visual stimming? Need an autistic perspective

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HI all,

new to this site. I thought I read about a new site where autistics/aspies were willing and able to answer questions/offer insight from their perspective. Not sure if this is the one?

My 4 yr. old son does this thing with his eyes - he'll be doing something and suddenly stop and close his eyes, and you can see his eyeballs moving underneath the lids. He'll stand like that for a good 3-5 seconds, then open his eyes. It's not always in rsponse to being asked to do something - he can be watching a video of his favorite music and do it.

I would love to know what he sees when he does it, why he does it. Anyone ntoice anything similar with their child, or can offer me their own experience? I'm very curious.

Louisa

Eye tics are most common in Tourette Syndrome, which I have both of. Tourette Syndrome can occur along with Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as ADD/ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Depression, Dysgraphia, visual and/or auditory processing problems, and a few others. It is possible to have only one, have some, or even have all the above and then some, though the latter is rare.

Right now, it sounds like Tourette's only, but consider having him screened for other things periodically as well. All of this may sound disturbing, but the odds are against this having a negative impact on his quality of life. In my case, I am 23, have AS, TS, OCD, ADD, Dysgraphia, auditory processing problems, plus unrelated Cerebral Palsy and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I managed to letter in marching band all 4 years of high school and I'm currently studying to become a Microsoft Cerified System Engineer. I should also mention that I was in a Boy Scout Venturing Crew where I earned the Siver Award, the Equivalent to an Eagle Scout.

Maybe its the not seeing anything, is why he does it. I do it when I'm overwhelmed, and try to paint a picture in my mind based on what I hear. My eyes flicker everywhere, just as if its a real picture. Where my eyes flicker, my hearing concentrates on to determine what is there. Quite relaxing.

I do it sometimes. In my case, it is caused by 2 separate reasons:

1. I often close my eyes to somewhat clear the artifacts that obscure my vision (swirling dots, falling snow, flashing areas, etc.). Moving eyeballs under the eyelids provides a minor pleasure.

2. Sometimes I get very drowsy (this might happen quite suddenly at any time), and can't keep my eyes open. Activating eye muscles provides an unobtrusive exercise that keeps me from falling asleep.

Of course, your son may be doing it for an entirely different reason. It might be just stimming, or something more serious such as petit-mal seizures.

I find that I do that a lot. If I don't like what I'm seeing, I close my eyes for a few minutes and I think about something that brings me joy.

Hi, I am Ghosthunter. I am HFA, and so is Danlo
I believe. The other two are AS. We all stim for
different reasons. For example I do it for stress
reduction reason's. Recently we had a lady who
did punishment for stimming, and she was scolded
for good reason. This is to help you understand
stimming, so bear with this......!

Stimming Issues:
1)...Stress Reduction(Danlo, Ghosthunter-HFA)
2)...Gaining focus(AS and HFA)
3)...Gaining balance in mind and physical space
(AS & HFA)

Some will stress many disorders and may be right.
Others will stress the reducing of stress and may
be right. The REAL ANSWER IS only known
to you and his(your son's behaviour!).

Hmmmm?
1)...Under what stressfree and stress situations
does he do it?

2)...How often does he do it and WHAT IS HE
doing that may provide clues?

3)...Is he in the basic autism spectrum

A)...HFA is when there is a non-verbal Learning
disability, then gain in strengths

B)...Asperger's traditionally doesn't involve
a non-verbal learning disability, but mostly
a high brain function, limited recipicol
(talking to others and exchanging dialogue)
issue.

I will use a quote from a audio about AS.
The word the therapist used was Problematic.
The child was six. "I am having a problematic
day", and this person was a walking dictionary.
Not normal even for the autisic high functioning
person in general at age 6(we often use pictures
then Words).

Hmmmm?
Ghosthunter

As for closing my eyes and moving them about beneath the lids, I tend to do that when I have dry eyes/allergies. Sometimes it's also good for an itch when I'm far too lazy to move my hands.

Have you asked him why he does it? Just that he enjoys it? Or does he have any allergies you know of?

It could be his eyes are dry, itching, or it could just be that he plain enjoys it, and sometimes to that sensory stuff there really isn't a good verbal answer of why one does something like stimming. It just feels good.

It sounds more like a tic than a stim.

I do visual stimming, and it usually involves me starring at lights or reflections or tracking objects across my field of vision.

If I have visual tics (and I do, I have tourettes), they involve me blinking really fast, or closing my eyes really hard.

Wanted to comment on some of the questions/thoughts that you shared.

Son is 4 and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. He lost his verbal skills about a year and a half ago. I don't consider him non-vrebal because he is starting to speak, just at about a 12 month old development. So I can't yet ask him why he does it. He does it more when he's tired, but I would say that it happens a couple times a day. His eyes move radpidly, and his lids don't close all the way.

i don;t think it's seizures, as he's not tired when he comes out of it. I think it's more alogn the lines of what Ghosthunter mentioned - stress reduction and gaining focus. I notice it when he's asked to do something he doesn't want to do, or when he's watching his favorite tv show and is real excited. = under stress and in pleasure.

As for punishing the stimming, I don't do that. Mostly I just want to make sure he's okay, so I gently talk to him when he's doing it, be a voice to ground him. Not sure if that makes sense.

Almost definately not a tick, then. A tic is something that happens uncontrollably, and usually quite explosive. It being a method of zoning out sounds much probable.
Also, Ghosthunter, I don't think its only HFA'ers that do it for stress reduction. Zoning out does the exact same thing, but without the obvious appearance of closed eyes. Zoning out with eyes closed rather than staring vacantly at one spot draws much less attention. Also, totally shutting the sense down rather than just not paying attention to it would be more effective.

Can I officially coin the term "vimming"? What do I win?

Hey Louisa, I hope I can help to put your mind at ease.

I used to do this LOTS when I was younger and I still do it on the odd ocassion. What I am doing is watching the patterns that form behind my eyelids. Either from the way the light is filtering through, of from the visual imprints (or whatever those left over images are) from what I have been looking at with my eyes open. So I am not suprised he does this after playing video games.

Simple reason why I do it. I am fascinated by the patterns and the way it all seems to have depth moving in and out and around. Forms grow and fade and change colours. When I was younger awestruck would be how I felt about it.

Try it out. It's like one's own personal kalidescope.

Wow, it's almost like you read my mind. While reading this, I thought of writing the exact same thing. I don't do it anymore, but it was because I enjoyed the patterns that formed when eyes closed. I enjoy kalidescopes more though.

I was quite suprised actually to find so many replies and none that mentioned this. Glad to hear it is more familiar than it was seeming. Does anyone else recall doing this?
What suprised me was the natural attraction to patterns and the presumtion that anyone whoever closed their eyes had experienced this.

Not always. While some tics can be explosive, is is possible to delay them. You will need to do them sometime in the near future, but they can be delayed. Completely uncontrolled body movments and ucontrollable behaviors are forms of seizures.

*cracks out the dictionary*
Tic:
A habitual spasmodic muscular movement or contraction, usually of the face or extremities.
Spasmodic:
Sudden, violent, involuntary contraction of a muscle or a group of muscles.

A couple of times a day does not constitute habitual. And it doesn't sound sudden or violent.