Stims that have a specific meaning. (AKA why I handflap)

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I just realized why I handflap.

Handflapping isn't a generic stim, it has a very specific meaning for me.

Handflap means "There is something I want to communicate" (and this is faster than any other way to do so I do so).

This is also why its never happened around people. I've only started handflapping recently, and its always been on my own. I'd noticed I'd always typed something after flapping and just now it was a strong enough connection that I made that connection.

But when I'm around people who what I want to communicate is appropriate to say to - whether they're the person it is supposed to be directed to or not, I'll just say it verbally. Then I don't handflap because it's been communicated in some other manner. So I might be typing along, have something excitingly interesting I want to say, where if I was alone I'd handflap and if I'm with my boyfriend I'll tell him verbally, and then in both cases I'll respond to the person by posting a reply on the forums. If its in chat, I can do an instant reply typing without pushing any buttons, so I'll type immediately if my hands are already on the keyboard (which is probably true).

If I'm walking around thinking, and I think of something interesting, I might handflap if there's nobody to say it to. But if there's someone who I'd trust to say it to, I might comment it to them instead, even if they're not the final person it'd go to.

That's really interesting; is not having the opportunity to say something right away stressful for you? A long time ago, I remember hearing someone mention they flapped their hands specifically if they were very happy or excited.

Do you have any other specific stims?

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Questions are my favourite form of communication

Nope, its not stressful to not have the opportunity to say something right away. I'm actually unlikely to say something right away to most people. There are few people I would say things right away to, they're just the people I'm usually around. I'm actually very passive, don't initiate things, just respond if other people do. There are just a few people who I'll say things to like this to because of how I know them; my boyfriend for one.

It's more related to being excited than stressed - "interesting thought!", but the handflapping happens even before I translate it into words at times. (I'm a concept thinker and need to translate into words in order to communicate in words.)

I'm not sure. This is a really new observation I've made. I posted this within an hour of realizing that this had a very specific meaning. I'd realized the patterns before, but hadn't connected them all until I handflapped quite excitedly, responded to a post, and just happed to mention half of it in the post, and had it all make sense together.

Maybe you have ADHD because of the right side of your brain is missed up.

I think that I handflap while driving to prevent myself from spacing out. Handflapping helps keep me connected to the environment instead of what is going on inside my mind.

Handflapping is often associated with eggsitement for both autistic and typical people. I think that it is also associated with boredom for me.

Finger Twisting is more associated with boredom for me. But its not limited to boredom.

Fingerspelling (i.e. sign language) is associated with a certain type of trying to process thoughts.

Rocking is associated with stress, and also associated with certain type of straight sensory responses.

Running my hands over textures is very general for me. Very sensory based. Gets more extreme with boredom, stress, processing things/ thinking. Not sure if it does with excitement.

Excitement stims are based on clapping and bouncing and make me look very immature.

Handflapping is very specific to "Interesting thought!", just is more related to excitement than stress. It's positive that its interesting, not stress that I can't share it.

Running my hands over textures, Finger twisting, finger spelling, and rocking all don't have specific meanings and are things I will generally do at times just because. Running hands over textures is most common, followed by the combination of messing with my fingers, followed by rocking.

(This is also not a list of all my stims, just the things that have more meanings that I can give, plus my most common)

I'm interested to know if your various stimming changed from when you were younger?
My daughters stimming changed all through primary school to now through to 15.

As a baby her tiny little hands were firmly pushing up into her cheeks, with hindsight I see that as her first stimming. It has changed in all various forms and she is now settled into fast almost clapping but flapping hands and she makes breathy sounds, she's doing this right now, on playstation, with 'Sims pets'

I completely know what you mean!

My psychologist asked me if I hand flap, and I said no. I realised yesterday though, I've been hand flapping for years, I just never took notice of it. Like you, it's mostly when I need to say something. I do it a lot at the dinner table if I have food in my mouth but want to speak, or feel it's my turn to speak.

I've never found a connection between any specific external stimulus and any specific stims. They pretty much all get their turn at one time or another. I'm sitting at my computer right now and I *suppose* there is a specific one which I do here (rocking from side to side or back and forth and kinda bouncing my head along to the same rhythm). BUT I think the reason I do that one here and not in other places is more because I am very conscious of how it looks if I do it in public (i.e. really stereotypically autistic or in most people's minds probably just crazy :s). edit: Thinking about it I do a similar thing standing up in public but my knees are included in the party then too - apparently I look like I'm dancing to a tune nobody else can hear.