Autism and Stimming: 10 Types of Autistic Stims

What is stimming, and how does it connect to autism? Do all autistics stim? Today I'm here to tell you more about autistic stimming and to share 10 ways that stimming could look. Keep in mind that all autistics are unique individuals, and so we all have our own stimming style. Do you have a favorite way to stim? Be sure to share in the comments! ⤵️
✨ Looking for new stim-friendly items, like some of those mentioned in the video? chrisanddebby.mykajabi.com/pl...
Whether you have an autistic friend, family member, or loved one, work with people on the autism spectrum, are autistic and struggle with routines, or are simply interested in learning more, this video has something for you. I'm here to provide the unique perspective of someone who is an autistic ADHDer and also an educator. We want to help people better understand autism and ADHD and support one another as well with the goal of improving communication and life in general for all of us in a neurodiverse world.
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📌 Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:55 Hand Flapping
2:37 Rocking/Swaying
3:26 Spinning
4:50 Echolalia
6:56 Finger Tapping
8:07 Pacing
9:58 Visual Stimming
13:21 Humming/Singing
14:34 Fidgeting with Objects
16:43 Rubbing/Scratching
17:55 Bonus Stimming Method
🎥 WATCH NEXT:
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2. 5 Signs You Might Be Autistic: • 5 Signs You Might Be A...
3. 7 Myths about Autism: • 7 Autism Myths BUSTED ...
🚨 OUR RECOMMENDATIONS:
✨ AWESOME STIM ITEMS: chrisanddebby.mykajabi.com/pl...
👇 FAVORITE FIDGET GADGETS (especially for ASD)
1. Nee Doh Nice Cubes: amzn.to/3RkRsoA -- "The BEST fidget gadget of all" - Chris
2. Ono Roller: onoroller.com?sca_ref=4880234.xpzLrB3REJ (use our coupon code CHRISANDDEBBY for 10% off!)
📚 FAVORITE BOOKS
1. Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy (Steph Jones): amzn.to/3v3Axyr
-- NOTE: This is about SO much more than therapy!! Highly recommend for anyone who is autistic or wants to learn more about how it feels to be AuDHD
2. Why We Sleep (Matthew Walker): amzn.to/46GJOd7
3. Un-Typical (Pete Wharmby): amzn.to/40TEfG6
🎧 FAVORITE HEADPHONES
1. Soundcore Noise Canceling Headphones: amzn.to/3LMkWIn
2. Bose Noise Canceling Headphones: amzn.to/3tegj3t
👕 FAVORITE COMFY CLOTHES
1. Kingsted T-Shirts: amzn.to/3ZgfkMa
2. Wool Socks: amzn.to/3ZfVqAO6
3. Ugg Slippers: amzn.to/3sRkQsH
💤 FAVORITE SLEEP ITEMS
1. Manta Sleep Masks: bit.ly/4acwSy3
2. Rest Duvet (amazing cooling comforters, sheets, and other bedding - perfect for hot sleepers and autistics who struggle with regulating temperature while sleeping!) : bit.ly/chrisanddebbyrestduvet
PS: Purchasing through these links may give us an affiliate kickback (at no additional cost to you) and help us continue to make awesome content. Thanks for your support!
⭐️ ABOUT US:
I'm Chris and alongside Debby, my brilliant partner, we've traveled, taught kids and families, founded companies, and navigated the world while also balancing both autism and ADHD as a neurodiverse duo.
Whether it's better understanding the autistic mind, getting productivity tips for ADHDers, neurodiverse relationship hacks and travel tales, or just a peek into our everyday life, we've got a lot to share. So if you want to join a community that's all about improving lives, you're in the right place. Give a thumbs up if you enjoy the video, drop your thoughts in the comments, and hey, maybe consider subscribing? Cheers to a better life!
📍STAY CONNECTED:
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#autistic #autism #stimming #mentalhealth #autismawareness #ASD #actuallyautistic #autismsupport #adhdandautism #livingwithautism #neurodivergent #AuDHD #autismdiagnosis #audhder #autisticlife #latediagnosedautistic #mentalhealthjourney #mentalhealthawareness #understandingautism #autismadvocate #autismadvocacy #autismacceptance #neurodiversity

[@ChrisandDebby]

✨ Looking for new stim-friendly items, like some of those mentioned in the video? Here’s a list to get you started: chrisanddebby.mykajabi.com/pl/2148303953

[@elizabethCorkins83]

👍🏻

[@elizabethCorkins83]

Love your videos, So relatable. I was first diagnosed with ADHD when I was maybe like 5 years old and put on a bunch of horrible meds that made me feel like total crap. Then throughout my life I was diagnosed with many other different things... Then in my 20s I think was the 1st time autism was brought up, but me & my family only knew of severe cases so we dismissed it... Then in my 30s in hospital autism was brought up again & later in my late 30s I learned more & everything made a lot of sense! Now I'm 41 & still trying to learn about myself. I have anxiety for sure & been diagnosed with that many different times. I've been anxious as long as I can remember. Anyway, Thanks for you videos, Very relatable! ✌🏻😎👍🏻

[@SunshineGrove04]

Yaaay!! For completing task all on your own!! 💓💓🥳🥳 Bravo!!!

[@peterbelanger4094]

I have a personal theory soem may have a tough time understanding. I think my autistic need to stim amplifies my cigarette smoking. I used to do a lot of 'typical' stim stuff when I was a kid, but as a teen, after I had started smoking, it subsided. Thing is my addiction to cigarettes has always been much more strong than most can even comprehend. I smoke a LOT, despite such societal backlash all these years. (I stared in 1981, when you could smoke everywhere) over 40 years later, I still smoke several packs a day. I do not think it is entirely the chemical addiction to nicotine driving this. None of the nicotine replacement methods have worked. It is the actin of smoking, vaping doesn't even work for me. There is a very complex sensory environment around smoking, and I think that is all my "stim". I do not think it is possible for me to quit tobacco, it would be too traumatizing. Nobody understands. They just hate me for being a smoker. So, I hate everyone who hates smokers. And I just wait for my physical end, why do think I smoke?

[@peterbelanger4094]

I hate

[@marycooney303]

I practice conversations out loud. I don't know if it is stimming, but it helps me feel more regulated.

[@ChrisandDebby]

I do this especially if I’ll be going into a new situation or in places that make me feel a bit worried - like doctors offices

[@nuni6158]

hi! I think this is called scripting.

[@what_udid]

I do that too. Last time my man walked in and asked me who I was discussing with and I said, with you. And he said, but I didn't answer anything. And I said well you did, in my mind He was really confused

[@Monokitsune]

Me all the time

[@marycooney303]

@@nuni6158 thank you.

[@velocitraptor420]

I LOVE THE WORD “CRISP” BC IT MOVES FROM THE BACK OF UR MOUTH TO THE FRONT OF IT AAAAAHHHHHHHHH

[@joykeene7358]

I love the word six. It moves from the front to the back.

[@nataliamartinez6834]

Crisp. Yes, that’s lovely ❤

[@sir9integra9jr]

napkin. napkin.... nap kinnn

[@lisahinton9682]

Grin Kin Cop Grain Copper Geese The list is endless.

[@333peppy333]

I love that the word crisp is exactly the right looking and sounding word for the things it describes in every single case. It is concise. You always know exactly what is meant within the context it is being used as a descriptor.

[@speckofdignity2487]

I didn’t even notice that I quietly say “boop” when setting something on the counter or handing something to a coworker until recently, and then I noticed that my other neurodivergent coworker has picked it up and started doing it too, which makes me incredibly happy, especially when we do it at the same time

[@RetroRayne]

Omg, I say "boop" randomly while doing things too. 😆 I also say "bean" in a high pitched tone when something jumps like my cats "beaning" onto the sofa or even when when watching wrestling and the wrestlers jump off the top rope. 😂

[@MsOkayAwesome]

Hahaha I do this too!

[@PollyHistor]

Samesies!

[@zombiiesque]

My MIL, I've noticed, picks up so many of my little sounds/noises. She's definitely neurospicy, but undiagnosed.

[@kaileeclevenger3981]

​@zombiiesque the opposite for me haha! I told her I was late diagnosed, she has a masters for teaching SPED...after I told her she goes 'do you normally bite your cheek?' I didn't realize I was doing it, but noticed I was and was like ope😂👀 But then she's like its okay, I do it too!🤣

[@Kageoni187]

My youngest son who has been diagnosed started humming from birth. I know how it sounds. I had to point it out to the nurses and then they were like, hmm strange” I never thought about that before. He only did it the first few days. He now has a bunch of different stims. I am late diagnosed and have 3 children with autism and I absolutely adore their excited hand flapping, spinning, and jumping because the joy is so real and palpable that I join in. They are the sunshine of my life.

[@PollyHistor]

Humming is my predominant stim.

[@zombiiesque]

I hum constantly, people have told me my whole life!

[@kaileeclevenger3981]

I've noticed my 5 mo old humming while eating and needing to fiddle with stuff while he eats lol I'm late diagnosed but I'm keeping my eye out

[@Lisa-qt4hh]

​@@PollyHistorI'm currently in a diagnostic phase and try to have clear examples of behaviour. Do you hum predominantly when you're stressed/nervous/uncomfortable? Basically, when do you do it? 😂

[@user-ej5ux4lv8c]

I find myself humming ( totally involuntary) to block out a painful or embarrassing memory that comes into my mind...

[@mikemenzie]

I've found that autistic individuals with strong affinity for echolalia can excel in foreign language learning as far as pronunciation. Once attuned to the shapes and feelings and audial quality of making the sounds, we can mimic native speaker pronunciation.

[@TsunamiRogueWave]

This is true! I’m not diagnosed; in fact I have only recently realized that I have always had a ton of autistic traits. But I’ve always been interested in “decoding” other languages and mimicking sounds. My bachelors degree is in foreign languages but I have always dabbled in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This is such an interesting observation that I haven’t thought of before. Thank you for sharing!

[@mikemenzie]

@TsunamiRogueWave for sure, it's an interesting thing. I was diagnosed as a young child, but have never had treatment, intervention or anything throughout my life. My parents believed in raising me without the cultural idea of being different in my mind.

[@NeenjaFruitcup]

This makes so much sense. I'm remembering my years in choir where we'd have to learn to pronounce multiple different languages, and I often would be humming or softly singing whatever songs we were learning as I just walked through the hallways.

[@mikemenzie]

@NeenjaFruitcup 100%. It can make audial understanding much simpler for some of us. It can also pose its own challenges, of course - if and when we focus on sounds we LIKE or that feel right to us, instead of the correct sounds!

[@kawag6356]

True!

[@Halloweirdo2013]

Me watching this video out of curiosity only for it to be too relatable and leave me questioning my entire existence

[@DrinkYourNailPolish]

Same!!

[@saraanderson7388]

Me too

[@lizericsonn9367]

Been there five years ago….now diagnosed lvl 2 Autistic and severe ADHD 😂

[@lizericsonn9367]

Oof and singing, that’s me (my poor dog lol)

[@yaboiEchogaming]

Fr, I just found out that I have adhd and I’ve been wondering if I have autism

[@justKara]

i'm crying at this intro because i noticed the cream on your face and after you sat down i just accepted it as some kind of face mask chat or something and even as you said you got everything done without needing any reminders i believed you 🤣

[@KH-fy4ok]

Same 😂 I noticed, put it out of my mind, and believed him too! Hilarious!

[@susanlbk]

I kept telling him in my head "You forgot to wash the cream off of your face!". Lol.

[@anna-fleurfarnsworth104]

Just realizing that this is the same trait that leads people to believing that we are gullible. Hm. Much to think about.

[@nicolehedger6832]

​@anna-fleurfarnsworth104 to be fair, I have this trait and AM gullible 😂

[@BrianneMeyer-tc5on]

Same 😭

[@writerious]

I often imitate sounds around me. “Talk” back to animals, “honk” in response to cars, and so on. Is that echolalia or something else?

[@rjparker2414]

I do that sometimes, and have heard autistic children do it too. Maybe it's a bit different than echolalia. Perhaps onomatopoeia? It's effective to get chickens out of the road - "buh-gawk!" quite loudly. Seems to mean "threat" to chickens. They run.

[@lisawanderess]

Yes that's definitely echolalia! I do it ALL the time and have been teased for it all my life! 😂

[@rjparker2414]

@@lisawanderess Thanks! 😁

[@juanarocho973]

To me imitating sounds (animals, machines, other people, repeating tv ads, and other stuff) was my unconscious masking tool to be accepted! I was a like a small comedian!!

[@saraharnold8449]

My daughter repeated what I say. Before her diagnosis, I used to get so angry about it. But she isn’t trying to aggravate me, she is stimming and that is totally okay.

[@joan.nao1246]

The compulsion to organize, align, group up, etc is strong and incredibly soothing 🤷‍♀️

[@Stacey1981]

Yessss

[@recoveringsoul755]

I am house sitting now and the items in the door of the refrigerator are every which way, you can't see what anything is. I am resisting the temptation because it's not my stuff.

[@joan.nao1246]

@@recoveringsoul755 ooof. That's a tough one, I'd grapple with that for HOURS! Oh sure, the "simple helpful innocent turning of containers so all labels face forward" is ok tho, right? RIGHT?? Which inevitably morphs into an all-consuming every cabinet & pantry, then laundry area, washroom, garage 🥵😟😶‍🌫️

[@SailBale007]

OMG! 😱 I have got to make order out of chaos or I can’t function! I didn’t know that was stimming!

[@franchesca411]

Omg my brain can't function with clutter and disorganization and I feel compelled to clean and organize in order for my brain to calm down. Visual sensitivity overload. I Never knew or thought that was a stim, I thought it was my ocd. 🤯 I get so triggered and overwhelmed with dirt and clutter.

[@t3hsis324]

singing is absolutely the best stim

[@SachiJones]

Singing also activates the vagus nerve, making it beneficial for mental health :)

[@seabhactheshifty4741]

I went to a voice liberation workshop yesterday! Very intense, but also really good. EVERYONE making their own "weird" sounds and moving freely😊 Most were struggling with self censoring, working through that together was really cool

[@t3hsis324]

@@SachiJones that's what I've heard, although wind instruments also have this same effect, if you're not feeling as confident on the singing bit. Sadly, I no longer have my clarinet, flute, or even a piano (I do miss the baby grand), so during the pandemic I took a queue from the Italians and started to sing just because music has always been very dear to me, but I didn't have any instruments... Or so I thought. I've never been very good at art/music, but I have been intrinsically drawn towards it for as long as I can remember. Felt good to reconnect to this part of me. Thank you for listening to my impromptu Ted talk 😆

[@bvgg2630]

my primary stim.

[@zombiiesque]

​@@bvgg2630mine, too. I've always loved music and always am singing or humming a song!

[@jackiedoesntcare]

My dude just single handedly explained why I collect pretty things, especially rocks, and organize them over and over on shelves. Then sit and stare at them for hours. Probably while humming/singing or making noises with my mouth. Idk how to feel about this.

[@madisunie]

Same!! I’m also an artist so I can’t believe I never picked up on how often I visually stim

[@gollygeep]

Not to tell you how to feel, but I know for me it provides a ton of calm. I now know what to call it, how to explain it to others, and (most importantly) it gives me more feeling like I'm not the only one who does this. Definitely hum/sing to myself, visually stim, rock/sway, and pace. A lot. 😂

[@kawag6356]

@@madisuniesame!

[@SuzD0n]

I like pebbles, the smoothness is just amazing.

[@Lost4ever74.]

Don't feel bad about that at all.

[@juanarocho973]

I also bite the inside of my lips, make rythyms with my teeth, eat ice cubes, listen to very complex music or fast music, I taught myself to cut my hair so I don’t have to go to the barber (it’s a simple haircut with a #1 comb attachment), I like to look at complex machinery and try to understand it! I do a lot more things but I would be here writing until next week!!

[@batintheattic7293]

I thought most people hated going to the hairdresser. What is it about that experience that is so very horrific? Is it the formulaic 'So, going anywhere nice on your holidays this year?' as that drives me up the wall? Can't flee, at that point, because they have put their shackles on me (the gown) and I am pinned in that chair. I hate going to the hairdresser. I haven't been anywhere near one for decades. Like we can't cut our own hair? Maybe, if they would just shut up and work without having to trot out the script about holidays and boyfriends - hairdressers would be a possibility for me as I don't mind a bit of physical discomfort if it makes it all happen faster. Autistic hair salons - there's a niche for possible exploiting!

[@EEsmalls]

I've never known anyone else who makes rhythms with their teeth! I'm constantly clicking them together in different orders at different speeds, till my jaw hurts sometimes. Also constantly wiggling my foot, and fidgeting with my fingers, and love busy chaotic music, chewing on the inside of my mouth. Maybe I should get checked out

[@diestruwwelliese]

Yes! Teeth rhythms!

[@SachiJones]

I like complex machinery also (vintage motorcycles, airplanes, trains, and industrial machinery are high on the list, but also things like old school pinball machines and such. It's all fun). And I bite on my lips and inner cheek ALL the time.

[@BrickNewton]

I bite my inside lip too, but noticed while reading this I stim with my tounge. I make it move in my mouth back and forward or rub it on my teeth. I knew I was doing it but never thought to connect it to stimming

[@FindusSliceOfLife]

I’m not diagnosed but my psycoligist (is that what it’s called) said that i show symptoms of autism. I do a lot of rocking, spinning, humming, rubbing, skratching, fidjeting and i also love tapping my feet/toes, i always try to walk on the beat if i'm listening to musik.

[@samsmom1491]

I like walking to the beat of music and get really frustrated when the beat is too slow. I will spend hours trying to find the perfect walking music.

[@ewap789]

Listenning to a song over and over and over and over...for hours or days Touching my face around the mouth or rubbing my scalp Fidgeting with the tip of my fingers Folding a bit of paper over and over until it's a stick, then trying to fold the stick tight as well, and then just fidget with the rolled thing

[@anna-fleurfarnsworth104]

What song have you listened to on loop recently? For me, it's the whole album Grief Chapter by Mother Mother, specifically End of Me. I'm not sure why that song hits so hard but i keep coming back to it

[@ewap789]

@@anna-fleurfarnsworth104 The last one was Put down that weapon by Midnight Oil (I looped it for days). I remember looping Hero by Family of the Year. Also Shallow by Lady Gaga. I actually found a version of Hero that was already it on a loop. I don't know if it's something about the songs themselves, or their melody, or if there is something comforting to me about them.

[@derekthue8026]

Omg. Touch my face often when nervous

[@zombiiesque]

I do the same thing with songs, so I can pick up the lyrics and feel really comfortable with them. ❤

[@OpheliathePotato]

Oh yeah..... I can listen to the same song over and over again... Forever. 😅

[@chaote2069]

visual stim for me is looking at patterns 0n floors ,walls,and ceilings when i get overwhelmed

[@Amylaemia]

I do this too. Also I make my own pattern with my eyes on the wall and follow it all the time

[@chaote2069]

@@Amylaemia cool how do you do that?

[@Amylaemia]

@chaote2069 just create a movement with my eyes without even realizing and then repeat it over and over again

[@chaote2069]

@@Amylaemia awesome gonna ry it ty

[@consuelonavarrohidalgo5334]

I used to do that when I was a child.

[@EricTalwin]

I hope you thank Debby ever day. Some of us don't have a Debby... and a Debby would be nice.

[@KH-fy4ok]

I have a Debbie, but his name is David ❤

[@TashaRansomArt]

My husband and I are both autistic. We support each other, but it's amazing that we get anything done.

[@zombiiesque]

​@@TashaRansomArtmy husband and I are both AuDHD. Thank goodness, honestly. It's nice to be with someone who gets me.

[@TashaRansomArt]

@@zombiiesque I feel that. We speak the same language!

[@zombiiesque]

@@TashaRansomArt yessss!

[@mkryu]

Just recently diagnosed with asd1 and adhd at age 49. I think this might fall under echolalia, but I visualize and replay select scenes from movies and tv shows in my head over and over. They’re from my childhood and teenage years. KZbin is such a great resource for media so I’ve searched for those 30+ yr old video clips and rewatched the scenes that I had kept repeating in my head for decades. I have been surprised to find my memory is a carbon copy.

[@miss.kholisticwellness]

I also do this!

[@zombiiesque]

I do this too, and it's like my brain memorized it, I don't even know how! Really cool.

[@samsmom1491]

I once saw a video of a home that was for sale. I was instantly obsessed with it. I watched the video over and over and over...well, you get the point. Once I memorized the entire layout, whenever I get stressed or are trying to fall asleep, I will imagine myself walking in to the house and exploring it, room by room, opening every door, looking out the windows. Literally and figuratively my dream house.

[@zombiiesque]

@@samsmom1491 ohhhh I completely understand this. For me, it's sort of trauma related due to my childhood, but I used to put myself to sleep by dissociating - I'd imagine a different life in a nice little house. Then as an adult, I saw the perfect house one day, and I have thought of it so much while putting myself to sleep. It's not the same thing, but I very much relate to your story! 💜

[@sorbunn]

I loved how you described echolalia! I’ve always told people “it’s like I hear something that sounds really tasty - and I have to say it to “taste” that word or phrase myself”! Great video 👍🏼

[@ChrisandDebby]

This could also be Synesthesia. I have a colleague who used to say ‘shy’ a lot and I couldn’t help but repeat it… a lot. It bothered her, but it was really hard for me to stop. I actually stopped going into the branch where she works because I didn’t want to bother her. When I say ‘shy’, I can actually feel it like a wave through my whole body. It’s like a warm tingle and I love it.

[@TecKnoChoCoLaTe]

Like Chris said it might have a synesthesia-type component to it with the way you described it if you’re literally experiencing other senses at the same time, but even if not it’s also just a great example of why it can feel so nice to repeat something! It’s satisfying in a way that’s quite similar to the satisfaction of a food texture being absolutely perfect.

[@samsmom1491]

I used to have a list of words that I adored saying out loud because the sounds just vibrated with a pleasing and soothing resonance.

[@april3950]

@@samsmom1491OMG meeee literally yesterday I was investigating neurodivergence and I loved to say NAUR it’s just like your mouth it’s so open and the sound of r it’s so relaxing

[@jmvanzalinge5023]

Pressure: scrunching toes, squeezing finger tips, big solid hugs, etc.

[@prncessbaby16]

Dang I was literally scrunching my toes as I read this and stopped😅😅

[@tdc3298]

scrunch my toes too and grind my teeth when I am stimming

[@ctsmith1388]

Omg yes everything but physical touch. I don’t like physical touch. If it’s a romantic partner I can only do it in 10/15 min sessions because I need to feel separate. Idk idk that’s just me

[@jmvanzalinge5023]

@@ctsmith1388 I crave physical touch, but only in the big pressure ways. Small tickling and such puts me on edge.

[@user-mx1kl8th1p]

I specifically clicked on this video to see if this was considered stimming. I’m always pressing my feet against something

[@kristinamanion2236]

I spin. Not around in circles, but take fiber and turn it into yarn/string. The spindle going round and round with the fiber twisting makes me excessively happy.

[@batintheattic7293]

Bingo. There's something about it. Do you have any spinners, or maybe weavers, in your genealogy? It's tricky because at one point most poor people were spinning or weaving so if there are poor people in the family tree they might have had to spin or weave. I think it's a decidedly autistic manifestation, though. I've now become a bit obsessive with the concept of Lachesis (in my reading of it - Lachesis is the one that takes the thread and makes something from it) and the battle between existence and entropy. I do crochet. That's my version.

[@saraharnold8449]

To go right along with this, I think the process of knitting. Specifically, the basic knit stitch over and over again is very comforting, especially with some soft sock yarn, particularly if it has variegated colors that mix and has pops of colors via speckles.

[@kristinamanion2236]

@batintheattic7293 to the best of my knowledge, there were no weavers or spinners in my genealogy other than what would have been common practice. Fiber arts are one of my special interests, and while I knit and crochet(both also work as stims), I spin more. Weaving and fiber within language and mythology are fascinating and I hope you get to spend many hours enjoying learning.

[@resourcedragon]

Spinning away on a wheel is a form of "physical mediation" for me. And I _love_ watching film of other people spinning, there is something about the rocking motion of the footman and the wheel going around that is very satisfying.

[@Jen-CelticWarrior]

Omigosh, yes! I got SO into spinning fibers into yarn as a special interest. I have three spinning wheels, several drop spindles, and LOTS of fiber. It’s so meditative. I also knit with my yarn I’ve made. Mostly smaller items for faster gratification-socks, mittens, hats, and such. I like pattern/textured knitting more than color knitting.

[@SachiJones]

I like to watch the way the light plays in the falling rain on a puddly city street at night, it's so sparkly but it's so calming. I can stare at it for hours. It's like a meditation sometimes.

[@AndreaCrisp]

Yes! Or an oil slick on the wet blacktop. Or watching the swirling on bubbles until they pop!

[@recoveringsoul755]

You'd probably like being on a lake in a rowboat, canoe, or yacht. The water can be smooth like glass or a small breeze can make it look like lots of diamonds.

[@SachiJones]

@@recoveringsoul755 i do like that! Both the flat stillness and all the ways the surface is turned into ripples and waves. I also like watching the wind blow through fields of tall grass or wheat or similar because it looks a lot like wind waves on water. The patterns are fun to watch as they continuously shift and flow into new patterns. It's all visually simulating in an enjoyable way.

[@yvifee]

pure joy 🌬🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🙂

[@recoveringsoul755]

@@SachiJones yes!! The wind on tall grasses!!! From your first comment I thought maybe you were more of a city person, but happy to know you get nature too

[@gemstonejasper17]

My favorite vocal stim is repeating "okay, alright" over and over and over. I've been made fun of and a lot of people don't understand. But there's something about repeating those two words, especially when I'm anxious, that helps me. It feels like playing catch with myself. Passing the words back and forth with myself. It may not make sense to others, but but makes me feel good

[@bevodonnell1191]

Omigosh. I do this too, though usually not repeated back to back. Maybe one round of "ok, alright"... Almost as a reset when I'm trying to focus, or when one task at work is complete and I move to the next. Or when I'm really tired and I'm trying to make myself keep going. But I do it so much it bothers me, (so if someone is around me, I'll tell them that I'm telling myself "ok", not them). I supervise at work, so I still mask a lot too, and try to let them know I'm not saying the tired or impatient ok to them. It's to myself to keep moving. When I was a teen I said "Like" a lot. It took so long to root it out of my speech. But I guess I still say, ok and alright a lot throughout my day.

[@aah_my_handle]

OH MY GOD. I have so many phrases that I've just sort of accumulated over the years from shows and stuff that I just keep repeating and repeating, over and over again... the big one for me at the moment is just the phrase "Spongebob Patrick!" My friend of a friend keeps telling me to STFU when I say it lmao

[@zombiiesque]

​@@aah_my_handleI call them my pop culture phrases, from movies and commercials! It's a huge part of me. 😂

[@aah_my_handle]

@@zombiiesque most of mine are from Spongebob or other random shows/fandoms/videos I've seen over the years!

[@zombiiesque]

@@aah_my_handle yes!

[@michellecoleman9849]

This word, "stimming," is less than a week old for me. I have suspected for well over a decade that I might be a bit autistic. This awareness came after attending one of Temple Grandin's talks while living in Fort Collins. Everything she said deeply resonated with me. I felt conflicted about that because I was made fun of for being different, slower, shy, and in my head. No one cared when i voiced this observation, not even my best friend at the time who worked with autistic adults. I was actually accused of wanting to be autistic because it was suddenly cool. It wasn't. I was tormented as a kid by other kids who relentlessly called me a retard. They called out on all of these stimming activities you mentioned as proof of my retaredness. I was even in special Ed for speech therapy. It was awful. I wanted so badly to be normal and likable. I was forced to stop behaviors and learn new ones in order to be more normal. Even then, I could never pass. I was just a fake. In high school. I had to make drastic changes to my social life. Only then, did I begin to pass as normal. Until I had to jump.states and live with my dad. Then all the social awkwardness returned until I could figure out the masking thing all over again. I am fifty-two now, and I live alone. Since being on my own, many behaviors I had growing up have begun to return. Things I felt super self-conscious about. Most of these are in your top ten. I had forgotten about some of them, like running the ends of my hair across my face. As soon as you said this, I did it. And it felt SO GOOD. Which reminded me of something else I used to do all the time. Paint my nails. I learned to paint my nails for the love of color, like a normal person. What I actually loved, however, was the way those painted nails felt when dragging them across my lips. It was so calming. I want to go out and buy some clear polish now. Something I haven't told anyone in a very long time was something I do in my head in the car. My one and only confession left me feeling exceptionally stupid, and so I have kept it to myself. In order to make drives feel shorter, I would count all of the metal posts along the sides of the road. In addition to that, I would also fold and squeeze my toes while squeezing my fingertips together as we passed each one of these posts. I also did it with divided lines between lanes. If I missed one, I would actually feel anxious. I actually still do this when I am a passenger. Sometimes, I will even count them. As a kid, we would watch trains pass through town and count the cars. I still do this, especially if they are long and I am trying to get somewhere. It helps me not stress over time. It puts me in a bit of a trance. I don't know if this is normal or not. I have never asked anyone. Anyway, thank you for this video. It has helped me to remember a lot of the things that were beaten or bullied out of me when I was young. Now that I don't care so much about fitting in anymore, many of these things you mentioned are making their way back. I don't feel the need to hide them.

[@dorothythornton4993]

Thank you for sharing. I want to meet Temple. Do you like Fort Collins. I always knew I was different but learned to mask really young. ❤

[@michellecoleman9849]

@dorothythornton4993 she is fascinating and so easy to listen to. The talk I saw focused mainly on how autistic children learn. I never related so well. After failing to get through to my best friend, I stopped talking about it for a good ten years. I do not live in Fort Collins anymore. I haven't kept up with her, so i'm not sure if she is still there. I left in 2013, but it's a great little town. I've heard it's not so little anymore. Still, I would highly recommend a visit.

[@TsunamiRogueWave]

When I get anxious while driving, I count traffic lights and the seconds between them turning from red to green. I do a lot of toe scrunching and playing with the button on the parking brake, or even just wiggling the gear shift while in neutral. I also masked a lot in high school and as an adult out in public. I allowed myself to quit doing that after having my child at 34 years old. I was exhausted and overwhelmed and it wasn’t worth it to me anymore. However, I did not seriously consider anything different about myself until I was 38. I was 39 when I was assessed by a counseling service as having ADHD. And now at 40 I’m realizing I have always had very autistic traits. I have no idea where or how to be evaluated for that. I just know that most of my life I have lacked the tools to effectively cope with who I am. But now that I know, maybe that can change. Not caring about what others think about the things that make us peculiar is a good things, as long as we aren’t harming ourselves or others. We deserve to live authentically too.

[@michellecoleman9849]

@@TsunamiRogueWave we do! And I can't believe you do some of the same things I do. I always thought I was the only one and felt like such an odd ball. I masked a lot in high school. If anything showed up on the autistic spectrum, it likely got accused as being on drugs or being drunk. I went super wild in high school. It was the only way I thought I could handle my life and stop being seen as a freak or a reject. As an adult, the masking took on deeper layers. I love not caring anymore.

[@AKayfabe]

I am sort of in the same situation, I am 48 now, but have always suspected I might be autistic all my life. And the more I learn about it, the more I do believe that and should be tested for it. It’s very hard to be tested in the city I live in. I live alone now too, for the first time in my life. And I think it is just the first time I have ever felt free to be my unusual self, maybe. I most definitely have always had sensory processing disorder. I think I have always known this, even prior to knowing what it is. I just always knew that the world is too loud, and things smell too strongly, and my clothing feels odd on my skin. I started to listen to music in public anytime I was in public, back in the 80s with a Walkman, then with an iPod, then with an iPhone. I tap my feet to calm myself but I do it as if I’m playing a kick drum, with the heels part. I count things like you do, just different things. But I have counted train cars before too, I used to live right by the train tracks. If a train was blocking the street and we had to wait, I’d count the train cars otherwise I’d freak out. I have a very difficult time with people or things getting in my way, wasting my time, holding me up on time. I have a very specific way of doing things within my own apartment, that I was never free to do living with others before. It’s very free to be able to be unusual by myself. I also run the ends of my hair over my skin, and I also run the tips of my fingers over the insides of my arms. I used to do this in school. As a child once, another person in my classroom asked me why once and I told her, try it it feels good. And she tried it and told me it tickles too much for her. But I was never really questioned too often about weird behavior in my childhood. Not by other children, or my parents, who knew I was strange, but they were too. My mother had agoraphobia, and hoarding disorder, my father was extremely social but accepted that my mother didn’t want to be social with him. My grandmother had OCD. It was after I became an adult that I felt judged. I feel much less judged today, living by myself. Even if I find a new relationship I might want to just keep living separately. I like the privacy, I like being able to control my environments sound and temperatures. I like being able to just sit and rock back and forth without anyone asking me if something’s wrong. I understand what you are saying here.

[@MsBunhead]

The “shy” segment made me laugh out loud - “she’s going to know how shy I am” 🥺💞

[@Kindertautenleider]

too shy shy, hush hush, eye to eye....got that song in my head now

[@Elandgol]

Ahh! I love that song 🤣 I'm so thankful to Sims 2 for exposing me to it lol.

[@nannywhumpers5702]

Some of my happiest times is watching stuff. Not TV, but drapes moving in the wind, the reflection of pool water on the ceiling, staring at the stars. I too have that neck cramp, frequently. I have a chair now and try to remind myself not to get lost when taking out the trash late at night, but it's just so danged... amazing, soothing, reassuring.

[@Tokillabambi]

Discovering my autism at 30, I realized after years of being 'judged' for stimming, ive subconsciously switched to 'feet flapping' as I call it. Since they're hidden in your shoes a lot, you can freely move and wiggle your toes without anyone noticing! I now go full scale feet flapping, and have added many alternatives, but makes much more sense now!

[@Jen-CelticWarrior]

Yes, I do this too! Raise and lower my toes. Rapidly. I used to have people get after me for moving my leg or wiggling my foot. Or tapping, or pen clicking.

[@SpectrumOfChange]

I've adapted mine to slow movement mostly, with more emphasis on pressure. So I'll slowly but with pressure, slightly move my fingers under my leg, or cross my ankles tightly and slightly move the center contact point, stuff like that. It's an adaptation I'm sure, to not get in trouble, from a time when there was no understanding about these things.

[@rainbows9060]

Hey me too on both.

[@dacksonflux]

I draw shapes with my feet. I'll make S's, figure 8s, or raindrops. 💧 I'll also do the conductor thing when music is playing.

[@stuartchapman5171]

I had to internalise most of my stimming, as my father would get really angry, for doing abnormal things, humming, repeating words, tapping, jiggling my feet, echolalia, I had a stimm of pulling a part of my hair so often that 50 years later I've got a cow lick that I wasn't born with. The finger tapping and leg jiggling, he never "cured me of that. I hum internally along with repeating parts of words. I would clench my stomach subconsciously, when I was anxious, as it was a physical thing, that wasn't noticed, this caused a lot of my stomach issues, that appears to be common with ASD. I probably did loads of other stuff as well as a very young child, I just don't remember.

[@angelac5199]

Anyone else use crocheting as a stim? I find that crochet when overwhelmed or anxious along with rocking and humming at the same time lol helps alot. I really enjoy counting and numbers but I am horrible at math and still count on my fingers

[@yvifee]

Sounds nice. :) Sewing and humming it is here or counting things around like the books in a bookshelf or so… I just wondered the other day if I only was told that I was not smart enough for mathematics and if I could start again to learn to like/ to use it in a relaxed way…

[@CatalunaLilith]

Me too!

[@joannehabegger]

I use embroidery!

[@trombonegirlJH]

Yes yes yes! Crochet is an amazing way to channel my nervous energy. It was very difficult for me to learn, though. My autistic traits make it very difficult for me to watch someone perform a task and be able to replicate it.

[@BiancaSiebing]

Me too

[@alexsawa2956]

Im sitting here trying to learn what stimming is... I'm thinking "I don't do it... I don't do it... I've never done it..." Then he mentioned "painting your cheek with your hair"...and had a childhood flashback. Touché.

[@amandaburns9041]

I stim by rubbing my fingers and hand with my other hand. I also scratch and pick at my skin in order to sleep or calm down. I love visual stimming, especially if it’s glittering or shiny.

[@jimwilliams3816]

Yes, skin picking! Sadly, I seem to have relatively few stims that I recognize as inducing pleasure - most surface in anxious bursts. But one version of skin picking has always felt good. I tend to take baths too, and when my skin gets soft, I love dragging my nails across certain areas, and accumulating white, doughy dead skin cells under them. It feels like exfoliating, and I also love to roll the accumulated skin between my fingers, the texture is weird but nice.

[@memey6978]

Meowth!! (Sorry I really had to)

[@nettorak]

Does your vision also get blurry when you look at glittering things?

[@wafflesthearttoad6916]

I love to stare at the night sky. I can see the red or blue tint of each star and can see each star “blink” or “pulsate”. It’s like I can’t look away 😩

[@brynmarie9655]

As a newly self-diagnosed autistic, I am still discovering things I have done all my life that have actually been stims the whole time. I do a lot of small things but the main ones are rubbing my nails, rubbing my face and particularly my nose, rubbing and twirling strands of hair, clicking my teeth, singing, petting soft things like stuffies, and tensing my leg muscles. I have also just started figuring out what stim toys/tools I like, and so far my faves are the dimple, tangle, and the marble in mesh.

[@lankakaaos]

One of the ways I stim is knitting. I also doodle lot if I can’t knit. When I was child I loved to swing in playground.

[@SunshineGrove04]

I doodle a lot and looove swings growing up and even in my late life.. it’s that rocking sense I like besides the air when I like to go for big swinging.

[@peekaboo7424]

I knit & crochet too. Just the mindless repetition of a simple repeating pattern is so soothing. My hooks & needles have gotten me through some dark times.

[@batintheattic7293]

@@peekaboo7424 It's one of the defcon one things I fall back to, also, when I feel shrink-wrapped.

[@EsmereldaPea]

Yes! Since I took up knitting again, it is definitely something I do often.

[@EsmereldaPea]

​@@peekaboo7424- same. Stockinette stresses me out,but cables and lace I love.

[@RedTideRTS]

The answers to why I’ve been so weird all my life and feeling like a foreigner keep coming with these kinds of videos. Once my boys were diagnosed, and after checking most of the boxes during their assessments, I knew I probably have ASD and ADHD. But only now have I dove in to better understand myself. Such a relief to have answers to many of my behaviors.

[@randomsmile9064]

Huh this video explains a lot .. I've always loved watching tires spin on cars, and stirring coffee.. Starring at the stars at night.. Watching certain things moving.. singing / humming, fidgeting, pacing, rubbing / scratching / rocking etc.. so many of these ways to stim .. I guess stimming in ways I never knew were stimming..

[@rjparker2414]

Yes, many ways to stim. Appreciate your list/ comment, and Chris' clarification on this. I think stroking my dog is a stim, too.

[@markwright3161]

Have you seen the 'wagon wheel effect'? Maybe that's just part of wheels spinning for you, but it's specifically when a wheel looks like it isn't moving despite rotating relatively quickly (mainly on camera, but looking through narrow vertical bars really close together can do it too). I specifically enjoy when the wheel looks like it's rotating 'backwards' slowly, while looking stationary is more uncomfortable. :) Sadly there doesn't seem to be many videos on KZbin of it, at least specifically compilations of the effect rather than people trying to explain it.

[@randomsmile9064]

@@markwright3161 cant say I have but not im super interested in finding out about it. it sounds really relaxing just thinking about it

[@user-kb4uh5eu6h]

I am in the same boat. I have been stimming and didnt realize it!

[@orphicprince8854]

I've been obsessed with music since I was tiny. I used to listen to music through the headphones and spin around in the living room. My teachers also thought that I was Too Much. I went to a dozen different schools by the age of thirteen. My parents said that I couldn't be on any spectrum because I would get stuck in to a project for hours. As as adult I love having a tune to obsess over. I will listen to it on repeat for /days/. Crowds are bad unless it's a rave-like setting and everyone is vibing to the tunes and nobody minds how you express that. 🤣 Those spaces feel especially healing and magical. Don't know if that makes any sense. My mother was highly protective and never let anyone near me to potentially diagnose me as she had very negative experiences when she would suffer from migraines. cheers!

[@lamackismoi388]

I *love* to go to raves to listen to all my favourite repetitive music with beautiful visuals and *all the pretty lasers* - I light up like a kid at Christmas! It’s called Interoceptive Stimming :)

[@summertime87]

When I was a teen, I listened to music and spin around in my bedroom

[@mxgeeTV]

I hate being in crowds but concerts are my happy place so I fully get what you mean.

[@shaylabobsherman228]

Nothing is as great for visual stimming as the windows 98 screensavers! 🤩

[@user-kb4uh5eu6h]

I love the matrix screensaver with all the code falling down! I would set and watch it for long periods of time when i had the screensaver and didnt realize how long I was engrossed over it!

[@user-xe5yy1xy6x]

I write lists. If I am stressed and things seem out of control, I write a list or several lists. It could be groceries, what I have to do the next day, renos that need to get done, books I would like to buy, health foods I want to start eating, things I am thankful for. There are so many things I write lists for. My father whom I realize now was probably autistic told me the trick of writing a list when things get too much. I write a to do list every night right before I go to bed, then I don't have to worry about forgetting something. Always on paper, always with a favourite pen.

[@bmos02]

I used to LOVE tipping back in school desk chairs. Balancing the center of mass was so helpful for focusing in class.

[@ChrisandDebby]

Me too! But I always got in trouble for it 😂😂

[@bullymong1445]

I love the exaggerated, scripted joke at the beginning. It made my day. I subscribed because of it... I need more of the funny in my life.

[@MommaDuck7]

Me, too!

[@nabbers12]

SAME! 😊

[@Sundayjean]

For years I couldn’t understand why I would go into a restroom and flap my hands, arms, and sometimes my whole body! Now I completely understand this behavior.

[@heedmydemands]

Me too I pace a lot. When stressed or excited or just thinking, it feels good to b moving, helps the mind it feels like. I hate to have to stay still while on the phone, always pace

[@SunshineGrove04]

I am such a pacer.. yet I have to be energy conservative at times because my spoons get real empty due to fibromyalgia.

[@heedmydemands]

@@SunshineGrove04 o no that sucks, my sister has it too

[@SunshineGrove04]

@@heedmydemands 😞 not easy GI see you sibling in such dire need.

[@BrickNewton]

For me I pace on personal cellphone calls only, as I had a landline at work and it makes t tricky to pace....so I doodle instead.

[@zombiiesque]

Always on the phone, I can't help it. Hubby does it, not just when he's on the phone, too.

[@rottweilerdriver]

As a 60 yr old autistic grandma, I love your style and can associate with a lot of what you say! The bath bomb was cool! Oh yes!

[@diosadeamore]

Me too with handflapping with excitement. When I got bafly teased for it as a teen, I learned to stop it.

[@socosoul8294]

It feels so embarrassing when you get caught lol like I can never be comfortable when someone’s watching

[@diosadeamore]

I find myself rocking back n forth sometimes too but I cant pinpoint what brings it on. I feel very peaceful though.

[@juanarocho973]

I love rocking chairs!!! They are soothing!!

[@TeddyLovesAxl]

I rock back and forth and if I’m standing I rock from foot to foot. I love to rock

[@zombiiesque]

It's calming for me! My husband is neurospicy, too, and he's definitely a rocker. You mentioned doing it while standing, and we have a huge tree just outside our door. There's a big chunk of root sticking up from the ground, and he will rock one foot on it and then switch. He does it a lot

[@celine-fd4lm]

Autistic stimming + non-autistic stimming ! So interesting to understand ! I believe i am a non-autistic adult who stims a lot (!!) due to : a predisposition to chronic muscle pain xx I am pain free since i started to stim regularly + found the diet that works for me (removed my allergens + heal the gut.) + take magnesium and vit. Bs + yoga (gentle stretching) and nutritious movement. I am looking forward to learn more about the other types of stimming! 😊

[@ChrisandDebby]

Thanks for sharing this - I also have a lot of muscle tension and pain and still am learning how to let myself stim more often. Your other points about figuring out how to help gut health is something in the middle of now too. Already going (mostly) gluten free but figuring out what works is taking some time. Appreciate your ideas!

[@rjparker2414]

@@ChrisandDebby I have less muscle pain, and better digestion, if I eat less sugar (processed/ refined)- or things that act like sugar in the body (fermentables, including gluten). Fresh fruit bowl is OK (couple times weekly), with lots of plain yogurt and protein (like nuts). More protein rich snacks (pickled hard boiled eggs; celery/ carrot sticks/ apple slices with almond butter; cheese sticks). More veggies/ fiber/ protein, and less carbs (chips/ crisps, cookies, etc), plus vinegary pickled veggies, helps balance my body. Hope it helps you too.

[@allison4644]

​@@ChrisandDebbymagnesium at bedtime helps ppl sleep (most ppl are deficient in mg). I just got Kalvitamins that are separated into 2 bottles (1 for am & 1 for pm). After a bout with RMSF (rocky mtn spotted fever, tick borne illness tho I live in NY), I dove into special interests of vitamins & genetics, including an individual's ability to process folate & B12 (not all forms are readily processed in every person) with MTHFR (methyl-tetra-hydro-folate-reductase, an enzyme).. I can info dump on this. Look into your biological ability- it may help you discover some of your missing puzzle pieces. I am >1/2 century & recently inclined to believe I am AuDHD since relating to so many of your vids & commentors. Many ppl have an MTHFR genetic variant & among them, there are various symptoms just as Autistic ppl have various traits. It would be interesting if a study were done on folate intake, MTHFR & B12 abilities of participants & other dietary journaling. Journaling my food, drink & symptoms (serious neuropathy, exhaustion..) helped me navigate from being on disability for Lyme-Complex to restoring health to get back to work..

[@squishysaz]

Before you said it I was already saying ‘Lay in a chair and watch the stars with a blanket! That’s how I do it!’

[@kensears5099]

As you described how saying "shy" has to FEEL exactly right, like it's not about just saying it but about getting the word into that "place" that precisely "does it" for you, I immediately related and, in my own way, knew exactly what you were talking about. It's like the feeling I need to get from bringing the corner of my gaze into union with the corner of some exterrnal object. It's not about simply seeing something, not at all. There's something you're viscerally compelled to make HAPPEN by seeing. Like you are viscerally compelled to make that thing happen that comes from manifesting "shy" just the way it needs to come out.

[@dancingnature]

I move to the point that when I was younger I thought seriously about becoming a dancer. I’m fascinated by colors and like organising things by color . Of course I draw, quilt and paint. Growing houseplants I like touching and seeing how they grow from day to day . I noticed years ago that I can communicate with animals very well.

[@kristirehm5888]

Pinwheels were my favorite when I was a kid. The noise, visuals of spinning, breathing , and shiny colors met so many needs. Best ever!

[@beesquestionmark]

This may sound weird, but I used to play animal crossing city folk all the time as a kid and I’d hold the pinwheel item and walk around for HOURS. They have a pinwheel in the newest game, but it doesn’t make that satisfying clackity clack sound anymore :(

[@ashleejones1690]

The noise of a pinwheel being blown is wildly underrated!

[@cosievee]

That just set off my mental jukebox of near-constant music that flows through my head… I am now playing the theme music from the children’s show Pinwheel (from ‘70s/‘80s) in my head. Will likely come out as humming/whistling along with it at some point (and singing the couple words of it that I know). 😁

[@zombiiesque]

@@cosievee I love that, mental jukebox! Definitely going to use it. I do the same thing. There's music going on constantly.

[@codyaydenvanmontfort]

Singing is definitely my favourite, I sing almost 24/7 haha

[@froggiepie]

Echolalia is my fav thing ever. I repeat phone notification sounds when i hear them, i say ‘boop’ when i set stuff down completely involuntarily, whenever there’s a sound i like I’ll immitate it, i hum random tunes and i like to ‘speak in tongues’ sometimes. its like hand flapping but with my mouth

[@yvemdp]

Twirling the hair on nap of neck; little ringlet curls & it soothes to twirl them as tight as I can get them. Humming, whistling, exclaiming certain words in exaggerated manner (usually repeating the word someone else just said), scratching, tapping feet & fingers, rubbing feet/toes together; sometimes vigorously if the socks are really soft. All time fav is lightly touching my skin w/ tips of my fingers; usually on forehead, back of neck, up/down arm…especially at the elbow crease. I usually will raise the arm up I’m going to lightly touch; extended above my head. It’s a soothing tickling sensation that isn’t overly stimulating. I find myself doing this when boredom comes on & increases anxiety. Also when there’s a lot of noises or more than one person talking at once. I can’t handle loud noise or yelling & notice I’ll lean more on these repetitive things to tap down the anxiety level. I don’t do well in large crowds; get claustrophobic. So it’s hard to even be in a theater seat w/o fidgeting. And driving was a nightmare for me to learn! I had a car at 16 but rarely drove it. I found bicycling to be more enjoyable & great escape from the masses. Also I rock but side to side swaying when I stand too long talking to people I don’t really know; like at a big party. I really don’t want anyone else to pack my groceries in the bags. I just like to be able to get it organized the way I put it away at home. I’m that person who holds up the line… My nephew is on the spectrum too; now an adult, he lives w/ me part time (my mom when not w/ me). We have a lot in common; stargazing, rock & fossil hunting, making beaded jewelry, drawing, animation, collecting comic books, video games, science, art history, literature, soft clothing (especially socks!), even same hair products & scents! He’s a “mini me”; just taller. lol. He makes my isolation more bearable. We both have other neurodevelopmental problems but we don’t look at them as disabilities but rather opportunities to find our strengths in them to turn them into abilities. Great video on different ways of stimming!!

[@lindat7525]

I have a very small dog who likes to sit with me, always. He is the object of my stimming. He gets scritches for hours on end. My other one is wiggling my toes. Like someone else said, no one sees it. And I rocked as a child.

[@enoch4499]

My number one stim is HOW I speak. That "SHY" section made me realize how iften I do this lol all the inflections, tones, pacing, etc.brings such a soothing feeling.

[@cjendantix]

As someone with self-diagnosed asd, my biggest stimming method is biting my nails. Everyone that doesn't know me much tells me I should have grown out of it by now, but every time I'm bored, in a stressful situation, or just generally want to, I bite my nails. I have been doing it forever and don't plan to stop.

[@MM_Legacy]

I've been doing it for 39 years and stopped for the person I cared about. Now I always have a small nail file near me (Victorinox Classic). So as soon as I feel some notch or uneven length I can file them, before they got destroyed.

[@bottomofastairwell]

just be careful not to break skin, cuz that introduces the risk of infection (especially because mouths are NOT clean)

[@luna-p]

I bite the inside of my cheeks. Wrecked my teeth.

[@jesscinfio9964]

Love this video. Here’s a whole list: Visual stims: bird watching, paint mixing videos, looking at hour glasses Tactical stims: pop-its, roller ball, gooey putties, tapping my fingers against each other, petting my cats, playing with sand - especially colorful sand, deep pressure hugs, swaying side to side. Interestingly swaying back and forth helps when I’m anxious, but side to side is the fun kind for me Oral stims: crunchy snacks, spicy food, sour candy occasionally Audio stims: thunderstorms, wooden soup videos (it sounds weird but look it up!!), same songs Ugh there’s so many. Thank you for that question. This was fun

[@blumen123]

I tap or bounce my foot or leg. All The Time. Once when I lived in an apartment on the third floor, my downstairs neighbor came up and knocked on my door and asked what all the pounding was. He said a photo fell off the wall downstairs! I was shocked. I had no idea it was making the apartment below vibrate like that. I made up some lame excuse and got rid of the neighbor and then was soooo embarrassed. I was also really stressed and wanted to go back to this stim, but I didn't dare! I twirl my pen or pencil a lot and have several fidget toys. My favorite stim is rubbing a certain kind of vintage blanket binding between my fingers, right along the edge. Sweet relief, and great while driving.

[@assimilateborg]

it can also be just "restless legs syndrom" which can maybe be reduced with some magnesium supplements.

[@moonbeamstry5321]

My baby basinette was fitted with yellow satin bedding. The fitted sheet was satin, the little pillow and the comforter all satin. I started constantly pulling the satin between my index and middle finger. When I outgrew the basinette my mom always made sure I had a blanket with satin edges on it. By 3 I could do it with one hand and every morning my little hand would race back and forth across the edge of my blanket. Then by 5 my toes got involved in the fun too. I just absolutely adore the sensation of satin between my fingers and toes. I like how it quickly becomes cold to the touch again. I'm 41 now and can't imagine trying to get to sleep without a blanket with satin edges.

[@Hikariko11]

Okay, not only did I realize some more of the things I do could be stims, I also recognized stims in one of my friends. Never thought about visual stims. I used to love transferring water from one container to another when I was little. According to my parents I could spend hours doing it. Now having a half-full bottle to sway around and watch the water go back and forth is awesome to calm me down. And I now really want that cube O.O

[@jelle-tje6064]

Out of all these, 9 of 11 I do as well. It's been always something normal for me, but not necessarily for others.

[@forwhereyourtreasureis]

At work and at home I have a very bouncy stool behind my desk (a Swopper) and I'm bouncing constantly. I love the feeling so much, just thinking about it makes me happy! And I have a few glass objects with flat surfaces in my window sill; everytime the sun shines on them, there are little rainbows all over my room. I love watching the rainbows.

[@sarahsovereign4522]

Gonna call it "textural vibration". Rubbing the flat faces of fingernails together, or hands, nails, keys over corduroy or coarse denim (with that micro-corduroy diagonal on the thighs). Makes hands buzzy :) Bonus: flapping items (not hands) - as a kid, twisting my body to feel the sleeves of the shirt tied around my waist, flapping those against my legs; gripping the edge of and shaking a needoh "donut" like I'm trying to reset an old mercury thermometer, so its "icing" flaps, or any action that creates a motion that could be summarized by "Wogga-Wogga".

[@lamackismoi388]

Textural vibration - YES!!! I do the nails to nails thing and I also cross my ankles and do the same thing with my whole toes! I have some cushions which have loads of ridges and make the hard ripple noise when you stroke them - I have some right by my head as I type this! I have always liked times tables as they’re rhythmical and I can stim in my head (and not get “found out”), presumably that kept me safe from my parents and bullies at school. I’m 48 now, both my kids (13 & 19) are neurodivergent too and we all just accept that it’s beautiful to be understood and appreciated in all our idiosyncratic gloriousness ❤ I’ll probably be alone forever now but if so, I’ll live with that and hopefully, when we move to our forever home I can just have a whole bunch of animals instead.

[@laurak.donham8374]

Love your teaching style.. very engaging and wonderful sense of humor. Re behavior.. from a body worker perspective.. we are energy, so those behaviors rocking, shaking hands, etc) are actually healthy natural responses.. When you shake your hands you are releasing energy. Rocking naturally calms the nervous system and comforts.. we just live in a repressed society that generally wants people to sit still, repress emotion and expression. So thank you!

[@smiller6925]

Some things you talk about doing- rocking, practicing conversations and some other kinds of stimming my adorable hubby does. He has no diagnosis, but he stims a bit above average. Totally fine with me. He's a package deal. You explain things so well. And you are so funny!!

[@markwood1159]

It made me happy to hear you talk about getting your hair cut and what an uncomfortable experience it can be. I've never understood why I don't like getting my hair cut. I have long hair not so much because I like it long, but because I don't like to get it cut. I had no idea this was a common thing for autistic people. I've only recently realized I'm probably autistic and this is just one more reason to think I'm right. I have an assessment scheduled for next week but I'm already pretty sure of what the results will be.

[@Jen-CelticWarrior]

I raise and lower my toes rapidly in my shoes. I also chew on the insides of my cheeks. Both things are quiet, so no one can hear it. I’ve had people get on me for foot bouncing or more visible/audible stains, so I’ve found invisible ways to stim. However, I also rock back and forth when standing at church. I recently bought a roller and a scroller from ONO, and I love these! I do a lot of scripting, too. I rehearse conversations for past and upcoming interactions.

[@Mscellany1]

Please don't habitually bite any soft tissues in your mouth. Can lead to oral cancer.

[@kensears5099]

I love spinning coins on the table. Also, I've been known, for years, when nobody's looking (I guess that means I haven't been known) to spin in my office chair. How can I express the feeling that spinning gives. It's like something at my most central, existential "gut" has come home, is right where it belongs, engaged and clicked into its...destiny. Both at rest and yet freely coursing with a paradoxically channeled "abandonment" somewhere. Don't ask me where. That's not the point. The point is just that the core of my being feels like it's hurtling wildly yet controlledly where it's supposed to be going and is totally centered in the midst of this whirl that's blanketing me. Another "stim" is my frequent need to fix the most acute angle of my gaze on the most acute angle of some corner somewhere. It's like an immediate hunger, a compelling need to make that contact, to feel that connection. It's like touching the "cornereness" of that angle with the "cornerness" of my gaze and the two corners meld into a single existential ecstasy of "cornerness."

[@Sunnyflower67]

Perfect explanation!🤌 And to think that I used to think autistic people were developmentally disabled. As in not very intelligent, unable to understand much humor, (especially sarcasm) and not really able to show love and affection. That shows clearly how much we need to do better with the awareness. 🤨

[@lightawake]

Can i just say, I just really loved your explanation! I get the sense neurodivergent people are tuned into our senses and the world in a way that appreciates their significance in ways that aren't conventionally understood yet. I love reading how so many people are delighted by things and engage in the world so earnestly. I think we have that in common with children, which is a kind of intelligence. Mainly, I love knowing now that there are adults in the world who love to spin in their office chair for the sheer feeling of how right it feels. I'm going to honour myself more, worry less about behaving like a dull conventional human, and identify and celebrate the quirks that make me happy 😋

[@megan5867]

I bought myself a NeeDoh Nice Cube, like that one and took it to work. Now, fully half the office has one. They are amazing!!!

[@deborahbeattie9103]

I love the feeling when you spread your hands wide and touch the surface of the bath water. Hands face down and flat. There is a really nice resistance. Also watching my ring under the water it shoots out little rays of light as i move it about. Baths are great!

[@Lari-lc3zq]

Thanks for the reminder. I’m gonna go run one now! With bubbles!

[@AndreaCrisp]

I like the hand slapping and suction playing with water too!

[@yvifee]

Yay! The first touch… clear water, perfect temperature and no movement. Love that special resistance as well. I even stop breathing when thinking about it. 😅

[@Bozpot]

I'm glad you mentioned scratching. I scratch a lot, usually my hands and arms. I may be itchy, I may not.

[@TheQueenRulesAll]

I figured out I had adhd in my 20s and learning about my autism now, in my 60s. It explains a lot, but the negativity I got most of my life from it will take a bit of time to heal. It does relieve a lot of internal bashing of myself, which is a good thing. Helps to know because it needs different tools to relieve the stress. It also helps to know that being overwhelmed is to be expected, that it triggers me, and I can plan better to get through the day without just going catatonic. You are blessed to have the support of your partner. My current spouse is patient and kind, which makes all the difference.

[@lasagnafrenchtoasthoneybutter]

My favorite, or most used form of stimming, is that auditory kind, where you blast music or just listen to music with headphones. It helps me survive the day honestly. It feels so good to just feel enveloped by the sound.

[@SaltyBagOfSalt]

I rock back and forth to music every day. It's my way of coping with stress and my little paradise.

[@allycat3992]

I do this but with swinging, I’ll literally swing on a swing set for hours at a time listening to music

[@3Okami.the.werewolf97]

​@@allycat3992 Same!! I used to spend all day like that as a kid. It also involves my imaginary world so it's even more fun. Too bad I'm an "adult" now and also..too bad I lost the joy of things I enjoyed before. I still walk in circles around my room listening to music though (the thing with my inner world still remains and I cannot listen to music any other way).

[@allycat3992]

@@3Okami.the.werewolf97 Yess, especially when I was younger it was a great way to get absorbed in your imaginary worlds! I'm probably "too old" for it too, but as long as I'm still not getting motion sickness from it or anything I don't know if I'll ever stop lol

[@3Okami.the.werewolf97]

@@allycat3992 I recently tried to swing again, but I didn't do that for a long time so I did get motion sick." But the biggest problem is the feeling that it's childish and I shouldn't do that(I already got weird looks and questions when I did that on public swings). Well, I've been doing it for already 8-9 years so it would be hard to get rid of it and I don't want to.

[@alicewright9784]

When I was in primary school (in England) I went to a planetarium where there are stars 360° above your head. I didn't like it and I cried. Now I love anything visually stimulating my favourite is rain falling on the floor or in puddles and the ripples it makes

[@LanguageNerdsofia_]

I heard that autistic people don't like to be told what to do. After I got my diagnoses, I started trying to rationalize things, like "why are you so mad at your mom asking if you got your keys if you're leaving and you don't have them on you?". I think I feel mad at myself but project it on her. Just a theory, but doing all this helps.

[@cosievee]

I love the night sky but also am very prone to motion sickness (thankfully just feeling yucky and not actually getting sick) so the planetarium with all the stuff moving around on the ceiling was hard for me.

[@Lost4ever74.]

I get vertigo symptoms when looking up.​@@cosievee

[@aaquib90]

I also love how pencils rub against the paper, the sounds that it makes. The flow …..

[@rycarr]

The merry go round was my favorite playground item. I’d almost always be on that or the rocking animals that some playgrounds had. I think it was me trying to get more spinning and rocking in in a socially acceptable method.

[@kgs2280]

Debbie sounds like a gem. 💎

[@ferallyalive]

You had to know someone's (my) first introduction to the channel would be this intro and I'm here for it already

[@skatermonkeygirl]

I don't know if I'm autistic, but I'm diagnosed ADHD, but I just love mouth sounds. I also like to manipulate my body, be that sitting in pretzel shapes, squeezing my skin into rolls, wiggling veins, pulling earlobes and eyebrow skin, stretching massaging or playing with hair

[@MelRos29]

I'm recently diagnosed (I'm in my mid 40's) and I'm starting to realise how much I've had to adapt/ cover up my stimming. I also learnt how many things I do and feel are not what many others do and feel. I'm kind of sad for how much of myself I've had to hide to fit in over the years. I'm not even sure I know how to be myself anymore.

[@alexskywalker5478]

Whenever I have been super distressed to the point of too overwhelmed, I scratch my arms until they leave red marks cuz the bloodflow warms your arms up and that is soothing to me. To replicate this in a calmer and safer headspace, I would just make a cup of cocoa and then hold the mug, then press my warm palms against my arms and it helps soothe me in a safer way

[@michaeljohn7398]

Thank you for educating us on the various things that Autistic people do. I am very interested in learning this, as it will help me relate to Autistic people in a way that is non threatening and hopefully helpful to them. . Cheers from Michael. Australia.

[@ChrisandDebby]

Thanks for the comment and also the reminder that there are so many amazing people out there learning in order to support those around them. You're awesome for being one of those people - and Australia is still one of my favorite places I've visited almost entirely because of the fabulous people I met there! Debby and I hope to get back there in the next couple years again. But thanks for being here and for this perspective!

[@JonnyTsunami728]

My favorite stimming is what I call tickle touching my back and arms to give myself chills. It instantly calms me down and clears my mind. It's especially better if someone else does it to me.

[@ElizaPerks]

If I’m waiting for someone I repeatedly count to 10 in my head (sometimes backwards). Certain songs I can listen to on loop and get the same enjoyment every time. Some objects, like my coffee tamper, are just a really nice weight and it makes me feel calm when I hold them.

[@fleetingmoment]

For me, mostly humming: basso continuo/basslines. For added effect, I do something or other internally with my ears (perhaps it's my Eustachian tubes) that allows the sound to resonate within my head, which I find much more soothing that just humming normally.

[@kinglouis3002]

The ear thing!! I do this too I think, for me it's sort of like popping my ears but then not letting the pressure normalise which makes everything sound really resonant

[@crybebebunny]

My youngest likes to organize at stores. It makes them feel useful and enjoy seeing the shelves neater.

[@LivingItUp810]

I can relate to that so much lol

[@crybebebunny]

@LivingItUp810 The trouble is that they don't always enjoy doing that type of task at home were I need them to help out❣️

[@jimwilliams3816]

When I was a kid, they hadn’t yet invented those shopping cart return pens that they put in supermarket parking lots. I would go around the lot, collecting the carts and taking them back to the store. I remember being perplexed why anyone would not want to return their cart. Hmmm.

[@crybebebunny]

@jimwilliams3816 How old are you ? I know that I am old and they have had them since I was little in the big chain stores. There was a store with a different setup than what Aldí's has now adays but the same concept. You paid a nickel and got it back. If you needed to borrow it for taking your groceries home, you needed to buy a certain amount. I am in my Early 50's. Some grocery stores would allow Jr. High boys to package your groceries, take them to your vehicle. They would put the groceries inside your vehicle, all that service for tips. We didn't have a vehicle. So we would buy a month worth of groceries and borrow the cart.

[@user-kb4uh5eu6h]

I was in retail and absolutely loved straightening the shelves! Wow , I never thought about that!

[@TheSilenceWhispers]

I got some mad echolalia-if I hear a line in a movie or video that sounds real nice, I have to repeat it under my breath. I love how different words, accents, or sounds feel in my mouth. I hum and sing constantly too. I also love to tap/jiggle my foot and sway. I grew up in a fairly strict household and was not allowed to be loud or rambunctious, but at church on Sundays I was allowed to sway and move my arms during the singing portion, and I only realized as an adult that that was less of the Holy Spirit guiding my worship time and more of a feeling of release because I was stimming and getting pent-up energy out.

[@christopherj9744]

Dude is hilarious. Love the way he expresses while talking.

[@maidofcornwall]

I love your sense of humour 😂 For me, I knit a lot to keep my hands busy. I used to pick at my nails and the skin around them. I'm a finger tapper too. I roll my thumbs a lot when I'm reading and don't need to hold the book. I also bite my cheek too much when I'm concentrating, and it really annoys me when I realise I'm doing it. Lights bring me so much comfort and I have loads in my room. I had one of those sand pictures in my youth and recently saw one in a shop. It came home with me and I can't stop watching it. I'm always playing with and watching my daughter's bubble/gel toy, like the one you mentioned. When I'm reading I often stroke my nose and I find that wonderfully soothing. I've done it for years now. I love sitting on a swing and let it gently rock. I used to sit for hours on the one I had as a child. It's so nice to be able to say that these things I do are stimming and are perfectly normal now. I used to do other things, like hand flapping, but had a parent 'correct' me (I was slapped when I did it) in that activity at a very early age. Most of the things I did were seen as bad habits and I was regularly shamed for them. Now I know that even though they may be bad habits, they may also be because I was trying to self regulate in a world that I didn't understand. Thank you for doing your videos, they bring me so much pleasure xx

[@aliciaparker4940]

I loved the humor with which this video was started. Thanks for keeping it light.

[@ChrisandDebby]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching! 😊

[@d_Loren]

I have always self-soothed by gently sliding fabric under my nails..the bias edge of cloth, some ribbons, cuffs, collars, button edges. My mom called it “picking”. I also love the sensation of “weaving” things between my fingers or pressing into the bend of the joint space between my palm and fingers.

[@joanl.7543]

I used to have a very strong fascination with time and clocks among other forms of stimming. My father, who was autistic, had powerful interests in music and poetry. Just in his individual case (I'm not saying this about these art forms generally), I think the rhythms and beats of both hobbies were part of how he stimmed. That, and pacing.

[@LewisLittle66]

I used to spin a lot as a kid. I'd stand in the garden and spin round until I got so dizzy I'd fall over. Now it's mostly fidgeting with objects. I vape, and I'm convinced that's a stimming thing; I get as much comfort just holding it in my hand and playing with it as I do from the actual vaping. Oh, and the "shy" section reminded me of Kajagoogoo from the 1980s.

[@julieblackstock8650]

I thought of kajagoogoo too

[@bottomofastairwell]

i'm convinced that smoking (and now vaping) is more about the stimming type ritual thing than the nicotine

[@virginiagill5902]

I sort of combine stims. Most days I wear a ring especially if I’m going out to do things that stress me. When I start to feel overwhelmed I will use my thumb to wiggle the ring and it makes me feel more grounded. If I’m wearing a ring with a sparkly gemstone I will get lost in just watching it sparkle as my thumb wiggles it. Without a ring my thumb just brushing back and forth where a ring usually is will help. As a little girl I had hair long enough to sit on. Taking little bit of it and brushing my face or lips was a constant, as was putting it in my mouth and twirling it with my tongue. Right up until the moment a teacher said if I was going to “eat” in class I had to share it with everyone. You can imagine how horrific the thought of everyone crowding around and putting their mouths on my hair was. To this day the thought makes me gag. Never put it in my mouth again. Instead I twirled it on my finger…under the desk where no one could see!

[@user-kb4uh5eu6h]

I had a spinner ring for a wedding band at one time as did my wife but it drove her bat crazy cause I couldnt stop spinning it!

[@sk8erboi728]

i had never heard of echolalia until now. i definitely have words i repeat like that. the past year i’ve been saying “little guy” a lot and in slightly different pronunciations. i started saying it to refer to my cats, but it’s just really nice to say. i use a sleep tracking app and one time it picked up on me saying “he’s just a little guy. a little guy. little guy” they vowel sound in “guy” slowly turned into the one in “toy”

[@princessl0llie421]

I have add, tourettes and fas....never diagnosed with any autism....but I've done most of these, mostly as a kid but a few I still do as an adult. As a kid I got yelled at for my excessive hand flapping- couldn't control it....finger drumming or toe tapping😮 during class, weird noises, throat clearing, humming, nose twitches/ nostril flaring, hair twirling, having a bad childhood it was pointed out that I rock back n forth when upset or scared. I am very picky about organizing especially biggest to smallest or vice versa. I'm very shy around new people and I'm easily distracted. I also walk and talk fast or tend to repeat myself despite having already shared that story. Seeing this video makes me realize I was just stimming most times. I'm so glad things are more recognized today so people can get help sooner rather than punishment or bullying. Thanks for this video. And you're wife sounds very supportive!!

[@dang1099]

Now the word shy is going to be stuck in my head! Hahaha

[@juanarocho973]

When anxious I yawn! When driving long trips and there’s too much traffic and it is slow I yawn a lot!!!!

[@jrfink07]

I know this comment is a little late but I just found your channel and it made me feel so at home. Both my sons are diagnosed autistic and, as is often the case, learning about their autism has made me realize I might also be autistic or adhd. Anyway, my youngest son stims by jumping.....a lot. Especially when he's excited. He also stims by walking in a tight circle around me if we are waiting for something, like a line to get ice cream or something like that. He's only 11 so I know as he gets older those will probably morph into something else as those stims become less socially acceptable for his age, but I will miss them, because he always has so much joy when he's doing it. And when you were taking about the hair painting.....I was literally doing that all morning...just because I like it and I'm overwhelmed at home right now. I'm also an organizer when anxious or overwhelmed....so.....🤷😏 I remember doing it as a teenager when my parents would endlessly lecture me about whatever....lectures are stressful, but my bathroom was very tidy.