| Autistic children and adults do many things that typical | | | | attention in a negative way. Typical children are said to |
| children and adults cannot understand, and the one that | | | | be "wound up" for example, and for an autistic child, |
| is often most prominent is self-stimulation. Called | | | | being wound up may mean clapping, yelling sounds, or |
| "stimming" in the autism world, self-stimulation is | | | | running. This kind of stimming is detrimental, as it |
| repetitive behavior used solely to engage the senses. | | | | interferes with attention and reinforces inappropriate |
| Examples include humming, clapping, hand flapping, | | | | behavior. |
| manipulating objects (such as ripping paper), or running | | | | A branch of stimming includes attachment to certain |
| in circles. While these behaviors may seem | | | | items. Most children have a favorite doll or blanket that |
| inappropriate or unnecessary to others, those who | | | | goes everywhere, but for an autistic child, this habit is |
| suffer from autism are not simple looking for attention | | | | never broken. The item may be something that is |
| or trying to be disruptive--stimming is a way to reduce | | | | textually pleasing or something that the autistic |
| the stresses of the world. | | | | individual likes to smell, hear, or look at. Along with |
| Autism is a disorder that causes people to react to | | | | attachment to a specific item, autistic individuals also |
| sensory stimuli in non-typical ways. Stimming is one | | | | may find an attachment to organizing items. For |
| way of dealing with this bodily malfunction. For | | | | example, he or she may repetitively self-stimulate by |
| example, rocking is a common form of stimming. | | | | lining up items. This too can become an obsession. |
| Some autistic people have asserted that rocking back | | | | Stimming can be a difficult habit to break because it is |
| a forth a few times helps them refocus when they | | | | so pleasant to an autistic individual. Some stimming is |
| become overly sensitive to the world around them. | | | | not bad, for the same reasons in which we all |
| We all do this to some extent--can you remember a | | | | self-stimulate when we are nervous. However, if a |
| time when you tapped your pencil repetitively because | | | | child's stimming is interfering with learning, disrupting |
| you were nervous about a test or played with your | | | | others, or becoming an obsession or addiction, steps |
| note cards before giving a big speech. Often these | | | | should be taken to reduce this action. Discourage |
| and other behaviors, like biting your nails or whistling, | | | | stimming if it makes sense--every case is different and |
| are involuntary but help us calm down. Some autistic | | | | therefore, no steadfast rules regarding stimming can |
| people need this calming effect every day, multiple | | | | be set. Stimming is all about comfort, and your child, |
| times. Others simple enjoy the sensory feelings | | | | autistic or not, should be comfortable as long as his or |
| derived from stimming. In the same way that you may | | | | her activities do not interfere with others or are not |
| enjoy a back massage's feelings, an autistic individual | | | | self-damaging. In regards to stimming, reduction of |
| may enjoy the sensations felt from ripping paper. | | | | these behaviors is ideal, but remember that complete |
| Remember, however, that these stimming behaviors | | | | elimination is usually not necessary. Autistic individuals |
| can become obsessions. Divide stimming into two | | | | perceive the world in a different way and we must |
| categories--calming and excitatory. Calming stimming | | | | take that into account. Removing of stopping the |
| helps a child refocus, such as we all do when we are | | | | stimming entirely can lead to a sensory overload. |
| nervous, while excitatory stimming directs a child's | | | | |