What is Stimming?

What is stimming? A question I often get asked personally, as well as see over social media. And in this blog post today, I’m not only going to talk about what it is.. I’m also going to discuss why it’s important and what the benefits are.

What is Stimming?

‘Stimming’ is actually just short for self-stimulatory behavior. It refers to repeated movements or sounds that an individual engages in to help themselves to feel calm, or to self-regulate.

What Does Stimming Look Like?

Stimming can look different for everyone, because it’s very much a self-regulating experience.. And that makes it personal to the individual and what they need. Some examples are;

• Flapping hands.
• Rocking back and fore.
• Spinning in circles.
• Making loud noises.
• Tapping feet.
• Singing.
• Listening to loud music.
• Flicking switches on and off.
• Opening and closing doors.

Why is it Important?

Stimming is important because it can help to regulate an individual’s sensory input and to reduce anxiety. It is a natural way for an individual to be able to cope and regulate themselves when things become overwhelming. This can also provide a sense of comfort and routine.

Self-stimulatory behaviors do seem to help individuals to manage their emotions. The ‘stimming’ helps them to focus their attention on what they are doing, which can help them to self-regulate and calm down.

Self-stimulatory behavior is also a great way for individuals to manage anything overwhelming that they are experiencing. This is especially true for processing sensory information. If an individual is feeling overwhelmed, by doing their stim, they focus attention on that. And that can help them to self-regulate.

Who ‘Stims’?

Anyone can take part in self-stimulatory behavior. It’s important to remember that not every autistic person will stim, and not every person who ‘stims’ is autistic. It can also be for any age group.

If you found this blog post about using self-stimulatory behavior helpful, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues on social media.

Thanks,

Nikki

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