Stimming in Autism: What It Looks Like and How To Manage It In Your Child

 

Stimming, or self-stimulatory behavior, is something that everyone does to some degree but tends to be more pronounced in children with Autism. It refers to repetitive movements or noises made by children with Autism to cope with overwhelming situations. While some children may only stim occasionally, others may do it more often. Having an understanding of what constitutes stimming and why children do it, will help you manage these tendencies better.

Understanding Autism

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a range of neurodevelopmental disorders that affect social, behavioral, and communicative abilities. Children with Autism often become overwhelmed by different kinds of sensory input, either regularly or in certain environments. As a result, they may turn to stimming as a form of coping.

Even normal children or adults often stim to relieve tension or ease boredom. For instance, one might chew on the end of a pen or bite one’s nails. In the context of children with Autism, stimming often helps them manage emotions like anger, fear, or anxiety. The stimming action calms them down by focusing their mind on the action rather than the stimulus causing the emotion in the first place. 

Examples of stimming behaviors

Stimming can manifest in multiple forms — from mild mannerisms to more pronounced behaviors, which may affect the way the child interacts. In many cases, the stimming may disturb or annoy other people without the child being aware of it. Common stimming behaviors include:

• Repetitive behavior, like flicking switches or opening and closing doors

• Unusual body movements, like rocking back and forth constantly

• Posturing by arching the back or holding hands/fingers out at an angle while sitting

• Hand mannerisms, like flapping or finger-flicking

• Cracking the knuckles

• Chewing objects or mouthing certain words or phrases

• Staring at rotating objects or lights

• Visual stimulation such as looking at an object sideways

• Listening to the same song over and over

• Rearranging objects

• Rubbing at or scratching the skin

How to manage stimming in your child with Autism

While the best Autism treatment will improve your child’s behavioral capabilities, they may still turn to stimming as a form of self-soothing. It can help your child cope better in stressful situations and, as such, need not be discouraged. However, certain types of stimming may have a negative effect on your child such as taking their attention away from skill-developing activities and even potentially causing injury. Healthy ways to reduce stimming include the following:

• Work on anxiety: Observe your child for signs of stimming that may be the result of acute anxiety. Teach your child various skills to cope with anxiety and stress.

• Change the environment: If your child is becoming overwhelmed by their environment, taking them away to a quiet place or giving them just one activity to focus on can help the situation. Similarly, if your child needs more sensory input, giving them a selection of activities and toys or playing music in the background can help.

• Teach alternate behaviors when possible: Give your child alternate activities that are less disruptive in social environments such as squeezing a stress ball rather than flapping the hands. This will provide your child with the same sensory relief, while improving their ability to navigate social situations.

• Take professional help: If your child’s stimming poses potential harm to themselves or to other people, consult an occupational therapist or a psychiatrist for ways to intervene and modify those behaviors safely.

• Ensure that the stimming is not actually a medical symptom: It is crucial to determine that what might appear to be stimming is not actually stimming at all, rather something involuntary caused by a seizure. If you have any reason to believe it is, be sure to consult a doctor right away.

Stimming is a coping mechanism that many children with Autism engage with and can be allowed as long as it doesn’t harm your child. It should not interfere with their daily schedule or the ability to learn and pay attention. With the right management and the best Autism treatment to help them improve their social and emotional skills, your child can learn to navigate daily life with confidence and ease.