What is Stimming in Autism?
Communication skills are an essential part of any child’s development, and this fact doesn’t change when it comes to children with Autism. As the parent of an autistic child, you have the joy of learning the particular way in which they communicate. For this reason, you must understand how they express themselves.
One of those behaviors that you can identify is stimming.
Stimming in Autism is a self-stimulatory behavior that consists of repetitive or unusual body movements or noises. To help you understand stimming, let’s consider:
- What are the different types of stimming?
- Why do kids with Autism stim?
- What causes stimming?
- What are the benefits of stimming?
What Are The Different Types of Stimming?
Stimming can be expressed through various means that can fall under one of the following categories:
Visual Stimming
Visual stimulations can attract the attention of children with Autism. For example, if you notice they are looking at something sideways, focused on watching an object that’s spinning, or that they flutter their fingers near the eyes, then they can be displaying visual stimming.
Auditory Stimming
Sound and noises can also draw the attention of your child. Examples of auditory stimming include:
- Listening to the same song or noise over and over, such as opening and closing doors or flicking switches
- Repeating the same noise they make, like tapping or clicking their fingers
Tactile Stimming
Stimming displayed as a tactile nature is commonly seen through hand and finger mannerisms, for example, finger-flicking or hand-flapping. It’s vital to keep an eye out for tactile stimming because this type of behavior could potentially cause harm to the person or others.
If this is the case with your autistic child, you can redirect this behavior with specific tools such as a stress ball or a vibrating sensory cushion.
Verbal Stimming
What is verbal stimming? This term refers to verbal self-stimulatory behavior like repeating certain words, sounds, or noises. Verbal stimming can sometimes be hard to notice since they don’t have an apparent cause.
Stimming Based on Taste And Smell
Another type of stimming is based on the senses of taste and smell. Look out for the following behaviors:
- Licking things
- Chewing objects
- Putting body parts in their mouth
- Sniffing people or animals
Vestibular Stimming
The vestibular system refers to the sensory system that aids in the sense of balance. Vestibular stimming then has to do with repetitive actions that deal with your child’s balance. As a result, you will notice unusual body movements and weird posturing.
Some examples of vestibular stimming include:
- Spinning
- Rocking back and forth
- Holding hands or fingers out at an angle
- Arching the back while sitting
Proprioceptive Stimming
Proprioception is the ability we have to control our limbs without having to look at them. Children with Autism typically have this ability reduced, affecting their understanding of where they are and what they’re doing. Proprioceptive stimming behaviors can involve throwing items, pacing, or jumping around.
What Causes Stimming?
Why do kids with Autism stim? The exact cause of stimming isn’t easily determined, but it has been understood to be like a coping mechanism that can help those with Autism to adapt to certain personal difficulties, such as:
- Sensitivity. Your autistic child may be oversensitive or undersensitive. If they’re oversensitive to sensory information, stimming helps focus their attention on the behavior, so they can manage and reduce sensory overload. If they’re undersensitive, stimming can stimulate your child’s senses.
- Unfamiliar environments. A change in their environment can negatively affect a child with Autism causing stimming. Especially if they have difficulty communicating, stimming may be their way of expressing frustration. They may also react to avoid certain activities or expectations.
- Management of emotions. Stimming is one way in which your child reduces anxiety and can calm themselves down. It can also help manage emotions like anger, fear, and excitement by focusing their attention on the stim.
- Attention seeking. In some cases, your child may recognize that their stimming results in special attention. They will see stimming as a means of getting more attention.
- Pain. In rare cases, stimming is your autistic child’s attempt to ease pain or other physical discomforts.
Are you having trouble understanding your child’s stimming? Seeking the services of a behavior specialist or therapist with experience in Autism may shed some light on the specific cause of your child’s stimming behavior.
Are There Any Dangers of Stimming?
When we consider all the different triggers for stimming, it’s clear why there are different views on these behaviors, making it a pretty controversial topic. But the reality is that stimming isn’t necessarily a bad thing since it can help your autistic child cope with different situations they don’t understand.
However, if your child has developed stimming that leads to self-injury, then you will need to look for ways to reduce such stims. Some of these stims you want to keep an eye out for are:
- Severe hand-biting
- Banging their head
- Scratching their skin
- Pulling their hair
- Extreme picking or nail-biting
As a parent, you must also observe stims that, although they don’t cause harm, can be detrimental to their ability to learn. For instance, rather than helping them focus, stimming can cause them to be distracted from their schoolwork. Stimming can also affect the attention an autistic child gives to the outside world, which affects their ability to develop communication skills with parents and others that surround them.
Tips For Managing Stimming in Autistic Children
If stimming negatively affects your child, here are a couple of tips that can help you manage your child’s stimming.
Identifying The Cause
To begin managing stims, you have to figure out the reason behind them. Since behaviors can be a form of communication, you should evaluate the situations that cause the stimming.
Some ideas that can help you better identify the cause include:
- Eliminating or reducing what you believe is the stim trigger
- Stick to a routine for daily tasks
Address The Stim Correctly
When you have identified the cause of your child’s stimming, you must learn to react so you can manage the situation appropriately. You can put into practice these tips:
- Reinforce acceptable behaviors and self-control
- Intervening in unsafe behavior
- Avoid punishing the behavior
- Teach an alternate acceptable behavior
- Learn when it’s best not to respond
- Educate other family members on how to act
- Create a safe environment
Other Factors to Consider
In situations where your autistic child has problems communicating, stimming may be the result of physical issues such as:
- Ear infections
- Chronic pain
- Migraines
It’s a good idea for your child to get a medical exam to eliminate the possibility that stimming is one way your child is trying to tell you that something is wrong with them physically.
What Are Autism Stim Toys?
Many self-stimulatory behaviors are also manageable with unique sensory products, which are sometimes referred to as stim toys. Here are some of the best stim toys to improve focus in children with Autism.
Toys To Fiddle With
Some stims are displayed as hand movements, making any toy they can shake or flick ideal for managing these behaviors. Your child may enjoy:
- Fidget spinners. Spinning toys stimulate the visual and tactile systems making their small shapes ideal for taking anywhere.
- Stretchy Strings Noodles. Excellent toys you can tie in knots, squeeze, stretch, wrap around their hands, and bounce off different surfaces.
Toys They Can Chew
Some autistic children find chewing extremely therapeutic, particularly when nervous or excited. Direct this self-stimulatory behavior towards chewable toys and jewelry such as:
Toys That Light Up And Make Sounds
Things that light up and make sounds will definitely catch the attention of any child. In the case of children with stims, these types of toys can be a perfect replacement for stimming behaviors. Some stim toys that can have a positive effect on the auditory and visual systems are
Toys They Can Watch
Moving visual stim toys are a great way to stimulate your child’s thoughts and help them use their imaginations. But these types of toys can either have a calming and regulating effect or an alerting and arousing effect, so make sure you evaluate some toys like:
Join a Community Eager to Help
Parents just want the best for their children, but, unfortunately, raising a child with Autism or other special needs does have its challenges. Our goal at Normal Life, Inc. is to transform the world of Autism resources by giving you first-hand advice from a community of parents eager to help.
The resources made available at Normal Life, Inc. will help you build an environment for your child that’s conducive to a normal life. You will learn to regulate and organize your life with the correct instructions that adapt to your unique situation.
Contact us today to help you give your child the opportunity they deserve to realize their full potential no matter their medical diagnosis.
