There are many behaviors that Autistic people may perform that seem “weird” or “unusual” to neurotypicals. Some of these behaviors are repetitive movement or speech which is called stimming.

What is Stimming?

Stimming is slang for self-stimulation. Autistic people self-stimulate in order to regulate themselves. Many Autistic people have a hard time dealing with stress or external stressors and need to release this stress. How they choose to do so may vary.

There are many ways to stim, none of which are right or wrong. A stim varies person to person, however there are some common stims. Rocking, flapping, and twirling are examples of common stims. Not just Autistic people stim though.

When a neurotypical sits at their desk clicking a pen repeatedly or bouncing their leg while in a meeting, they are stimming. People stim while thinking, while stressed, while trying to relax, and while concentrating. Some stim more than others.

To Stim or Not To Stim?

There are doctors and psychologist out there that believe that teachers and people who work with Autistic children should try to stop stimming. They believe the behavior is distracting, means the person/child is not listening, or makes the individual look different from their peers. Part of ABA or Applied Behavioral Therapy, is getting children to stop stimming. They do so by teaching them “quiet hands,” or distracting the child with another task, or even physically holding the child so they cannot stim. However, this is harmful to the child and, in many instances, can lead to a meltdown.

While stimming may appear “weird” or “different” it is very helpful to the Autistic individual. It is of the utmost importance that those who live with Autistic people or work with Autistic people do not try to stop the stimming. However, there are rare times that it must be stopped. For example, if the child or person is hurting themselves or other then someone should intervene. Other than that, let them live and let them stim.