Adults- how much hand flapping do you do?

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It seems to naturally emanate from me and replace the skills others have where they know when to increase voice volume or changing rhythm and inflections etc, I find the physical OOMPH I feel from flapping like a breadless bird emphasizes my points I am either thinking through in my head or trying to push through my voice to others at times, I also do it when I am spinning around or hopping about and am agitated or excited by things, I never knew I did it until I began exploring autism more deeply, the doc who diagnosed me noted that I hand wrung and hand flapped an awful lot from observation. An old therapist also noticed I had issues with my hands, I'd never ever registered that I did it until then and even though I am aware of it these days I don't catch myself doing it constantly, it kinda comes into focus on occasion and I am surprised by that.

I used to do it a bit as a child. I still remember a video of me on my Holy Communion opening presents from relatives and flapping my hands a lot, really fast. When something startles me I can flap one hand a little bit, just for a few seconds. When I'm thinking and trying to concentrate I do something that looks like one-hand-clapping (fingers bend and touch the bottom part of palms).
Most of my stims now are balancing on edges, heels, chairs, finger tapping on things but not hand flapping.
Not long ago, while alone, I just felt the urge to jump while spinning around, flap my hands and make a high-pitched Eeeeheeee sound That felt... really good, like I was exploding with happy, bouncy energy but I don't really do anything like that normally and never when people are around.

I do it when i'm happy, excited or when my mind is racing.

Not hand flapping but whipping back and forth things line pencils, combs, hangers plenty nearly all the time in private.

None.

What about moving my feet a lot when I'm sitting?

I don't think this is a stim I have ever had, I tend to do more fidgety things with my hands like pick up random objects or if I am holding paper I tend to crumple it I guess when I am talking and such sometimes I touch my face and weird things like that...a lot of times I am not aware when I start stimming, but eventually notice it or if someone points it out I notice.

I used to flutter my hands over my chest, kind of rubbing my nipples. I stopped, at least in public, because someone confronted me on it saying it looked sexually suggestive. In general I was very careful to keep my wrists straight while in school, though, because kids would taunt me and mock me with the exaggerated limp-wristed gesture that meant they thought I was gay. Once I was older I couldn't have cared less if they did, but the end result is that as an adult I do very little that resembles flapping. I do flick the back of my head when anxious, and I often pick up small objects and shak them in front of my face, among other things.

Very rare.

It usually happens when I'm very excited and very happy, and if overwhelmed enough by it.


But I'm rarely overwhelmed at all, let alone be overwhelmed by happiness and excitement.

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None, never have. I rock, shake my leg, crack my knuckles. I will rock forever. It's so small though, I don't think anyone notices, not that I would care.

Flapping seems more non-NT, while my stims are somewhat "normal" I think. But we don't really choose, do we. You get what you get.

My kid flaps. I was a little embarrassed by it at first, before I understood why. Now it's okay. I won't try to suppress it. These things are expressions.

I hand flap all the time. For me, it is more when I am really excited or overstimulated. But I also have learned how to modify that behavior when I am in public. There are few people who I will hand flap around (anyone who knows that I have autism). But for the most part, if there are other people around then I tend to do more leg shaking or rocking. But also, I have started doing a lot of hand shaking (as if you were shaking the water off after you wash your hands) instead of hand flapping in public because that looks more typical and nobody questions that. You can't necessarily do that too much, but it works better than trying to hold it all in all day.

LOLX ! I have a video of me doing a complete 360 degree stim with accompanying hand flapping at the alter on my wedding day in front of 400 people ! The groom kissed me before the vicar said 'and you may kiss the bride' and there i was, flap flap flapping round in a complete circle, everyone roaring with laughter. So much for the demure elegant bride in the long flowing gown ! Epic !

I never had this stim, actually. So none.

I still love toe walking, though. Apparently that's an autism thing. And I still touch cold, flat surfaces over and over because I love those textures. I also still bang my head on the pillow at night to help fall asleep. How dear husband puts up with that one, I'll never know.