Does touching hair count as stimming?

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I find myself doing it constantly when I'm alone. I try to restrain myself in public, however.

I don't know really. I mean, I play with my hair a lot, regardless of how I feel and I used to have an obsession with my hair and hair length, colour and shine on other girls as a child. But then a few of my non-aspie female friends play with their hair a lot (moreso when flirting), so I am unsure if it is a stim as such. It might well be a stim for us, but I don't know if it is actually classed as a stim.

I play with my hair, especially if it's long (I like to twirl it). Not sure if it's a stim or not, though. I believe stims were mostly emotion-related. Mine's just random playing.

it can be, but it doesn't have to.
it is quite hard to define a stim, as it can be anything from rolling your eyes to making cartwheels on the bus...

I have read somewhere that playing with one's hair can be the equivalent to stimming for some people with autism.

Hair twirling is a common stim for girls. It's one I picked up on as a kid becasue it is more socially acceptable (and sometimes considered cute and/or flirty) for a girl to twirl her hair. I play with my hair constantly at home - it's a nervous/bored/understimulated stim for me. I'm quite conscious of it in public. in fact, trying to curb my own 'nervous tics' has made me more conscious of others 'nervous tics'. There is a definite difference between the common 'nervous tic' and a stim. Not to be confused with the tics of Tourettes...

I think that, for a guy, twirling with your hair means you need to get a haircut.

NO, absolutely not. Touching your hair is fidgiting, not stimming.

Stimming is a repetitive BODY motion, not a minor twiddling with one's fingers. Rocking, Swaying and hand flapping (generally involving the entire arm) are stims, done to alleviate stress and anxiety. You may fidgit because you're anxious or nervous, but that doesn't DISPERSE the anxiety. Think of the soothing motion of a swing or a rocking chair - that sensation is PHYSICALLY soothing and helps actually reduce the level of stress. Fidgits do not reduce stress, they are a minor distraction at best and may actually increase anxiety by acknowledging it.

The guy who diagnosed me with PDD NOS pointed to my hair-twirling as an example of stimming.

My definition of stimming is a movement done primarily because it produces a (non-sexual) pleasurable sensory sensation. NTs stim too, just a lot less than autistics and with less wide a variety of stims since only a few are considered socially acceptable.

I think hair-twirling, in my case, is a stim because I do it so I can feel the softness of my hair on my fingers and cheek. I find it soothing, but also do it as a background movement plenty of times when I don't need soothing.

And stimming doesn't have to be a large body movement. What about people who flick their fingers in their peripheral vision (eg [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc] Amanda Baggs[/url])?

When I was diagnosed with aspergers, during the sessions I would rub my face a lot while I was talking and they said that was similar to the swaying or rocking or flapping hands thing that other people do. I also move my fingers as if I am rolling things between them while I talk in a social setting. It helps me think and I am only partially aware of doing it.

As others have said, any of these things can be, but they don't have to be. It can be whatever you find comfort in doing.

When I lay down, if I am very tired or stressed I rock my body back and forth whie laying on my side and I find that de-stressing. I think that is similar.

When my hair was longer I was constantly twirling my hair around in my left-hand fingers, particularly if my hair was wet. It was always the same place, behind my left ear. I often found myself doing it without being aware of it. It's one of the most pleasant, soothing experiences I've had. If I was stressed it would calm me down. I could literally get lost in playing with my hair.

Unfortunately, a man in his mid-30s playing with his hair is socially unacceptable. It's one of the reasons I keep my hair buzzed now.