by Bret Thayer

An Autism Stereotype

We have all seen an autistic child on T.V. or in the movies, hunched over, rocking, perhaps even biting themselves in a display of behavior that strikes the neurotypical person as bizarre, crazy, or really out there. And yet, many of us, whether we are on the spectrum or not, may use a type of stimming behavior, although we might not realize it.

For example, as a neurotypical person, I often find myself drumming my fingers in odd patterns on the counter top as I am thinking about what to make for dinner; when I’m lying in bed trying to wake myself up, I fidget with my feet and toes.

In my classroom, every time I give a test or an assessment to my students, I see many of them tapping or spinning their pencils. Often, several students are bouncing their legs under their desks. To an autistic person, stimming behavior can be a common occurrence, but it is often met with surprise, annoyance, and shaming as it is often perceived as socially unacceptable behavior.

What Is Stimming?

Stimming or “stim” is self-stimulation which is commonly associated with autistic behavior. According to the DSM-5, a manual to help to diagnose autism, stimming is seen as a repetitive pattern of behavior which may manifest as “stereotyped or repetitive motor movements” (CDC Diagnostic Criteria for Autism).

Why Do People Stim?

Neurologically, one theory associates stimming with the release of beta-endorphins, a feeling of pleasure, due to a stress response (Autism360). Other theories center around the idea that the autistic person is using stimming as a means to comfort themselves given the environment that they are experiencing.

“Theoretical perspectives suggest that stimming has a sensorimotor basis…More recent theories have suggested that stimming my provide familiar and reliable self-generated feedback in response to difficulties with unpredictable, overwhelming and novel circumstances. As such, stimming may provide familiar and reliable self-generated feedback in response to difficulties with unpredictable, overwhelming and novel circumstances” NIH Autism (2019).

Stimming can result from an autistic person experiencing over-stimulation or under-stimulation, for example, or as a way to reduce a painful sensory experience. It can also be a way to manage emotions such as nervousness, excitement, or impatience or as a way to help maintain focus. Cynthia Kim, an autistic adult, sums up her experiences with stimming this way:

“Stimming happens for many reasons. I stim when I’m anxious. I stim when I’m thinking. I stim when my senses are overloaded. I stim when I’m happy. Stimming is a way of regulating my body and my mind. It calms me down when I’m over stimulated and reconnects me with myself when I’m under-stimulated. Often, I don’t even notice that I’m doing it” (Neurodevelopment Center).

Stimming may result in an autistic person having increased focus and attentiveness, it may be soothing and help to regulate emotions, and it may help in expressing pent up emotions. Stimming might actually be easier and more natural for an autistic child to express their anxiety or emotional distress than it is to verbalize their emotions.

Examples of Stimming

There are many different types of stimming behavior which can correlate to an autistic person’s sensory experiences in the moment (Medical News Today).

Stimming behaviors can range from physical or tactile movements, to engaging in smelling, auditory or visual stimuli. Types of stimming also differ among individuals in frequency, duration, and intensity.

The Urge to Stop Stimming

Since stimming is an obvious physical behavior in an autistic person, often neurotypical adults seek to limit or treat this behavior. Many caregivers and teachers might want to limit stimming due to the social repercussions that an autistic child might endure: bullying, alienation, or being socially rejected, for example. Others may feel that this behavior disrupts the learning environment for other students. And some stimming behaviors, such as biting or scratching can be harmful to the autistic student and to others.

Should stimming be stopped? “That’s the wrong question to ask”, according to Karen Wang, a parent of a neurodiverse child.

“First of all, no one can stop self-stimulatory behavior completely, because everyone does it anyway! Secondly, even if one stim can be removed, it will be replaced by another — and the next stim may be less preferable than the current one. The most important reason not to eradicate stimming is that you may cause your loved one to withdraw more and more and lose your opportunity to encourage healthy interactions. The far better question is, ‘Why does my child engage in this behavior?’ Seeking to understand the motivation for a behavior is always a great place to start” (Child Mind Institute).

If stimming is leading to physical harm of the child or to those around them, then the behavior should be modified to another stim response that is not as harmful and produces the calming effect that many children on the spectrum are seeking in a stressful environment. If there is a physical cause behind stimming, such as ear infections, chronic pain, or migraines, a medical exam can help to treat these underlying factors.

Another way to manage stimming is to look at the sensory factors that are leading the child to engage in this behavior. Why is the child feeling anxious? What are the sensory stimuli that the child is experiencing? Can these be reduced or managed? What is the child’s emotional response to this environment?

Distracting from the current environment through a change in physical activity or exercise may also help. From my own son’s experience, having a chance to take a break and walk around away from the stressful situation was extremely helpful.

A Bridge To Understanding

In a 2019 UK study, 32 autistic adults were asked to share their perceptions and experiences with stimming. Many reported that stimming was an “adaptive mechanism that helped them to soothe or communicate intense emotions or thoughts” (National Library of Medicine). Participants also expressed their frustration around being in environments that intentionally tried to eliminate the behavior or from those who had negative reactions to their stimming behavior. This often left them with the feeling that they had to try to change their behavior to better fit into the neurotypical world.

“They expressed that others might feel annoyed, stressed or alarmed by their stims and stated that observers might view them as strange, aggressive, sad, ridiculous or childish. Many wished to avoid drawing negative attention and, in response to feeling marginalized, attempted to suppress their stims in public. They also reported stimming when alone, for this reason.”

National Library of Medicine

The study concluded that participants felt that stimming provided an important coping tool and that promoting acceptance through understanding was key to the acceptance of non-harmful stimming in autistic adults (National Library of Medicine).

Ultimately, stimming is a healthy way of self-regulation for those on the spectrum. Schools and businesses would do well to allow this behavior and to offer accommodations for appropriate stimming. If we demystify the reasons for stimming while acknowledging that many of us engage in this behavior, it will go a long way to reduce the stigma behind stimming.

Bret Thayer has been a public school teacher for 27 years in Colorado. He is a parent of an autistic child and is the co-host for the Understanding Autism Podcast.

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