Auditory stimming uses the person's sense of hearing and sound. It may include behaviors such as: vocal sounds, such as humming. tapping on objects or ears, covering and uncovering ears, and finger-snapping. repetitive speech.
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.
We stim for many reasons, but mainly because doing so is natural for many of us. We stim because doing so can feel good, relieve pressure, or help us to be calm in a chaotic world, and soothe ourselves when we're feeling overwhelmed or uncomfortable if there's too much unpleasant sensory input around us.
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.
Causes of stimming
Autistic people of any age may stim occasionally or constantly in response to excitement, happiness, boredom, stress, fear, and anxiety. They may also stim during times when they are feeling overwhelmed.
Self-stimulatory behavior is not unique to individuals on the autism spectrum and can be seen in neurotypical individuals as well.
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).
Stimming is part of the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but there are differences between this and stimming in ADHD. People with ADHD may stim to help improve focus and impulse control, while people with autism may do it to relieve anxiety. The stims themselves may be different, too.
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.
Some may repeat words, mimic sounds our environment makes, or hum to themselves. We often do this when we need to focus on something or to relieve boredom. Listening to music is one of the best stimming behaviors for a lot of people with ADHD because it can help us focus and relax simultaneously ?.
Vocal stimming involves making sounds with your mouth or breath. Examples of vocal stimming include: verbal noises. humming.
A study done in 2020 showed that music seemed to improve focus and attentiveness in children diagnosed with ADHD. Music therapy has been effective for people with ADHD because they crave the type of structure that music provides.
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.
Vocal stimming is a common behavior in individuals with ASD. It is a way for them to regulate their sensory input and cope with the overwhelming sensory environment around them. While vocal stimming is not harmful, it can be disruptive to others and lead to social isolation and stigma.
Mild autism is level 1 autism spectrum disorder. It means a person does not have severe symptoms and needs a lower level of support than someone else with autism. People with mild autism still have a hard time communicating and interacting with others.
As it is commonly found among children diagnosed with autism, some professionals refer to the behavior as autistic stereopathy or stereotypy.
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.
Some developmental health professionals refer to PDD-NOS as “subthreshold autism." In other words, it's the diagnosis they use for someone who has some but not all characteristics of autism or who has relatively mild symptoms.
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.
If you hide your adult ADHD symptoms from other people, that's called masking. Basically, you're trying to seem more “normal” or “regular.” ADHD causes some people to act hyperactive or impulsive. It makes other folks have trouble paying attention. And still other adults have a combination of those symptoms.
“High-functioning autism” isn't an official medical term or diagnosis. It's an informal one some people use when they talk about people with an autism spectrum disorder who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. They can live independently.
Thumb sucking and rocking are stims that many young children engage in. Stimming also may be a symptom or result of underlying neurodevelopmental conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Folks without autism or ADHD may stim as well, particularly when anxious.