Stimming is a “self-stimulating” behaviour which can help with regulating emotions, releasing energy and often just feels good to do. Stimming is usually a repetitive action such as movement (e.g. hand flapping, body rocking) or sound (e.g. humming, clicking), but there are many different ways a person can stim.
How does someone stim?
You don’t have to be autistic to stim, everyone stims from time to time and it’s a way of your body looking for sensory input, often providing relief.
Common stimming behaviours found in the general population include:
Foot tapping
Fidgeting
Nail biting
Hair twirling
Pen clicking
Knuckle cracking
Some stimming behaviours for autistic people might be more noticeable and might be considered as “less” socially acceptable by others, but stimming should never be seen as negative or something to feel ashamed of.
Stimming behaviours found in some autistic people include:
Hand Flapping
Rocking
Jumping
Walking on tip toes
Licking objects
Repeating words or phrases
Humming
Sniffing objects or people
Repetitively feeling a certain texture or object
Listening to repeated sounds such as certain songs or music
Smaller body movements such as finger movements, circling their wrists, moving their feet or blinking repeatedly
Reasons for Stimming
Stimming helps children and adults regulate and release their emotions, both negative and positive. For example, a child may bounce when excited to help regulate overwhelming positive emotions and sensations. On the other hand, a child may rock when upset to self-soothe.
Children and adults may stim to ground themselves (or make themselves feel more comfortable) when in an unfamiliar environment or situation, helping them to deal with stress and reduce anxiety.
Stimming can be used as a way to distract from or avoid something and can also be a way to communicate distress and express a need for help.
Often autistic people are not even aware that they are stimming as it is as natural and essential to them as breathing and often it just feels good to do.
Is stimming bad or harmful?
Many autistic children and adults stim when they’re excited and happy, or to regulate emotions when they’re sad, bored or frustrated. Stimming to support emotional and behavioural regulation and to express themselves should be encouraged wherever possible.
Stimming is often very enjoyable for the individual and is a way to reduce stress, however certain types of stimming can sometimes cause physical harm to the individual or others around them.
Stimming behaviour which can cause physical harm might include:
Head banging
Biting
Hitting
Scratching
Stimming only becomes problematic if it causes harm or distress. If it is causing difficulties, or is in some way unsafe, they may need support to implement adaptations or to find an alternative safe way to meet the same stimming needs.
How can I help my child when they stim?
You don’t need to stop or control your child’s stimming, unless it is causing harm in some way. By preventing or stopping a child from stimming, we remove the child’s natural way of expressing and regulating their emotions, which often helps them feel calm. Furthermore, attempts to stop a child’s stimming behaviour can make them feel embarrassed or like they have done something wrong.
Sensory and stimming toys can also be used to help children express themselves, that’s why Pleo developed two sensory packs, our Get Sensory Pack and Autism Sensory Pack to support children with their Sensory Processing needs.
Pleo delivers a range of practical and accessible Workshops to support with some of the key difficulties families may experience and what steps they can take to support their child, for more information click here.
Alternatively, our Family Support Team, can offer vital support to families helping them to make informed choices and gain access to local services you might need. For more information, click here.
Remember if you have any concerns about your child’s behaviour contact your GP.
