Tip Sheet

Self -Stimulating Behaviours — Stimming

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can have difficulty processing sensory information. They may respond to sensory inputs in unusual ways, and this can manifest as self-stimulating behaviours.

Self-stimulating behaviour or ‘stimming’ is when a person engages in repetitive movement or sound. Everyone does this to a degree. Examples include bouncing a foot, twirling hair, nail-biting or clicking a pen. These behaviours are often done without any thought and do not interfere with our day-to-day interactions or activities. However, for some children with ASD, stimming can become a dominant activity that interferes with everyday activities, socialisation and learning.

Your child may engage in stimming to calm or distract themselves when they feel overwhelmed. They may feel overwhelmed because they’re overstimulated, experiencing strong emotions, anxious or excited. Stimming might also be used to increase sensory inputs to help maintain a level of arousal.

Stimming behaviours can include:

• repetitive hand or finger movements such as flapping hands or flicking fingers in front of eyes.

• rocking.

• unusual postures such as arching the back while sitting or holding arms and fingers out at an angle.

• repetitive behaviours with objects such as obsessively spinning objects, flicking

switches or opening and closing doors.

• chewing or mouthing objects.

• creating or listening to the same noise or song over and over.

• echolalia (repeating words, phrases or whole scripts over and over).

Trying to stop stimming behaviours completely can be problematic as you may be taking away your child’s ability to calm or regulate their emotions. When one stimming behaviour is removed, it is often replaced with another form of stimming.

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Stimming often reduces as your child develops more skills and finds other ways to deal with sensitivity, under-stimulation or anxiety.

Occupational therapists and behavioural psychologists can provide support to identify reasons for your child’s stimming behaviours. They can advise of changes

that could be made to your child’s routine and environment to reduce the intensity and frequency of stimming behaviours.

Challenges

Stimming behaviours can become self-harming, such as when a child bites themselves or bangs their head. If stimming becomes non-stop it can prevent your child from interacting with their world. In these situations, professional help will help identify why your child is engaging in the behaviour and introduce alternative ways of self -regulating.

General Strategies

Observe whether there are any patterns in when and why your child engages in

stimming behaviour. There may be more than one reason, so identifying triggers may involve trial and error.

Consider the sensory environments your child engages in as well as your child’s responses to different sensory stimuli. Where possible, adapt your child’s environment

so they are comfortable. For example, if your child is sensitive to noises, ensure you close the windows and doors and put rugs on hard flooring to reduce the noise. (For more information see tip sheet: Sensory Avoidance Behaviours)

Participating in regular exercise or activities that they enjoy can help your child to reduce stimming behaviour.

Be accepting of your child’s stimming, particularly if it is an effective and safe way to

calm themselves or regulate their behaviour.

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Tip Sheet

References Autism. Shenton Park: Autism Association of Western Australia. Autism Tasmania. (n.d.). Sensory Differences. Retrieved from Autism Tasmania: https://www.autismtas.org.au/about-autism/key-areas-of-difference/sensory-

differences/

National Autistic Society. (n.d.). Sensory Differences. Retrieved from National Autistic Society: https://www.autism.org.uk/about/behaviour/sensory-world.aspx

Robinson, R. G. (2014). Autism Solutions: How to Create a Healthy and Meaningful Life for Your Child. Chatswood: Harlequin Mills & Boon.

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