According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), a key symptom of autism is repetitive behaviors, like self-stimulation or more commonly known as stimming.
Stimming is often misunderstood and has attracted controversy when it comes to whether or not to help children with autism reduce their stimming behaviors.
This guide was created to help provide clarity on the subject for parents so they can make better informed decisions for their kiddos. Let’s start with a few facts about stimming.
Facts About Stimming
- Stimming is a repetitive behavior or action that can take many forms, from hand flapping and rocking back and forth to twirling around and switching a light on and off.
- The APA estimates 44% of children and adults with autism have stimming behaviors.
- Stimming can involve one part of the body, the whole body, or an object.
- Stimming behaviors begin around the age of 3 and can frequently occur when a child is happy, excited, stressed, bored, angry, or in pain.
- Stimming behaviors vary in their intensity, with some that are barely noticeable while others can be disruptive and even harmful.
- Stimming can involve one or more of a child’s senses.
- There are interventions that help reduce stimming if needed.
Why Stimming Happens
The Research Institute at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia says there are different theories as to why children and adults with autism stim. It’s likely the reasons vary by individual.
For some children, stimming reinforces and stimulates the senses. It can also help regulate sensory inputs by either increasing sensory stimulation or decreasing inputs when a child is experiencing sensory overload. In other words, stimming can help children cope and adapt to their environment by helping them self-regulate their emotions.
Other theories look to the brain for answers. Some theories speculate there could be problems in the area of the brain that controls stimming behaviors or that the behaviors themselves produce endorphins in the nervous system, reducing a person’s pain and improving their mood.
It’s also thought stimming can easily become a habit, one that’s pleasurable in and of itself.
Types of Stimming
Autism Parenting Magazine does a good job spelling out the different forms stimming can take in children with autism. Have a look and see if you recognize any of these stimming behaviors in your child:
Verbal and Auditory Stimming – Examples include repetitive speech, covering or tapping ears, snapping fingers, tapping objects, humming, grunting, and high-pitched noises.
Visual Stimming – Examples include repetitively staring at objects, flapping hands, lining up objects, blinking, and turning lights on and off.
Tactile Stimming – Examples include repetitively rubbing or scratching of hands or objects, hand motions like opening and closing fists, tapping of fingers, and reacting negatively to being touched.
Vestibular Stimming – Examples include repetitively rocking back and forth or side to side, twirling or spinning, jumping, and hanging upside down.
Olfactory and Taste Stimming – Examples include repetitively smelling objects, tasting unusual objects, and licking hands or objects.
When To Be Concerned
Stimming can be harmless and even beneficial to children. However, some stimming behaviors can cause injury to a child and to others. They can also be so disruptive to a child’s daily life that it gets in the way of their ability to learn and reach their full potential.
When this happens, there are effective ways to help reduce harmful stimming to protect your child’s health and future. One of the best ways is enrolling your child in ABA therapy.
ABA therapy is the gold standard early intervention for autism in children as young as two. ABA therapy experts can help you discover what is triggering the harmful stimming behavior in your child and design a therapy plan that will reduce the harmful stimming through positive reinforcement of alternative behaviors.
In addition to reducing harmful stimming, ABA therapy can help your child reach their full potential in all the critical areas of their development from communication and self-care to social skills and school readiness. With ABA therapy, your child receives highly individualized attention that takes into account their personality and likes and dislikes to help them become their best possible self.
There is hope for your child and family with ABA therapy. Find an accredited provider near you and get started today.