Comments on: Stimming

By: Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg

Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:56:50 +0000

Hi Venna,

It’s not uncommon for parents of kids on the spectrum to see some of their kids’ traits in themselves. After all, it’s not as though there is a hard and fast cut-off point between “typical” and “autistic.” The DSM may make it look like there is, but life is more nuanced than that.

If you’re feeling like your questions are opening up new ways for you to understand yourself, keep reading blogs by adults on the spectrum. You’ll find a list of some of them on the sidebar, and each of those will lead to others. If you want to get assessed yourself, make sure that you see someone who specializes in ASDs, and who has experience diagnosing adult women. If you just ask a regular doctor or therapist, he or she will very likely tell you that you can’t be on the spectrum because you’re a mom, or you can speak, or any number of things. I have a friend who called for an assessment, and the guy told her that she couldn’t be on the spectrum because she could make a phone call. Ridiculous.

Feel free to come back here and ask questions whenever you like!

By: Venna

Venna — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 06:26:28 +0000

I could be just paranoid but I have to ask this and ease my own mind for the sake of my son. He’ll be 4 in March and was diagnosed with autism in June last year. He’s non verbal for the most part, walks on his toes, stims in many other ways but is the cutest, sweetest, happiest little boy you could ever hope to have. I have 5 other children from my marriage also, two girls and three more boys and none of them show any signs of being ASD. This is actually about myself. I’ve been doing research about different methods of stimming and come to find out in the past and even to this day, I have a lot of these characteristics myself. When I was younger I would bite my fingers, bite my nails until they bled (still find sometimes now that I’ve done that) and would do any manner of rhythmic motions like opening and closing my legs while I’m sitting in a chair during class without even realizing I was doing it until someone pointed it out to me or tapping my fingers in a rhythm for somethings minutes at a time. I have always been accused of getting lost in my own little world AKA: day dreaming and find myself constantly checking myself in social situations to make sure I’m not saying or doing something that isn’t normal. I had to teach myself to make eye contact with people and at first and sometimes now have to concentrate at it so hard that I can’t keep track of what they are saying or I lose track of what I was talking about.. I would sometimes bang my head on the wall and I remember having extremely severe tantrums, even when I was a teenager, I sometimes even feel myself losing control now, and just felt completely out of control and lost and confused. I know there is possibly a genetic component to ASD but didn’t think my son got it from me since none of my other children have ever exhibited any traits. Is it possible I could have something on the spectrum and not know it? It’s one thing to be told your child has it, it’s completely different if you find out you have it yourself, but it might explain a lot? I really hope I’m just being paranoid and reading things into situations or something. Any thoughts or advice?

By: Taylor Selseth

Taylor Selseth — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:39:48 +0000

I have always fidgeted A LOT and discovering they were autistic stimming was like a revelation. Rocking, hand-flapping, spinning (LOVED spinning on office chairs when I was little!) rubbing my hands over my body, scratching, fiddling with things, toe-walking, making clicking noises with my tongue, tapping my fingers humming songs to myself, lining up objects, compulsively organizing things, putting pressure on my body (I would LOVE to use Temple Grandin’s “Squeeze Machine”!), etc.

By: Susanne Liley

Susanne Liley — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:35:51 +0000

I am re-reading through these posts again and Craig’s comments made me giggle. I actually don’t mind you playing with the pens, but it’s the SOUND I can’t stand. I rather like playing with the retractable pens until my ears are screaming at me so badly that I can’t stand to do it anymore.

As for the heavy walking, occasionally the sound is too much but I comment on it on behalf of the cats. I have yet to be fast enough with the camera to capture their look of bewilderment and fright that the ceiling is going to fall in on their head when you are simply walking around upstairs. Although you do have to admit that you walk a LITTLE heavy when I can hear your barefooted heels thumping on solid cement.

By: Craig Liley

Craig Liley — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:12:51 +0000

As a child I used to pace and hand-flap for a couple hours everyday after getting home from school. I was teased so terribly about it, that I eventually trained myself out of it, though. I still rock almost all the time, whether sitting down or standing. I also do the pen clicking thing until my wife takes it away because it drives her nuts. I’ve never toe-walked though. My wife gets annoyed because I ALWAYS walk on my heels, so she says it sounds like I’m constantly stomping.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:27:35 +0000

Catana: Interesting point. I usually think of nervous habits in a negative light. When I thought I was NT, I saw them as signs of neurosis. Now that I know about the AS, I see them in a much more positive light. They’re signs that my neurological system is trying to regulate itself. Another psychological explanation tossed out the window. What a joy!

GD: Having your boyfriend hold you really tight when you’re overwhelmed in public–brilliant! I told my husband about it, and he said he’d remember it the next time we end up in a crowded space together. It will be a terrible trial for both of us, but we’ll get through it somehow.

Ben: I do the clicking thing with the ball-point pens, too. I’ve done it my whole life. I’m surprised that no one has ever told me that it was driving them nuts. Must be a socially acceptable stim. I also rub my wedding ring with my thumb a lot. I don’t even realize I’m doing it until I need to take off my ring for some reason and notice my thumb looking for it.

By: John Dale Lyons

John Dale Lyons — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:18:22 +0000

I know some people with AS also have Tourette’s. (Not me, life is complicated enough with AS, ADD & depression).

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:05:06 +0000

recognizing past stims and current ones was a bit of a shock after learning about my AS. i used to walk and run on the balls and toes of my feet when i was little. most of my stims revolve around repetitive smelling/sniffing, and clicking buttons and retractable pens. sometimes my partner has to say ‘stop!’ when i get stuck trying to figure out where an unusual smell is coming from mysterious cigarette smoke is the worst.

what determines whether this is part of AS, though? i know lots of people who have ‘nervous’ habits and tics, but who do not have AS.

By: General Disarray

General Disarray — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:34:15 +0000

Many of the things you listed I do or did as well… I still love walking on my toes, I carry a beaded bracelet with me at all times so that I can play with it. It’s made of tiger’s eye (my favorite stone). I l the smoothness and the way the beads feel in between my fingers. I used to constantly play with my hair sometimes chew on it when it was long enough. Now, it’s short, but I still play with it. I love spinning objects, spinning in a swivel chair and bouncing on my yoga ball. I really enjoy knitting because of the counting. I love having weight on me. When in public if I get overwhelmed, my boyfriend holds me really tight till I can calm down enough to leave. I’m looking into making my own weighted blanket. I would love a vest though, not sure how I would make that though.

By: John Dale Lyons

John Dale Lyons — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:24:08 +0000

(Maybe I’m just in a bad mood this morning.)

Or maybe it’s another symptom Just kidding; feel better,