What does this stim do ?

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My son has this stim where he will look up at something out of the corner of one of his eyes. What need does this stim serve ? Are there any alternatives that might provide the same input / fulfill the same need, but in a more socially appropriate way ?

Help !

i do this but i cant explain it- i cant explain any of my stims, i just like it. it makes me calm or happy.

Thank you for responding. Are there any particular things / lights that you look at when you stim like this ?

TV and people

It's also possible that it just feels good to him in its own right, from the tension in the muscles around his eyeball. So he may not be focusing on anything in particular.

I do that too.
It's like a 'reset'.

That is a great point. He also stiffens his whole body from time-to-time (used to freak me out that it was a seizure, except that he would also scream when he stiffened). This stim, however, does not have a vocal stim associated with it, unlike his other stiffening / visual stims.

Also, what exactly does a vocal stim do for people ? I am talking about loud squeals and random nonsense syllables (which is the only time I hear speech sounds as he is still completely non-verbal), so I encourage it, but it becomes a real nuisance late at night when the neighbours would like to sleep.




Reset from what ?

A reset from all that's happening in front of me.
And I don't necessarily mean action.
It can be too many things in the room to deal with.
Pattern, colour, light, noise, texture, shine, clutter, disorder.
I get overstimulated.
Looking up gives my senses a break.
It feels good.
Like a time out from reality.

It puts me back into myself, if that makes sense?

I think another reason for stimming is that, compared to non-autistic people, the connection between my body and my mind is less secure. When overstimulated, or really engrossed in something, I can easily lose track of what I'm doing with my limbs, or be unsure if I have said something out loud, for example. So stimming can be a way to provide sensations that give me a feeling of being more in control of my own body - to remind myself that is is "my" body, so to speak.

Why are you concerned with how socially appropriate it appears to others?
I was constantly scolded by my parents for embarrassing them in ways that were socially inappropriate. It always made me feel like scum and I resented them for worrying more about what others thought of them, than they did about my discomfort. So I'm sorry, but this strikes a nerve for me.

When I look up/to the side it's because I need to regroup and gather my thoughts. Sometimes I'll look down instead, but this never seems to work as well because I feel like I'm being watched (when there are people in front of me). To me this seems like one of the more subtle stims. It's not causing bodily harm, it's not loud, and it's not a repetitive motion that could distract people or invoke teasing.
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