What is stimming?

Stimming – or self-stimulatory behaviour – is repetitive body movements or noises. Stimming might include hand and finger movements – for example, finger-flicking and hand-flapping, body movements – for example, rocking back and forth while sitting or standing, posturing – for example, holding hands or fingers out at an angle or arching the back while sitting, visual stimulation – for example, looking at something sideways, watching an object spin, or fluttering fingers near the eyes, repetitive behaviour – for example, opening and closing doors or flicking switches, vocal stimulation – humming, whistling, grunting, or repeating words or phrases, chewing or mouthing objects, listening to the same song or noise over and over. We all use stimming sometimes. For example, some children suck their thumbs or twirl their hair for comfort, and others jiggle their legs while they’re working on a difficult problem or task. You might pace up and down if you’re anxious or fiddle with a pen in a boring meeting. Stimming might help autistic children and teenagers cope with and manage strong emotions like anxiety, anger, fear and excitement. Stimming might also help autistic children and teenagers cope with and manage overwhelming sensory information.

Stimming due to distress if an autistic person is stimming to distract them from, or to regulate their level of distress. They may need support to identify the cause and to address it. For example, an autistic person may repeatedly flick a light switch on and off because they like the sensation of flicking the switch and the visual input of the light turning on and off. In general, obsessions and compulsions for people with OCD are distressing and unwanted, whereas behaviours in autistic people such as stimming and engaging in their interests are often positive, soothing and purposeful. Some autistic people may stim in ways that are harmful to them. This is sometimes called ‘self-injurious behaviour’ (behaviour that injures them). Trying to stop a distressed autistic person stimming without addressing the cause of their distress or finding an alternative way for them to express or regulate their emotions may not work and may make the person more distressed.

Stimming is the short version of self-stimulation or self-stimulatory behavior. It is a self-soothing mechanism characterized by the repetition of movements, words, or sounds. As it is commonly found among children diagnosed with autism, some professionals refer to the behavior as autistic stereopathy or stereotypy. Although stimming is common among children with autism, any individual can engage in stimming. Examples include tapping or chewing a pencil while thinking, repetitive doodling while bored, cracking knuckle when stressed, or biting fingernails when nervous. Scientists and anthropologists believe that stimming is a way the body centers itself in response to environment stimuli or relieves anxiety during instances of heightened tension. Stimming can be tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory, or vestibular. Because there is a strong association between stims and the senses, it is common for individuals diagnosed with sensory processing disorder to engage in stimming behavior. While some stimming behaviors can seem quite mild, children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder can display stimming that seems quite pronounced to other people. Examples may include arm or hand flapping, repetitive noises or words, repeatedly looking at objects sideways, listening to the same song over and over, head banging against hard surfaces, or hard blinking.

Stimming is what is known as self-stimulating behaviour. It is something everyone does to soothe themselves when stressed – some people talk to themselves, sing or bite their nails - but autistic people tend to do it more, partly as they have more to be anxious about. A person’s stim of preference may be unique: some people doodle, others fiddle with a hairband wound around their fingers, use a fidget toy, such as a fidget noodle, or a stress ball, pick their skin, sing, talk non-stop, repeating a favourite script from a TV or movie... the list goes on. Stimming used to be thought of as inappropriate, but over time it was realised that stimming serves an important function. It can help a person focus, or it can be the release valve that lowers anxiety and allows a person to cope, particularly in a sensorily challenging environment. Stimming can also be a source of pleasure as well as anxiety-relief. For young children, or non-speaking autistic people, stimming is part of their language and can be an excellent way to connect.