Other more subtle stimming actions include staring at objects — especially anything with lights or movement; gazing off into space; blinking repeatedly; looking out of the corner of your eyes; flipping lights on and off repeatedly; random humming, shrieking, or making other noises; finger snapping or putting your hands ...
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. visual stimulation – for example, looking at something sideways, watching an object spin or fluttering fingers near the eyes.
Stimming or self-stimulating behaviour includes arm or hand-flapping, finger-flicking, rocking, jumping, spinning or twirling, head-banging and complex body movements.
Ordinary stimming occurs with limitations and is less repetitive than autistic stimming. When desired ordinary stim can be controlled. For example a person can choose not to bite nails when attending an important meeting. Autistic people have very less or no control over stimming.
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.
People who are neurodivergent often feel that they need to hide or decrease their self-stimulatory behavior, as it often elicits an undesirable response from those who do not understand the compulsion behind them.
Self-stimulation or “stimming” refers to self-soothing, mostly unconscious repetitive sounds or movements. Almost everyone stims: think hair twirling or nail-biting.
Stimming can take many different forms: visual: staring off into space, drawing, spinning things like pens or coins. verbal/auditory: repeating sounds, excessive giggling, constantly clearing throat. tactile: rubbing fingers, chewing/biting nails, chewing the inside of cheeks.
Even typical adults sometimes stim. For example, many people tap their foot when impatient or anxious, twirl their hair when bored, or tap their fingers when intensely thinking. Like neurotypical adults, not all individuals on the spectrum stim to the point of being disruptive or harmful.
Autistic people often wear headphones as a way to block out overwhelming sensory input. For many autistic people, particularly those who are nonverbal, headphones can be a lifeline to a calmer state of mind.
In the case of vocal stimming (or verbal stimming), the child might make noises such as groaning, grunting, high- pitched screeching, squealing, humming, or repeating random words, words to a familiar song, phrases, or lines from a movie.
Stimming is a universal behavior that can occur in anyone. It is not exclusive to ADHD or any other medical condition. Stimming exists on a continuum. Some people may stim, while others may not.
What Is Happy Stimming? There is a type of stimming called "happy stimming."1 This is when people stim to express pleasure rather than to focus or calm down. Happy stimming can involve any type of self-stimulatory behavior, but it's typically done to express enjoyment rather than to manage negative emotions.
Often, stimming links to feeling anxious, excited, stressed, or angry. In other words, people may stim more when certain situations or triggers overwhelm them. Helps with sensory processing: Some people may stim because it helps with processing and learning information or communicating with others.
Masking in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) refers to the conscious or subconscious efforts of individuals to hide or suppress their symptoms in order to conform to social expectations or avoid negative judgments and stigmatization.
Stimming is a term for self-stimulatory behavior. It often manifests as repetitive body movement, such as humming or hand movements. It is common among people on the autism spectrum. Stimming can bring enjoyment and help people cope with uncomfortable or stressful situations.
Some signs that you might be understimulated include: Lack of motivation. Physical hyperactivity. A sense of unease, making you feel "flat" or irritable.
Executive functions have other roles which affect how someone thinks. In people with ADHD, these executive dysfunctions impact thinking in numerous ways. People with ADHD don't really think faster than people without it, but it can sometimes seem like they do.
Vestibular and Proprioceptive
Vestibular stimming refers to repetitive actions to do with balance, while proprioception is more to do with the person's understanding of where they are and what they're doing. Proprioception is the ability which allows us to control limbs without directly looking at them.
Vocal stimming, also known as auditory stimming, is self-stimulatory behaviour that involves the use of the mouth, lips and vocal cords. It can also involve the use of ears.
Understimulation: Stimming helps provide extra sensory input when needed. Pain reduction: Repeated banging of the head or body actually reduces the overall sensation of pain. One hypothesis is that stimming causes the release of beta-endorphins in the body, which then causes a feeling of anesthesia or pleasure.
People will respond differently to feeling overstimulated, but symptoms often include anxiety, discomfort, and fear. Though sensory overload can affect anyone, it commonly occurs in autistic people, and those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sensory processing disorder, and certain other conditions.