STIMMING is the term used to describe self-stimulation behaviour.
It is often associated with people suffering from neurodevelopmental conditions. Here's what we know about it.
What is stimming?
Stimming is a range of repeated unusual movements or noises.
According to Medical News there can be five types of stimming - auditory, tactile, visual, vestibular, and olfactory/taste stimming.
Auditory behaviour includes vocal sounds such as repetitive speech or humming, as well as tapping or finger snapping.
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Tactile stimming involves touching, while visual may see a child staring at an object, blinking or turning lights off and on.
Vestibular refers to movement and balance, and could see a child rocking back and forth, spinning, or pacing.
Olfactory stimming is when the child uses small and taste on people and objects.
The behaviour can help calm down children and teenagers with autism, helping them deal with overwhelming situations.
What are the causes of stimming?
Stimming can often be spotted in children and teenagers who have autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Raising Children states that it is used by many as a coping mechanism to deal with emotions such as stress, anxiety, excitement, and fear.
It helps to distract minds from feelings and thoughts by covering them up with the repetition of stimming.
By focusing on the one action or sound, autistic children who are oversensitive to sensory information, can reduce their sensory overload through stimming, according to the National Autism Society.
What are common signs of stimming behavior to look out for?
Common signs are finger flicking, hand flapping, and rocking back and forth while sitting on a chair or standing,
Repetitive blinking, turning lights on and off, spinning, jumping and pacing are also all common signs of stimming.
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For the most part, stimming is harmless to an individual.
It can become problematic when stimming starts to disrupt everyday life and if it leads to self-harm or injury.
For example, it can become dangerous when it develops into physical harm such as head banging and finger flicking.
Is stimming a sign of autism or ADHD?
While stimming is not classed as a sign of ADHD it has been classified as a symptom of autism spectrum disorder, according to Healthline.
It is used to cope with several emotions by autistic children and teenagers.
Some people with ADHD use stimming as a way of helping them focus or to relieve boredom, Better Health states.
A change in environment can help reduce a person’s need to stim as well as therapy that is targeted towards cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), according to the NHS.
This therapy allows a person to manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave.
