Are these things stimming?

Post Reply New Topic

I've been trying to understand all the symptoms of AS and stimming, maybe because it's an elusive sounding word to me, is one part I'm not sure if I understand. I saw a video on hand flapping where the person held up her arm and then shook it, keeping her hand loose and allowing it to fling back and forth. I do this, but I didn't know it was a thing with a name... There are a variety of motions that are called hand flapping, right?

Also, are these the kind of motions they mean when they say stimming?:

Rocking - I understand the rocking of sitting on your bottom and rocking the torso back and forth, but what about slightly rolling the body back and forth when you're lying down? Is that rocking, too? I like to do this. When I stop my whole body is tingling (I know, it sounds funny, but it's like someone rocking a cradle). I can do this and eventually fall asleep doing it.

Finger flapping - I saw a million different things called finger flapping and twisting online, but nothing like what I do. I'm not always aware of it. My left hand hangs down by my side and my first two fingers flutter/tap against my thumb. Is that a type of finger flapping?

Is stimming something that's always conscious or can it be giong on without the doer realizing it? Sometimes someone else makes me aware by saying, "what are you doing?".

I know this is a little different, but I don't know that it warrants a whole thread. I also saw something in the Temple Grandin presentation on youtube that mentioned looking through the corner of the eye. I've always done this while squinting my right eye. My mom always stops me because she says I look like a pirate and am going to get wrinkles that way. She's nice about it though. Do you guys do this?

Stimming, or self stimulation, is not one specific thing. It's defined as a "repetitive body movement that stimulates one or more of the senses." That's broad. It can really be almost anything. If what you do isn't just like what someone else does, that's normal. It's also frequently unconscious, or at least the person isn't really thinking about it. Don't worry. You're normal (in a matter of speaking. )

Thank you, you made me smile

Maybe that's why I have a hard time understanding it because it's so broad. When I saw on one of the tests, the question, "do you stim?" I didn't really understand, so then began my adventures in googling.

Stimming/stim etc are casual (non-clinical) words referring to "stereotyped repetitive movements".

If the movement is repetative (which for instance the finger movement you describe is) and conforms to a particular pattern (from one ocassion to the next) then that would qualify. No awareness that you are engaging in the behavior is needed. I often do not notice I am stimming.

Hm. Thank you. So, maybe that's another difficult aspect - you may not notice you do it. Very helpful, thank you. I'm trying to get my understanding in order for my appointment in 2035 - I mean June

I saw somewhere that stimming can also include such activities as pacing, drumming and doodling.

As well as singing mantras, making mandalas, etc.

I think most stimming is defined by not being initially aware of it.

I think another big clue to if you are stimming is if you notice it and stop, you start engaging in another form of stimming without realize it. (i.e. notice you are rocking, stop, then notice later that you immediately took up hitting your legs and making repetitive noises).

I notice that I do this. I'm trying to stop rubbing my eyebrows because they are disappearing. When I notice that I'm doing it I stop, but what I don't notice until later on is that I started doing something else, like clicking my toes (hard to explain).

Some things I do unconsciously (pressing my lips together) and others I specifically do because they do stimulate me, although to the general public they would be considered weird. Like I can't stop peeling the finish off the back bumper of my car. My son and I have instant chocolate pudding every evening and I love to pop the bubbles that set, I guess because I can hear them pop. Luckily my son has a toenail picking obsession so we indulge each other. It's my monkey heritage I guess

Yeah. Plenty of people tap on purpose. Lots of the drummers in my band tap a bit. But normal people don't do these things unconsciously. I stim without realising it, or without really taking notice of it, plenty. It's not all that way though. If I rock, it's because it makes me feel better, not because I can't help it. So I guess it can be either aware or unaware.