, are more likely to be turning the doorknobs of the universe's invisible portals, than to be petting dog and cat ghosts... as do I.

But to make a serious note, I think that way must be more stimulatory, as the whole forearm twists around a bit.

[HeatherGrace]

Still learning and this was massively helpful ❤️

[LordSolidusI]

I'm a 25 year-old neurodivergent man who was raised as having "autism" then told I was "aspergers" and then learnt at secondary school that my only actual diagnosis was "non-verbal learning disorder" which I still can't comprehend to this day.
For my entire childhood, I knew I was "special, " but every time that my mum told me I was "special" it made me feel ashamed.... I felt ashamed because I was conditioned into believing my way of being was inappropriate.

I displayed very strong stimming behaviour, very similar to yours. But my "flapping" could last for hours, and whenever my mum made me stop, I'd feel a strong sense of unease and disregulation; I'd often get angry or upset. Then I couldn't get back into it even if I tried, which would frustrate me more... I now realise that the reason for this is because self-stimulation is an instinctive/impulsive superpower that I can use to regulate my brain chemistry and to process 'life'.

Fast-forward to today. I have had 3 episodes of psychosis, an episode of delirium, and as a young adult, I was diagnosed with ADHD and BPD. I recently just came out of a psychiatric hospital (I was admitted due to the pain I was experiencing because my family refused to understand that I've finally grown up. I am now suspected to also have OCD and Cyclothymia and I'm currently left without any support whatsoever from professionals because my case is "too complex" for them to understand.
Now that I am back in my own home by myself, my stimming has returned with a vengeance- it tends to make my heartrate rise to 150bpm sometimes. I subconsciously repeat about a 6 second verse of a random song (different every time) over & over (in my head, but kinda hiss the chords through my mouth aloud) as I flap my hand and pulsate my body. I think this is an attempt to increase my adrenaline levels in my brain?? Idk but it's a massive distraction from everyday life rn and I'm getting basically zero help from medical professionals because the British health system (The NHS) is sooo broken at the moment.

I don't know what to do... I want to return to work but I can't. I am in crippling debt and I have sooo much potential to do great things but nobody can be bothered to offer me the right support 😌
If anyone out there who's reading this feels like they could help guide or support me or be there for me at this challenging time, then please reach out to me, and I would really appreciate it. X

[kaishawna]

Can we get a video about ABA again? Is it dying? I haven't heard anything from it lately.

[criticalmaz]

Informative as always, and thank you for the sources. I'm trying to get used to reading scientific reports for college and these are a helluva lot more interesting than the ones I get for class :P

[KiraAfter_Dark]

Even before I suspected ASD I would always stim and loved stimming. Stimming just feels great no matter who you are. ASD or not, stimming is great!!

[amandamandamands]

I did already know about stimming, interesting hearing you talk about the systems that the stims work with though as my OT is currently explaining them to me. Newly diagnosed so my OT is currently working on a functional assessment and a big part of it is a breakdown of my sensory needs

[sarahleony]

So I’ve always had to pace around the house while being on a phone-call. Does that sound like a possible stim? Or is that very common in NT as well?

[silentlyjudgingyou]

Autistic woman here. I've been trying to add in new stims for myself for a while, my main stim is scratching and skin picking which isn't great. When I tried hand flaping the joints in my wrists and hands just got sore, what does it feel like to you?

[ariellewilson]

I do movements with my hands but whenever I got asked like hand flapping, I say no, but I honestly do. I never did it in my childhood. I did read that anyone of any age on the Autism Spectrum Disorder can stim. It doesn't have to be during childhood. I still walk on my toes. At work, I'll rock back and forth, open and close my hands, flick my fingers, tap my thumb on each finger, rubbing my fingers together, moving my fingers. Hum. I do hum. Twirl my hair. Lip biting. Skin picking. Lip picking. I will pick up the nail clippers and click them. Listening to the same songs on a loop.

I don't know if I stim a lot, but I do them. Plus I wish I wasn't, I guess, insecure about them since I probably do it privately. I don't know. It's how I am and if I get asked, maybe I'll be open with it rather than hiding them.

[hfenring]

Excellent summary. I learned some new information about stimming.

[simplyonemortality]

I’m sorry, this is entirely irrelevant in many ways to this topic/video, but I’m going to vent after reading a piece in the news/an article that I have a lot of views on and I want to share it in case you haven’t seen it or aren’t aware of it.

How ethically, this has been given the “go” ahead and got off the ground, I’m baffled by (although, cannot say say I am surprised in todays climate/culture) if I’m being honest and I just wonder if I am overreacting - or if possibly, other people see the issues or conundrums with it that I do.

Today, 20th Sept, 2021 - The Telegraph:

“Autism can be prevented by teaching parents how to interact with their babies, study finds”.

I wonder what your thoughts are on this Steph, I have A LOT.

When did Kanner talk about refrigerator mothers? (I mean that rhetorically).
We go around in circles and just “reframe” things to better suit the societal changes, I think, in many ways - yet it often still leads to many of the same places.

Are we in a place whereby if people don’t even understand Autism, how indeed do they; professionals/researchers even think they know, or think it morally and ethically ok to be virtually sticking their fingers in babies heads.
There’s so many other considerations to make relating to what this “study” purports to be “showing” - like what it might not be showing, or what indeed the reasons and views of the people who conducted said study are doing it for, even.
Is that really what the above study “finds”?!

There’s many people that don’t think the Spectrum 10K is something to “split hairs” about, or that there’s no need to worry about the possible implications of it, why?
For some they seemingly believe “because science is trying to help or can only be used for “good” ”.
That’s another misconception, people use or throw in the word “science” and people think it’s gives something instantaneous backbone.

The biggest problem is the human elements of how people use such “science” and interpret such “science” - it’s subjective and means different things to different people. Especially people that say they understand things then they really prove they don’t even understand what they say they do understand in the first-place, by their actions. Frighteningly, many are in positions like this where they can do more damage.

Many parents are so frightened of Autism that they allowed/would allow their young children/babies to take part in this study; if that doesn’t speak volumes about public understanding and perceptions, still, I don’t know what will or would. 😤😩🧐

The full paper: Effect of pre-emptive intervention on developmental outcomes for infants showing early signs of autism: A randomized clinical trial of outcomes to diagnosis.