There are many different forms of stimming! Stimmng is something that Autistic or neurodivergent people (people with ADD or ADHD, OCD, anxiety, etc) do. There are several different reasons for stmming and they include:
-regulating sensory input
-the person is stressed or upset
-it may just be pleasurable!
Stimming can take many forms, and today I will elaborate on them below.
This is a form of stimming where a person repeatedly listens to a particular song or noise. It can be repeated many times, I’ve listened to a particular song 10+ times in a row. You may see Autistic or neurodivergent people who wear large headphones or earbuds seemingly all the time, they are probably engaging in auditory stimming. They could also be blocking out unsavory noises that could result in sensory overload.
Tactile stimming is stimming through touch. This can be accomplished through certain fabrics, surfaces, or textures. An Autistic person may rub a swathe of fabric, or stroke the top of a counter to receive sensory imput and calm down.
Verbal stimming or echolalia
Echolalia is the repetition of certain sounds, words, or sentences. It may seem like meaningless drivel to those who are not Autistic themselves or are uninformed on Autism, but echolalia is not only a form of stimming: it can also be a form of communication. For example, an Autistic person may repeat the phrase “House on fire! House on fire!” or make firetruck noises when what they really mean is that they would like the air conditioner turned on because they are too hot. On the stimming side, Autistics may simply enjoy the diction of the words, and repeat them over and over. I used to make animal noises, and today my sister and I will often repeat phrases from old Spongebob episodes.
Similar to tactile stimming, pressure stimming is accomplished via touch, and includes putting weight on a part or all of an Autistic person’s body. This can be done through heavy sweaters and thick clothes, weighted blankets, or squeezing. This is usually done more to regulate sensory input and avoid dreaded sensory underloads, at least in my experience.
This form of stimming is done through looking at pleasing images. These images can be blurry lines, colours, moving objects or shapes, and just about everything in between. Visual stimming is good to help calm down in times of stress. I personally enjoy looking at blurry watercolours and fluid acrylic paintings.
Stim toys come in a wide variety. Some common ones are rubber bracelets, putty, bottles of glittery water, and spinner rings. These things are helpful when a person is on the go, and needs something to do with their hands.
Rocking, hand flapping, chewing, hair twirling, leg bouncing, etc
All of these things are called bodily stims. They are just like the other forms of stimming, and accomplish the same things (see top of post).
Stimming is often neccesary for Autistic and neurodivergent people to focus, concentrate, and accomplish what they need to accomplish. You should NEVER stop a person from stimming, unless they are harming themselves or others. Self harming stims are a thing, and include head banging, skin picking, chewing skin, and many others. These can be very damaging, and should be gently redirected to another form of stimming. Some suggestions for stimming are:
-listen to your favorite song
-wrap up in a weighted blanket, or a soft quilt
-fill up a water bottle and gently tilt it back and forth, and watch and listen to the water
-drip food colouring into water and slowly watch it spread
-listen to nature sounds like rain, bird noises, or thunderstorms
-play with a slap bracelet
-play with a soft piece of fabric, or a scarf, or a ribbon
-look up ‘stimming’ or go to the 'actuallyautistic’ tag for ideas
Hope this was informative!
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