Stimming

[Doglover44]

What does your version of stimming look like ?

 

[Masked Man]

Mine used to be biting my nails or chewing the insides of my cheeks, but I've largely stopped both of those. I'm not aware of any stims I currently have, but I do isolate a lot.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

What does your version of stimming look like ?

Picking at hangnails or anything that feels "rough" or "sharp" on my skin.

One of my students... autistic/ADHD... she was using a plastic nail pick (we have these at every sink in the hospital). Granted, she doesn't put "product" on her nails... but perfectly groomed... LOL! I saw her doing that the past few days and I showed her my horrible nail cuticles... I told her I need to start using her technique... LOL!

 

[Outdated]

Picking at hangnails or anything that feels "rough" or "sharp" on my skin.

I do this too although I'm not sure it's a stim. I hate it when I start picking at a sharp bit and end up puling a strip of skin off a finger, that hurts. More fun to play with though is my feet. I've spent much of my life walking around barefoot and that skin is so thick and tough that dead bits come away in large chunks.

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

Some things that I do seem more like fidgeting, but I suppose they could be considered stimming. These include bouncing my foot and rubbing the ends of my finger nails with my own fingers. When I use my tongue to count my teeth , I suppose that might be a stim as well. Some more obvious stems that I do include pacing ( for a variety of emotions), galloping back and forth ( when very excited), rocking back and forth or side to side (multiple emotions or even boredom but probably worse under stress), and clicking my tongue while rocking or bouncing my foot (in high stress). As a child I liked spinning in circles to see the way it looks like something coiled around your feet when you get to turning fast enough. I'm not sure if that was stimming or not. I also, liked seeing how well a could walk after I quit spinning.

 

[Judge]

Only two forms of stimming for me.

* Swaying back and forth while remaining stationary...(often in front of a television).

* Pacing back and forth in deep thought (usually around my dual recliner).

 

[Judge]

Some things that I do seem more like fidgeting, but I suppose they could be considered stimming. These include bouncing my foot and rubbing the ends of my finger nails with my own fingers. When I use my tongue to count my teeth , I suppose that might be a stim as well. Some more obvious stems that I do include pacing ( for a variety of emotions), galloping back and forth ( when very excited), rocking back and forth or side to side (multiple emotions or even boredom but probably worse under stress), and clicking my tongue while rocking or bouncing my foot (in high stress). As a child I liked spinning in circles to see the way it looks like something coiled around your feet when you get to turning fast enough. I'm not sure if that was stimming or not. I also, liked seeing how well a could walk after I quit spinning.

Looking back your post reminds me of the complexities of trying to understand what it is or can be. With lots of variables with or without autism. In particular children fidgeting in general, and all the hows and whys of what they do when it happens.

Reminding me of when I used to care for my girlfriend's daughter (ages 4 to 7). Trying to determine whether she was emotionally upset (or nervous) about something or if she needed to urinate and may not have been completely aware of it, having a medically determined bladder condition. It didn't help that she was the only child of a mother and father who had a horribly contentious divorce. That both of them tended to be overly critical of their daughters fidgeting, let alone when she'd unintentionally wet herself.

Yet in looking back at that experience, I don't think she was autistic at all. Though she did often seem to be unaware of her fidgeting, whatever may have prompted it. Except perhaps every Saturday morning awaiting her father who would pick her up each weekend with legal custody rights. A very stressful time for their daughter who much preferred the company of her mother and myself.

All quite contrary to my experience in stimming as a child. Not under stress, but that I simply did it, often unaware of it. Thus my nickname "Judge", as one of my father's best friends and coworkers named me for pacing up and down with my hands in my pockets and a serious look on my face.

 

[Roisin]

Rolling smooth items with my hands, mostly natural items like pebbles, or wood.
I did buy a small ono roller for discrete pocket stimming: it works as I dont drop it as easily as a pebble.

Most soothing is barefoot stimming, one foot slides over, the other under and turn about for as long as I can.

I pick at my cuticles too, but for me its mostly a stress response, something akin to self harm.