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.
While stimming is often seen as a negative behavior, it's actually a coping mechanism that most children with Autism use to deal with overwhelming sensory input or emotions. For some people, self-stimulatory behavior like stimming is calming and helps to reduce anxiety.
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.
Self-stimulatory behavior is not unique to individuals on the autism spectrum and can be seen in neurotypical individuals as well.
About stimming and autism
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. posturing – for example, holding hands or fingers out at an angle or arching the back while sitting.
Many people correlate hand flapping with only Autism, however this is not the case. All children could exhibit a hand flapping behavior when they are in a heightened emotional state including when anxious, excited, and/or upset.
It is a physical response without deliberate thought- that is why it is called an automatic response. For those of us who live with or work with a child who has autism, we know that hand flapping in autism is also a self-stimulatory behavior- otherwise known as “stimming”.
Some children do hand flapping during early development phase but the key is how long these behavior lasts. If the child grows out of these behaviors, generally around 3 years of age, then it is not much worrisome. But if a child hand flaps everyday then there is cause for concern.
Often, stimming links to feeling anxious, excited, stressed, or angry. In other words, people may stim more when certain situations or triggers overwhelm them.
Stimming is short for self-stimulating behaviors. While many people have a stim, the behavior has become associated with autism.
Stimming is not included as a symptom of ADHD in the last Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM), the guide used by clinicians to diagnose mental health disorders. Stimming, however, is included in the DSM-5 (the most recent edition) as a symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Some people with ADHD do stimming behavior as often those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. These behaviors or urges can be as simple as excessive bouncing of legs , hand-flapping, finger-flicking, or making repetitive sounds. Sometimes, it can go as far as biting nails or peeling off skin to self-soothe.
Many children show symptoms of autism by 12 months to 18 months of age or earlier. Some early signs of autism include: Problems with eye contact.
There is no way to stop stimming, but parents can take steps to understand and reduce their child's self-stimulatory behavior. What does stimming mean? Stimming means repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech.
A child could have mild symptoms of autism, but parents and guardians should still take proactive steps to seek a diagnosis. When a child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), caregivers can work with professionals to develop appropriate strategies in response.
Asterixis, or flapping hand tremor, is a neurological disorder that causes a person to lose motor control of certain parts of their body. It's most common in the wrist and fingers and it can cause the muscles to abruptly and intermittently become lax, resulting in a “flapping” motion.
As it is commonly found among children diagnosed with autism, some professionals refer to the behavior as autistic stereopathy or stereotypy.
Although usually described as instinctive and reactive, according to several participants, stimming could also be under conscious control and used actively to prevent emotional dysregulation.
Hand flapping looks like the child is waving their hands in a rapid motion. The child's entire arm moves while staying bent at the elbow, with the wrists flicking back and forth due to the motion. You can relate more if you've seen a baby bird trying to fly for the first time.
Repetitive behaviour
For example, children might: make repetitive noises like grunts, throat-clearing or squealing. do repetitive movements like body-rocking or hand-flapping. do things like flicking a light switch repeatedly.
One of the hallmark features of an autism spectrum disorder is the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviors (RRBs), interests, and activities. Individuals may engage in stereotyped and repetitive motor movements (e.g., hand flapping or lining up items) or speech (e.g., echolalia).