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While you might not be familiar with the term stimming, it’s a behavior that most people engage in from time to time. But you might be asking, what is stimming exactly? For some, it may look like biting your cuticles or bouncing your leg incessantly under the table when you are feeling on edge. For others, it might be a more exaggerated motion, like flapping or full-body rocking.
According to Healthline, stimming refers to self-stimulating behaviors, usually involving repetitive movements or sounds. The purpose? To help relax the person doing the behavior as a coping mechanism.
"Stimming behaviors are used to reduce anxiety and adapt to an unfamiliar environment. In fact, some of the most common stimming behaviors can be things as simple as cracking your knuckles or tapping your pencil. Almost everyone engages in some form of stimming, and for most, it is a harmless behavior, " licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Holly Schiff told Mom.com. To better understand stimming, we're covering types of skimming, symptoms of stimming, and different stimming behaviors.
Types of stimming
Not everyone who engages in stimming behaviors is on the autism spectrum. However, it is one of the criteria used to diagnose autism.
"Stimming does not necessarily mean a person has autism, but stimming is part of the diagnostic criteria. For those with autism, stimming seems to help them manage their emotions when they feel overwhelmed. Some types of stimming behaviors can be seen as a coping mechanism and self-soothing," Schiff explained.
Every person who uses stimming as a way to make them feel more at ease does so in a different kind of way. The different types of stimming can range from minimal to a more obvious type of motion. The type of stim can also be dependent on how the person is feeling.
"My daughter has level three autism which doesn’t allow her to speak yet. She has what we call 'happy' and 'unhappy' stims," mom-of-five Caila D. told Mom.com. "When she paces on her tiptoes and flaps her arms while humming, she’s in a good mood. We always say, she ain’t happy if she ain’t flappy.”
Stimming symptoms
According to the World Health Organization, about 1 in 100 children has autism. So understanding stimming symptoms is important for parents and educators. Even other children being able to recognize stimming symptoms can increase the empathy they have for their siblings and fellow classmates.
Mom.com asked Dr. Schiff about how stimming might present differently in autistic individuals. "Autistic individuals may rock back and forth, bounce and jump around, pace and walk on their tiptoes, pull their hair, blink repetitively, continuously repeat words or phrases, and lick or rub objects," she said.
"Symptoms might be more obvious and may manifest as full-body rocking back and forth or flapping their hands, which can also go on for long periods because some people have less social awareness and don’t recognize that it can be disruptive to others," said Dr. Schiff.
Stimming behaviors
As previously mentioned, not all stimming behaviors are equally disruptive and noticeable. But there are times when stimming behaviors can be complicated and harmful. Even so, there are different ways to approach these stimming behaviors so that they become a tool that promotes calm and helps manage extreme emotions.
How to manage
Dr. Schiff warns against punishing the behavior, as it will usually be replaced with a different stim, and recommends introducing an alternate behavior to help meet the same needs. For example, if a child flaps their hands, try out a stress ball.
“Teaching self-management tools and coping skills are helpful," Schiff advised. "When working with autistic children who stim, the goal is to encourage self-control. It’s equally important to figure out the reason behind the stimming is important since this behavior is a form of communication.”
Complications
Some stimming behaviors can be dangerous, like head banging, punching, biting, or scratching at skin.
Mom Caila shared how she manages her daughter’s more complicated, dangerous stimming behaviors. "With therapy, we’ve been able to redirect her stims that come from a place of frustration, anger, and anxiety," she said. "Instead of hitting her head or slapping her legs, we can sometimes redirect her by clapping her hands, massaging her head, or applying deep pressure. That way, she is still receiving a similar sensory input to help to regulate her emotions but safely for herself and others."
