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mom2bax
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07 Jan 2008, 10:52 pm

i am an NT mom of an AS boy, and was wondering the purpose of stimming?
is it a relaxation thing?
a compulsion?
involuntary?
or someting else.
and what kinds of things do you do?
i was reading on a post that some one makes random noises, and i know 've gotten a bit upset with my boy for just making noise for the sake of making noise, i guess it would be different if it was his way of stimming.
thanks in advance for helping to educate me.



Ana54
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07 Jan 2008, 10:54 pm

It stimulates me. :?



Lightning88
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07 Jan 2008, 10:58 pm

You've basically answered your own question. Stimming is all those things you listed. I don't stim, so I'm not an expert. But you'll find someone here that does soon enough. :wink:



sodarktheshadows
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07 Jan 2008, 10:58 pm

it relaxes me, helps me to calm down. cheaper than drugs.... :wink:


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Desolation_boi
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07 Jan 2008, 11:04 pm

It depends on the stim really. Some are on purpose like make noises (I did this a lot as a kid) and some are invountary like tapping my foot. If I were to forcefully stop an involuntary stim (or even a volunatry one) something else would take it's place (ex.flicking my fingers instead of tapping, etc.) or I would become agitated.

Mostly they are neccessary to calm down or to keep from getting upset. I stim when annoyed, in pain, etc. I also do it when happy/excited.

It's different for each person I'm sure. For your son, perhaps the noises are a way to regulate sound, a calming noise that he enjoys?



purplesky
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07 Jan 2008, 11:47 pm

It helps me relax and let out inner energetic being at times I cannot. I would consider it semi-voluntary; that is, it's an instinctual act for me but I can stop it if I so desire.



SeaBright
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08 Jan 2008, 12:05 am

It is a release.

If something is building up, for instance a tramatic memory; I may give a short burst of volcalization. It makes that buildup cease-disapear-balance. It NORMALIZES me. ie: release.

I get the same effect playing music or singing or excersise.

Just a release. We think more thoughts. It is not bad. It just is. To get away from them or sometimes to ponder them.

I rock. hum. growl. meow. form sylablic arrangements. jump. skip. imagine Im a soaring bird. curl up in a ball. stand on my head. mostly I just stare off into space head cocked to one side. I cant say whether or not these are all stimming. I am just being me and those things make my world feel good. I've learned to be careful who sees me; as for staring; I can't help that. I think things through longer. I might be pondering an old memory unresolved; things like that.

oh, and I beat on things. make noises (beats) with my mouth. too tooo too tet tet tet.
touch/sense things with the back of my hands for temperature, texture, *feel*.
I wouldn't touch the cracks in the sidewalk when younger. Wanted to see how big my steps could get.
Never bored.
I also stared into lightbulbs while resting in braced position at the top of door jambs.
It was interesting to me. Everything. Was interesting to me.


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gbollard
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08 Jan 2008, 12:05 am

In case you haven't read my answer before (on my blog)...

What is Stimming and What does it feel like (Life with Aspergers)



oblio
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08 Jan 2008, 12:06 am

Ana54 wrote:
It stimulates me. :?


i still find myself utterly lost: what does that mean?


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lastcrazyhorn
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08 Jan 2008, 12:18 am

Release of tension. Partially involuntary, but if I notice it, I can stop it. And then trying to sit still is maddening because it feels like there are bees or ants or something buzzing/humming/vibrating just under my skin, too deep to scratch.


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siuan
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08 Jan 2008, 1:20 am

It dissipates tension and brings me back to normal. I'm a hand flapper/shaker. Occasionally I also rock or vocalize, but only when alone or in safe company. The hand flapping dissipates tension built up from things like social interaction or not being able to find a street address or place on a map, for example. Same for vocalization. It's like a pot is boiling and stimming is lifting the lid...everything calms. Rocking, for me, manages situations with unavoidable stress, like when I was doing my Statistics assignments. I rocked a LOT. The screws in my chair got loose! lol


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woodsman25
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08 Jan 2008, 4:39 am

At night when I am in bed sleeping I rock on my side. I have done this since I was 3 and even had to adapt/change the way I do this cause I can no longer lay on my arm I got to big in the teen years and it would fall asleep.

When I do this it just feels good, its addicting and cannot imagine shairing a bed with someone or even a room, collage is over, NEVER AGAIN!


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12 Jan 2008, 7:39 pm

I just realised that I stim by listening to music. I do tap and drum someitmes too I only realise that I'm doing it when people tell me to shut the f*%# up.



richardbenson
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12 Jan 2008, 8:00 pm

it gets me hot, and exited!


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2ukenkerl
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12 Jan 2008, 8:07 pm

gbollard wrote:
In case you haven't read my answer before (on my blog)...

What is Stimming and What does it feel like (Life with Aspergers)


When I rock, it is probably barely noticable. It is probably like .5"(a little more than 1cm), or a fraction of a degree, if I am sitting. It is almost like a calf/knee exercise when I am standing, and maybe like an inch(2.5cm up). Although people have noticed. nobody ever called attention to it. Another is far more obvious. Let's just say they can hear me coming. Only a couple people mentioned it, and it isn't bad, etc...

So I don't think you can say it is unacceptable. The really violent leg bobbing, or finger drumming is FAR worse.



Nikky91
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12 Jan 2008, 8:47 pm

To me it helps relax me and clam me down when I get excited. I usually do most of my stimming when I'm listening to music.