Autistic Stimming Explained

Autistic stimming explained. Stimming is an important part of how autistic people stay regulated but it's often misunderstood.
I'm explaining:
-what stimming is
-why we stim and how it benefits us
-how I relearned how to stim as a late diagnosed autistic adult
here is a link to all my stuff including:
direct.me/purpleella
- Joining my members club The Purple People
-My Amazon wish list
-Ko-Fi - my tip jar
- My merch
- All my socials

[@xBananaskinx]

I sing too as a stimming, but for me it has an extra function: Ever since I was young I tend to have selective mutism, it got a lot better as I got older, but in certain kind of stressful situations it comes back. I use singing to help myself "bring my voice back", as I hear and correct myself, I'll feel able to speak again with others🙌

[@mxash7235]

What a lovely way to rev your voice back up gently. Thank you for sharing. I will be trying this my next non verbal moment. 💗

[@alisonmercieca1465]

My husband and daughter have autism. The last thing I would do is try to stop their stimming. Not only does it help them, but for right or wrong, I find it fascinating, and it’s part of who they are, and I wouldn’t change them for the world.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I think that the ideal is that if the stimming is genuinely harmful, getting the person to switch is valid, provided you're a parent or somebody with responsibility. When I was a kid, I would pull clumps of hair out and obviously, that is problematic. I wish my parents had known that they should have been redirecting me to something else that wasn't. Otherwise, let us have the indescribable joy of stimming. I had no idea what I was missing until recently when I saw a video showing a few possibilities for stimming. Just watching the video made me happy in ways that are hard to really explain. I've had various body focused repetitive actions for pretty much my whole life, and I do think that with the knowledge I have now, that I can finally find something that isn't so damaging.

[@lenarsa66]

I walk around a lot ... a lot. Maybe that's why I like Donald Duck's uncle Scrooge when I was small. He walks in small circles when thinking hard and wears down the carpet doing it. 😊

[@schwarzeseis4031]

Nothing as soothing as a day out hiking. Maybe not what you aim for, but the green, the blue, the sound of the waves hitting shore...and being on the move does drain away insecurities. Also: Scrroge! Yay! Do you know Don Rosa's biography of him, perchance?

[@asasial1977]

I pace all over my house all the time.

[@spiritsofwolves]

I would walk in a circle around the person im talking to (if they are like sitting on a couch or at a table or something) i now run around when i am daydreaming and well its like the only active thing that i do now xd

[@HealthyObbsession]

I would copy Scrooge pacing whenever anyone would ask me a question If you asked me again while I was pacing I would reply with Hands behind my back ‘I’m thinking about it’

[@sonchik6324]

Wait, does this count as an autism trait? I’ve been pacing and even running around the house since I was a little kid and my parents were always like “haha, you’re odd and it’s okay just don’t do this in public”. I did do this in public sometimes.

[@rozalinenelhams8307]

My mum used to stop me from stimming. i just recently started stimming more and its helping a lot.

[@liesdamnlies3372]

Same. In fact in either of my parents’ presence they chastise me for it to this day.

[@PostTraumaticVictory]

THE SINGING STIM!!!! Thank you so much for the validation. I cannot stop singing when I’m overloaded or trying to focus 🤣✌🏻

[@corriehughes1338]

Great video! I love the perspective from someone who repressed stims and is now finding them again consciously. I have been able to hide my stimming almost my whole life, but have the experience of relief when I find myself alone and don't have to control myself. I find it does lead to me preferring not to be out in public, so I am trying to be my natural self with natural reactions (not masked fakeness) when I am out and about to try and feel more comfortable. It's leading to my digging deep and finding true emotions I never knew were there. Being late diagnosed is a strange state of being!

[@TWiNZ_TWiZE]

You put this so perfectly Corrie👍🏾 Just found out in my 40s. Bittersweet. How are you doing now. Just realized your comment was a year ago.

[@corriehughes1338]

@@TWiNZ_TWiZE Thank you. I am still reluctant to leave the house- but I realise I have felt the same my whole life, so it isn't about to change now. It seems to be caused by me trying to get in the head of everyone I see to make sure I'm not acting different from what they would expect. That's obviously impossible to do 🙃 so it is half accepting the fact that I might act different and half knowing that it is not my business to get in other people's heads.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

The trick there is to find things that don't seem like stimming to the NT population. And if you do need bigger stims to do so when they're not around or to recognize that this might not be the best time to be out. But, really, as more of us do stim in public the stigma for it will likely reduce. Sure, the bigger, louder and more disruptive ones will probably always be an issue, but I'm finding that if I do smaller ones more often that I don't really need anything big during the day, I can do that in the morning or evening when I'm alone and cope through the day on more subtle ones.

[@jessabelvin1697]

I was diagnosed as a preteen and your videos have helped me tremendously in not being ashamed of who I am! Love you Ella

[@currybread5298]

I'm so torn about who I am or am I not. They said to me I have strong traits of autism but I probably can't get a diagnosis. I know for a fact that I've been masking my whole life, I just didn't know not everyone does it.

[@sunowl5301]

I really appreciate you acknowledging smoking as a stim. I also had that realization awhile ago. Aside from being a stim I found it served other purposes such as easing social situations for me. It provided an “out” from overwhelming situations like parties, restaurants, bars, family gatherings. So I could escape for a bit without too much explanation. It also provided an “in” socially, especially working at restaurants or with friends or at bars when I was a bit younger, allowing me to have an instant connection with people without the awkward small talk to start off. So it was really a multipurpose tool in my life that helped me through a lot of social anxiety and awkward situations, allowing me to flow in and out of social situations without hitting the wall or becoming overwhelmed or melting down.

[@coleenocasturme]

I also find this about smoking. The ability to go outside for 10 minutes and self-regulate is a big bonus. Plus I roll my own which is a satisfying activity! I noticed both these advantages some years ago, but only now am I recognising them as stims.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Around here we haven't been allowed to smoke much of anywhere for over a decade. You can pretty much only smoke away from doors, windows and vents and at home, but only if you don't live in housing that is smoke free. Plenty of people do smoke even though it's over$10 a pack at this point when you include the taxes.

[@eeaotly]

I would never steam in a way that affects my health.

[@carollizc]

People with ADHD also stim more than the societal norm. My nephew's favourite is to toss a pen up in the air, then catch it. It's long driven my sister nuts, but when I told her to leave him alone, it wasn't life threatening or anything, she replied that "it is ifbi kill him for it!" But she actually settled down. Stimming only bothers other people when they let it bother them. Mine is toe tapping, or if I'm really stressed, I have to go outside and walk. I absolutely *cannot* stay indoors, I cannot stay still. I need space around me and I need to.move. otherwise, I feel like I'm going to explode. Not sure that I have autism, but I definitely have ADHD.

[@damescholar]

Thank you! I am 64 and have discovered my autism only a half a year ago when two persons said (not knowing of each other): have you ever thought you could have ASD or ADHD or both? My son has both but I had though that I am too normal. Then I did the 50-question test and scored 46 of 50 and that made me really think… I searched the net for information and found all kinds of content creators and - recognized that wow, this is me, everything matches! I have done all kinds of stimming, flapping. spinning, pacing (esp in phone because it is a huge stress), repeating words and singing - but only when alone. I sang very much as a child and rocked and flapped and all that but when I went to school it all had to be suppressed. So sad. No wonder I was so anxious and depressed for so many years. But this new realization is a joy even though I do not have an official diagnosis yet, and I love your channel!

[@TWiNZ_TWiZE]

When I was in labor with my first child I shook my hands like I was trying to get the blood out. I remember being a little embarrassed cause everyone was staring at me like I was going to turn into a gremlin or something. I didn't know it was stimming but I knew doing it made A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE in how I felt. If I put my hands down I would just shake my head like crazy, like I was saying no over and over. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your journey. Just diagnosed in my 40s and your platform is a gold nugget of info for me right now. Thank you🙏🏾💗

[@robinadams5987]

I've noticed I usually flap my hands when I'm overwhelmed with happy or anxious feelings and it kind of feels like I'm shaking it off. And since I've begun letting my body stim, it also seems more difficult to mask anymore. Like, by accepting myself it's naturally hard for me to hide (which is fine)

[@lindaosborne1617]

I do the same Robin I flap my hands when anxious. It started as I got order.

[@nataleeisjustchilling2737]

As a child I would stim by chewing on my finger, sucking my thumb, playing with my shirt, etc. at least that’s all the stimming I remember doing as a child, I also notice that I flap my hands when I get happy or anxious too like when I bowl or if I’m in line for a theme park ride, honestly the hand flapping stimming are more new for me so when my mom saw me do it she laughed and said “what are you doing”, when my grandma saw me do it she asked if I was ok, I notice my cousin does it but nobody ever says anything to her (she has ADHD), I honestly was embarrassed when my mom laughed at me for doing a stim so I try and hide them the best that I can, my dad is the only one that doesn’t say anything when I stim because he know more about autism than my mom but he is the worst when handling my meltdowns because he gets aggressive

[@nataleeisjustchilling2737]

Oh yeah one more stim I almost forgot about is that I would always rock in the recliner we had and listen to music on my CD player (my older brother who’s autistic did this too)

[@kimberlysanchez5321]

I completely understand singing the same line and I pace around my house with my finger on my temple in the thinking position and I talk to myself. Thank you for sharing and being so honest, I absolutely love you and your channel

[@ladybug44875]

I stim by rocking back and forth, humming songless melodies and shaking my hands. And a lot of times they all happen all at once.

[@blondiek2288]

Me too 😊

[@MyASDJourney]

I was 59 when diagnosed ASD. Its been 3.5 years since. I too had to explore stims to understand them too. I tried rocking and found it very soothing and have started to do that subconsciously. I too had a traumatic childhood and learned any "unusual behaviors" were wrong so I lived in self-denial all my life. I too am learning to recognize my childhood and adulthood stims. They became hidden, even to myself such as oral stims and toe/foot stims, joint pressure stims etc. I too was fascinated with rotation such as turning bikes upside down and spinning the wheels, watching the washing machine go through it's cycles. skipping, jumping. Its really sad that autistic children and adults are not comfortable just being who we are.

[@annelogston]

By the way, I only just discovered this channel, and being only diagnosed myself two years ago at 59, your channel has become a new refuge and university. Also, purple is my favorite color and I wear it constantly.

[@MetaGiga]

I’m glad to know that some of the things I do are stims even if they’re not anything like arm flapping. I *do* move my arms up and down slightly while walking and twitch to the left occasionally, but he other ones aren’t as physical. These stims include: - Spraying my pillow with with a wintergreen mint concoction I made and smelling it. - Singing a specific line from Anyone Else But You by The Moldy Peaches. (“Pebbles forgive me, the trees forgive me, so why can’t you forgive me?”) - *Listening* to Anyone Else But You on loop for an hour. - Tucking my covers into my mattress tightly and pressing my feet up against them when I get in. - Putting my hand into the extremely narrow space between my mattress and the wall and feeling the press of it. Really glad to know it’s just another way of stimming and not being an enigma of nature!

[@autonomic_pilot]

I've only recently given myself permission to explore stimming, and I have been running into exactly what you described feeling like it can be too 'deliberate' (I explained it to my therapist using the term 'performative'), and subsequently feeling a kind of ASD imposter syndrome about it, so it's extremely helpful to hear from your perspective that this sense evaporated over time. I think you do a great job being very gentle with yourself, and it comes across in your videos as permission for viewers to do the same for ourselves. I have so much appreciation for that!!!

[@lilacscentedfushias1852]

It’s quite common for girls to realise what they’re doing attracts attention so we try to mask it. I’ve come to realise as an adult I do things that people can’t see. Autism wasn’t a diagnosis used when I was a child and my childhood wasn’t great. I used to teach and I began to realise that the newly (commonly) recognised ‘autism’ fitted me, but we were told it was almost always boys, so I was a tad confused. Where I worked later I was jokingly known as the autism whisperer! Then as new information about autism came out I realised I was one of the girls who learned to mask it. A few years after the education department in my town paid for experts from a major university specialising in autism to come here for a seminar. My ribs were sore, 2 workmates I was with kept jabbing me saying “you do that” things I wasn’t aware of. The experts unofficially diagnosed me, saying I’d learned to mask. Which, like you I had to. 6.20am, I’m still in bed watching this and my toes are jigging on my left foot, possibly because I feel stressed talking about school as a child. Hated it, no idea why I then began to work as a teaching assistant then teaching. But, I learned a huge lesson in school, how not to treat children. Particularly in secondary school I would get to a point where I just knew I couldn’t go to school the next day, just too much stress and environmental pressure, the noise, waiting to be shouted at, sitting for hours without stimming….just too much for me.

[@iiserenity]

Thank you for the video! I’m late diagnosed and I’ve been trying to relearn how to stim so I can escape these regular panic meltdowns. This was very informative. 💜

[@siljrath]

Love love love love love. Thankyou thankyou thankyou. Nice confirmation of my own acceptance of stimming. Almost moved to tears at one point watching this. Tears of joy. :,D

[@ethanheath6358]

I feel the surface of my fingernails when clean and smooth against my lips, its so unique and it makes me feel super safe.

[@maryrose9292]

As a kid I stimmed a lot when I was stressed or excited. My family recorded videos of me when I was little, after watching them I remember a lot. When I was stressed by a noise I repeated it with my voice over and over again, when I was anxious I rocked back an forth or scratched myself and later I started skin picking to suppress other stims. When I was happy I jumped up and down, clapped or rocked my body while repeatedly saying 'do do do'. That was really funny to see because I still use the same vocal stim while rocking slighly from side to side when I'm in a good mood.

[@GeorgeMakrides]

Sooo cool! Same experiences here 🤗

[@created2bless322]

I remember me being in kindergarten and my favorite thing to do was twirl my ponytails! It was the most satisfying thing for me to do but my teacher reprimanded me for doing so because I would zone out when I would do this. I was in resource classes before I graduated from high school. In college, everything turned around and I was on the deans list. I’ve always been described as quirky but never thought anything about it. I’ve held some prestigious positions that I’m grateful for but I’ve also experienced people giving me directions like I’m 5 years old, I feel they must think I don’t grasp things. I have few friends because I don’t fit in with most people. I’m a mom of 4 children and a grandmother to 1. I have never been diagnosed with autism but I have 2 great nephews who have. I get along great with them❤️. I’m pretty Sure that I am somewhere on the spectrum and this makes me happy. I knew there was something special about me🥰 Thank you for all that you do 👍🏼

[@CrazyGirl-wt2qz]

Something really just clicked into place. I'm so happy I found your video.

[@headmates_in_dreams3881]

Omg we feel like this! We've had similar experiences We were like: "Wooooaah, we did/do that too!!" Guess we've been masking for so long We're learning about autism and stimming and we relate sooooo much! We're also letting our body do what it wants to do and relearning how to stim Stimming helps us a lot ^^ This video was so so helpful and validating! -Chase

[@soon_to_emerge]

First minute of this video describes me 100% Edit: I’m undiagnosed and don’t have an option to get assessment (at lest, for now), but I strongly suspect myself of having autism, and now learning about it; and the more I learn, the more I recognise my behaviours from past and present as stimming or shutdowns or sensory overloads. I never thought that it was something not “normal”. But due to traumatic childhood I suppressed all external display of thing mentioned above. I was - and still am - so anxious in public that I found any kind of movement except for walking in straight line too “attention-grabbing”, which prevented (and still does) me from doing things I enjoy. It feels like if I do anything to soothe myself in public, or start crying because of overload, the world will turn hostile to me again.

[@Tickles_The_Oaf]

Really appreciate the video! I was diagnosed in my mid 40s and had absolutely no idea what stimming was. I also learned that some of my stims were not healthy- picking at my scalp and eating food for soothing. Now I’m experimenting with stim toys and working on allowing my body to do what it wants. I also LOVE repeating words and phrases (drives my husband crazy!) My latest one is from the silly rap song by Louis Theroux “My money don’t jiggle jiggle. It folds.” But yes, repeating stuff is something I constantly do and had no idea that was a stim!!

[@LordWolfOR]

The thing I hate... is learning that things I tried hard to teach my son later found I was hurting him and that makes me cry. I have learned some and I know when he does this fortnight dance he is happy. So I learned never to stop him but join in.

[@PumpestationVest]

I've only just got the diagnosis, as a 40 year old, but I did stim a LOT as a child. I was ridiculed and bullied for it, so I forced myself to stop. It's been quite a ghost for many years, and not until recently did I know what it even was.

[@Catlily5]

I think I changed my stims to more acceptable foot shaking. But I don't remember what my stims were before so I am not sure. Singing helps me too. I used to repeat several notes or a line of song until friends or family would ask me to stop

[@personalspacemovement]

I'm so grateful to you and other adult autistic creators that are sharing their experiences. It's recently become very apparent that I am autistic. At this point I've haven't been able to pursue professional diagnosis, but there is no doubt in my mind or the minds of family/friends I've spoken to about it. I'm trying to learn as much as I can so I can support myself and these videos really help. I teach movement and breath classes which has both really challenged me (speaking in front of people, socializing) and been a big support (I get to pace around the room, study people, learn about psychology and body language, dance around, practice coordination..) as an autistic person. I'm realizing that I stim A LOT... I tap rhythms with my hands, dance in public spaces, listen to the same song for an entire day, shake my hands, pace, move my fingers like I'm playing an instrument (i am not a musician)- if I'm near water I like to swirl my fingers through it ... and I have sort of unconsciously been teaching stimming techniques in my classes because that's what feels really good for me. Shaking hands, free movement/body shaking, twirling, playing with breath patterns, humming... I wonder if people would find this useful as a video class on it's own? Anyway, lightbulbs. Thank you.

[@theboythatsayshootyhoo3865]

i think i just had an 'oh' moment while watching this video, i have a lot of stims for happiness and excess energy or even anger, but not for stress, and i started doing the finger waggling motion right now and just had a moment where it clicked and felt right.

[@makedreamstangible2263]

Thank you for making this video! I’ve been doubting my diagnosis (was diagnosed in July) after a friend said the diagnosis is wrong / incorrect because it was done via zoom. Anyways, I’ve suppressed my stuns I think and sometimes it feels deliberate and awkward when I do stim so you doing this video helps me feel like I’m not the only one struggling and adjusting!

[@GeorgeMakrides]

You’re not the only one struggling and adjusting. Your stims are valid. And maybe tell your friend that I consider his evaluation of his/her diagnosis invalid since they’re probably not a doctor. I’m sure friends mean well most of the time but let’s leave the diagnosis to professionals and to our own knowledge of yourselves. Keep learning about yourself and using that knowledge to be your happiest version of yourself 🙂

[@makedreamstangible2263]

@@GeorgeMakrides thank you! I appreciate it!

[@Wizard826]

@@GeorgeMakrides I have not been diagnosed with ASD, but I have been looking into getting a diagnosis. And I'd even say that a zoom conference for it may even be MORE helpful in getting a correct diagnosis. You could consider the fact that you're in your natural environment, with less pressure to feel or act a certain way because you're in a public place and/or away from home (masking, if you would). This is just speculation, but that's my thought on it.

[@GeorgeMakrides]

Thank you for this video. You discrive things so well. I can relate. Very helpful and pleasant to watch. Thanks 🙏🏻 😊

[@djknat]

i used to always sing the same lines over again out loud, but now i do it in my head and it makes me feel explosive/fragile/stiff that i keep it inside my head. a girl once asked me "do you always have a song in your head?" I remember immediately replying "yes, and it's weird that everyone else doesn't" It's so hard to date when you're autistic, but i love you youtubers that help me feel not alone. I tried telling my mom i was autistic and she was weird about me sharing that. i've told my friends too and no one get's it unless i show them websites. i've had lots of childhood trauma too, and i remember being a certain age like a page from a book. I play all these things out over-and-over again til I get sick of my own thoughts. I get so sick of thinking about my thoughts that i'm sick of thinking about thinking about my thoughts. I always thought this was normal, but I was just "weird". I'm so happy that I know why I'm weird now. Thanks to people like you, I can find solidarity. Thank you, truly.

[@DF-dx4sj]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this video! It helped me remember something from my childhood as I have trouble with those memories also and it's been difficult to piece together my past. I've never thought about running my hands along things as a stim... but I always used to do that and got in trouble for it.

[@kelseasmith5007]

Wow you spoke this so beautifully and straight to the point

[@samg.2446]

Thank you for this. I've been trying to find a way to start figuring this out for myself and th is really helped.

[@MsLaurenPanda]

I do think I have austism. I remember many times as a kid my Dad especially telling me to stop jiggling, and put me down about it. I learned to not do that. I also picked up emotional eating after that and became an obese child quickly. Spend 1-3 hour long cry sessions alone at night, learned how to cry quietly so no one ever heard me and came to stop me/support me. Was so afraid of anyone seeing me feel so sad and upset, thought it was pure weakness to cry and feel low about myself body wise and self esteem wise. I remember singing as a kid and my brother making fun of me for enjoying myself and my voice.. moments like these caused me so much pain and repressed these behaviors to avoid attention or bullying. I remember crying to a Disney movie when a character died(who soon got revived) I was sobbing and my dad smirked at me and said it's just a movie. I never cried Infront of anyone for probably 10 years after that point in time, thinking showing any emotions would equal rejection from the people closest to me. Thanks Dad haha

[@jennifergauthier3282]

Love you. That was very helpful. I watch the same scene from a favourite show over and over. But also being ADHD, I'm trying to plump up on dopamine ❤

[@Bordomfiixx]

Thank you, I understand myself and my son better after being here, I received a lot of peace from this video and you

[@HarrietFitzgerald580]

Purple Ella I am so happy for you that you are unmasking!!! Congratulations!! That is not an easy thing to do!!! I am undiagnosed, but assuredly on the spectrum, perhaps ADHD as well and I tested out stimming a long time ago out in public as a form of self-regulation and it did indeed help tremendously and felt actually quite natural...staying still and constantly thinking about controlling body parts of what feels unnatural.

[@Dw5653]

I've only recently come to recognize my neuro-divergence. Stimming felt very deliberate at first and awkward, but my anxiety levels dropped IMMEDIATELY. After only a few days I'm already a much happier person. It was really good to hear someone else's experience being diagnosed in adult hood. I dont feel alone anymore

[@JakeGuitarMusic]

I really LOVE your content and overalls.

[@vanessavaughan]

You are definitely brave and strong Ella☺

[@jrosebud2021]

I love watching the washing machine. I always wondered why I like these repetitive things. I have a lot of visual stims! Thanks for helping us adults who are just learning!! ❤

[@violetgreed344]

Thank you, this video was super helpful for me! Just what I was looking for.

[@dee1661]

This has been super helpful!

[@jacquelynvalentine5987]

Thank you so much for this explanation. My grandson stims, mainly by doing pretty intricate ninja- like movements. We have never understood what this was about, and I have sometimes asked him about it or asked him to stop. I haven't yelled at him for this, but wouldn't even have asked him to stop at all had I understood stimming. My grandson is 18 now and doing well, still stimming, and I now think, "Bravo!" Go ahead and do what you need to do! I hope this is something more people become knowledgeable about. "The more you know..."

[@lisahaugh5582]

thank you so much for this video. my youngest son is now 18. he is my 4th son. oldest is 37 then 35 then 28. so you see they are spread out. all sons. the 18 yr old has mild autism. and I have a 6-year-old grandson from my third son which I am raising. I am 57 years old. listening and learning from older people with autism I trust so much more than people who are good people, but I'd rather learns from those who actually have it. You help me understand so much more and build patients for my son and grandson. I just love you for this video. so glad you quit smoking to. way to go. I wish you all the best in life. you are totally awesome!!!

[@WilliamFontaineJr]

Thank you again. I know you are right. So helpful.

[@zoeelisebell]

thank you so much for yhis video:))!!! im learning to accept myself and the way my body needs to cope to stay regulated

[@LBelacquax]

Thank you very much for making this video! xx

[@dee0731]

Great explaining of this subject! 🙌🏻☺️🕊

[@matthewdillon8278]

Hello, my name is Matthew. I am 47 and I live in Nashville, Tennessee. I recently discovered I was autistic. It all started when I met my ex girlfriend who has a 16 year old autistic son. Such a beautiful young man, and I wish everyone was autistic, what a truly wonderful world it would be. It took me at least a year to understand him and the 'what is he doing and why is he doing it' part of getting to know him. After a couple years with my ex and her son I started noticing I had many similar behaviors as him. I have been reading and watching videos such as yours here, learning all I can. Trying to understand who I am, what is my purpose, my way in this world of greed, selfishness and judgement. I have been completely alone for more than half my life without even one friend at all. I had my person all of us have our "One Person" and thank God for them. They are family of course. I am still learning about myself. Your video gave me an epiphany. You mentioned smoking being a stim and it hit me as if the sky got to heavy and plummeted down on top of my head. I have smoked for 34 years now and I am smoking right this very moment typing. I smoke 3 packs a day. I have never had the passion or drive to quit until now. Realizing smoking is one of my many stims and now that I understand slightly better about stimming thanks to you, I feel optimistic and empowered that I can quit. I can learn a healthier method for myself in coping with life. So I would like to say to you, Thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul. You are beautiful woman and may God bless your life with grace and mercy.

[@natalyvaldes1004]

I think this content is so great!!! Thanks 🙏 Id be glad to add a Spanish subtitles to share it with women on the spectrum I work with so they can understand it

[@jameschulo8187]

Wow, stimming, thank you for telling me about myself, this is why TikTok is so satisfying for me!

[@thekingsman48]

I do the violent arm waving when I get really excited, and I also make an excited screech. I also bite my nails a lot. Sometimes I'll randomly sing a part of a song, and at times not even realizing it

[@BassGal92]

I don't think I stimmed as a kid and my parents don't recall anything when asked during my autism evaluation (I had a "motor stereotypy" though, but the hand play was due to boredom), but I think I developed a vocal stim once my autistic traits became obvious to other people years ago. Now, my stim mainly involves moving my right hand up and down like I'm revving up a motorcycle. I also have been skin picking (dermatillomania) since I was 9 and my autism evaluator mentioned in my report that it can be considered a stim.

[@silentlyjudgingyou]

Skin picker here as well. I've had severe exema my entire life so my best guess because my father doesn't rember any other stims is that the itchy skin condition taught me that if something felt wrong that would fix it and that just expanded from being itchy to every other kind of overloaded. Trying to add in other things to limit the skin damage has been an exersise in frustrarion for me nothing else helps as much and if things are really bad I will claw at myself till I bleed. Things like being concerned about being worried about the damage make it worse, throwing on little cotten gloves to cover my nails stops it from helping at all, and if I rub against the corner of a desk or something thats still going to to damage. Ironicly when I tried hand flapping I found it made the joints in my wrists and hands sore.

[@curtisholsinger6023]

Ah. Dermatillomania. Me too. It's really really hard to stop. For me it's a lot of nail picking as well. I wish I knew why I do that. I'm with you there.

[@hoeegwarts]

i skin pick too (also nails). i've always wondered why i do that and why i cant stop, but ig it's also considered as stimming

[@patjackson1657]

Thank you for adding to my knowlege! I have a young family member who will benefit from it.

[@francescoleman-williams911]

Great explanation! Thanks!

[@MelancoliaI]

Ive been going through a heavy manic phase the last few days and this is very relatable. Its like everything is overwhelming and oversrimulating. I will spend hours just pacing around the house and shaking my hands.

[@sglick5487]

This is an awesome video! As a similarly late diagnosed person (in my 30s) I’m having to learn how to stim again. My younger child lately likes to tap his lips so Ive been trying that out too and it’s quite nice! Will definitely experiment in private to see what works for me. I already have a few socially acceptable ones like fiddling with my fingernails and such.

[@anotherkyr]

I'm going through the adult autism assessment process and I've been quite nervous thinking about the fact that I don't really have stims so I found this video very reassuring because I too don't actually remember much from when I was younger, but there are definitely some memories that make me think I might have used to stim: people calling me weird from holding my arms with floppy hands kind of like a t-rex; a period of meowing because I liked the way it felt and it was easier than using words even though I had a very good vocabulary...

[@ginac7235]

Now I need to research the difference between stimming and tics. My oldest son has gone through a series of tics: hand-clench with fist rotations...to shrugs with slight head tilt ... to increased blinking. (And I think there were throat noises, too...must have been briefer) idk what he does now; he’s been in the military. He’s on leave and will come home today (❤️!). I was actually thinking about discussing autism with him and asking if he’d be willing to take the self-questionnaire. I’ve recognized several spectrum traits throughout the years, and a pediatrician once suggested we have him tested. He was so “high functioning” that we didn’t think at the time he could be autistic, and my husband didn’t want him labeled. But I think it’s time to bring it up. I’m hoping it’s information he will appreciate instead of becoming self-conscious about. I’ve been following several KZbinrs who discovered as adults they were on the spectrum and appreciated knowing. Lovely video! Thank you!

[@violetskiy854]

I feel like this has explained some of my social anxiety! I always stay as still as possible when as I was younger I would move around! I'm a girl in diagnosis in camhs and homeschool :)

[@KamranKhan-ob2oq]

Grateful for your videos

[@argentodawg]

Diagnosed at 3, still experiencing stimming quite frequently as an adult. I experience the pretty common rocking stim, and like most, it comes with both either excitement or agitation. I also rub my knuckles into my nostrils. Sometimes my nose actually gets quite hurt. I also have little catchphrases like "Shut the f*** up!" or random words (both real and made up) like "Pachilla" or "Ass!". I have more, and I just gave you a glimpse into how a lot of my stims are cuss words, or a mix of them at once. Growing up, my mom was unfamiliar with what stimming was, so she has always thought that it was tourettes, but the psychologists that have evaluated me at different ages of my life knew that I was in fact experiencing stims, not tics. Very informative video. 👍

[@harrietwindebank6051]

I ❤️ stimming!!!

[@wildflowersar3595]

me too! doing it more and in more enviroments as an adult after suppressing it for sooo long too 🙌

[@BurgundyRoseStudios]

Flapping! I've done that since I was a kid whether I'm overly happy or overly stressed, whichever. My husband calls it the flight of the hummingbird lol.

[@wymster]

Thank you. For me, I noticed that when I'm trying to focus or "tune out" distractions, I'll dig my thumbnail into my fingers. The controlled stimulation helps me pare away the unwanted thoughts and sensory input.

[@allisfaith]

I love touching and feeling the texture of clothing in clothing stores…

[@elenapastorino5939]

when i stim i feel way better, either when I'm stressed/sad so stemming helps me handle negative emotions or when I'm happy/excited i sort of enhance the feeling but i don't remember doing it when i was a child and none of my family members ever noticed weird movement etc. so I'm really confused whether I'm autistic or not. i do relate to most of "autistic synthomps" but again i don't remember i ever had most of em in my childhood

[@harmonywhite9320]

I often individually bend my fingers back, especially when anxious. Not sure if this is a stim or not, but I do it a lot.

[@wendykay6260]

My partner and I like to laugh at ourselves when we do something autistic. We've never been diagnosed, maybe everyone has some of these tendencies? As a child I chewed up coat collars. My hair, paper dolls, corn cobs. I remember my TI in basic military training telling me to "stop flapping around". And I notice all kinds of little details. I've gotten nauseated from too much sensory input. But something I've learned as a functional nutritionist is that when we really eat clean and remove all food intolerance our mental divergences lessen or go away completely. It's so chill🙂

[@theautisticpage]

51 and relearning to stim. I had masked so well that i took weeks of studying autism before I realized that I did as a child and still did but very subtlely. i made a small possible bag or "purse" made of leather. I keep stims in it and change them up sometimes with the exception of a small piece of chain mail. It STAYS!

[@gamergurl3648]

One of the most noticeable stimming behaviors is when I get super excited. I might clap my hands or straight-up bounce in place (haha screw gravity I’m excited brrrrr) or even both at once. As a joke a friend puts their hand on my head to hold me down. Not enough to stop me and we both get a laugh out of it

[@Isaac-hm6ih]

Thank you for this. I'd come to accept stimming as a side effect of autism and mostly masked it into socially tolerable forms, but initiating it intentionally hadn't occurred to me.

[@joycebrewer4150]

My stims: chewing gum a LOT got me through elementary school. Also eating very crisp cookies. Running to hide in the narrow strip of grass between fields of my parents farm. Playing with barn kittens. Sniffing various sweet scents. Setting fires, this was quickly channeled into burning candles in designated candle holders under supervision or lighting the contents of our trash barrel! Singing. Homework nearly always drove me to kicking my feet in a rhythmic way against the brace under the table where my books were spread.

[@asasial1977]

I have always loved playing with stickers and tape.

[@ClaudiaMihaela1990]

My 7 year old daughter loves glue tape and stickers and collecting cardboard boxes and making things out of them she can spend a whole weekend just playing with sticky tape and just create all sorts of things and she's simply very happy doing that 😍 God bless her ! We make sure she has a constant supply of it all 😀🙌

[@konysa3641]

OMG the repeating line from a song! I learned to do that in my head so it wouldn't be noticed, now it can just play on repeat until I get tired of it/move onto a new song

[@ZarahBee]

Thank you!!

[@davidlanier7006]

I was stimming while I was watching this. I was surprised to hear you say that you smoked. It's good that you stopped.

[@sugoiharris1348]

The more I make myself stim, the more I remember stimming when I was younger. Even as an adult. I don’t know when I stopped all together, but I think it was a gradual 1 thing at a time until I went on ADHD meds which stopped the last of my stimming, leg shaking. But I know I need to do it because I’ve done it before. I actually watch my 3 year old nephew who is undiagnosed and stim with him sometimes. Playing with my nephews has helped, I can be completely myself around them and they just love it.

[@melaniewantsabeer243]

Recently diagnosed at age 50. Educating myself I realized I've been stimming forever. I wasn't even aware that what I was doing. I just knew I like certain textures. And I liked beating my hands on my head a little bit at the sides when I was stressed out. Lightly of coarse.

[@djpatt81]

I use yoga and spiritual dance as part stimming when I do Native American drumming with groups my foot starts stimming same time to beat I finger tapped tables at discos at pubs before which also stimming had people watched but it was always in tune to rhythm does marvel some typicals at times at times some think I a professional dancer and good with drums but actually it’s stimming that related to it that appears unique talents I could do tap dance and break dancing and yoga and spiritual dance even very young age before even knowing what types dancing was as I got older I started noticing professional dancers was using some same moves I never done dance courses I don’t doubt my stimming it makes me talented it’s not embarrassing or annoying anyone I am happy with it. I smile when I get asked if I professional I simply say I never done course on dancing I just intuned well

[@ab-lp1fb]

Ive been singing strangers in the night for about two weeks now and my family hates when i rock back and forth lol

[@JadeAislin]

my niece gave me this bubble popper bracelet around Valentine's day. I've been taking it every where. And no one can me fiddling with it unless I take it out of my pocket, which I have done occasionally. I have also been diagnosed with sleep apnea. The first time I used my cpap machine, the strong air flow made one cheek bulge out with the force of the air. It didn't hurt. It just felt different. Now I think I may have developed a new stim, where I put some air in one and then roll that air in small bits to travel over my gums to the other cheeks . It feels a little bubble is going from one side to the other. The best part is that I'm usually wearing a mask when I go out, so no one can see my bulging cheek.

[@davidwilloughby8796]

Hi have autism too I'm married to someone with down syndrome I stim with saying a word when I listen to drums Have a wonderful week

[@iluvhammys]

singing is totally a stim for me too! I've always leaned on singing when i am the most upset, sometimes it's the only thing that could make me feel better i recently realized that i also flick my fingers and rub my fingernails on the seams of my clothing which is interesting, i was always told not to figet as a kid so i had to find more low-key ways of doing it lol

[@annelogston]

I hum a LOT, which actually bothers me as I HATE other people humming. I also click my teeth. I picked these up when my mother trained me out of spinning and rocking. I also picked up a more harmful stim of lip picking. This was way back in the 1960s when I was a child. Since my diagnosis 2 years ago, I’ve managed to give up the lip picking by training myself to stim again. I’m a low energy person without a lot of large body stirs like arm flapping, but my best stim is still rubbing an old-fashioned worry stone! I still hum, sing and click my teeth, and I can get so fixated on a song that I hum, sing, and listen to it repeatedly (playlists of 20 repetitions) for days or even weeks. My poor husband!

[@Authentistic-ism]

I didn't think I stimmed as a child either and feel like an impostor with an autism diagnosis. I have been thinking back. I did suck my thumb until school age, and my mother had to keep finding substitutes. I settled on sucking on the corner of a pillow sham until one day in the car it flew out of the window on the highway :( I cried and cried. Ever since then I don't know what my stims would be! I don't remember anything from school years. Now, as a 40 yr old, I wiggle my toes constantly. I started that after a car accident. Very strange.

[@Authentistic-ism]

LOL still listening to second half of video. Smoker, nail biter, face chewer.... lordy now i get it!

[@tabitas.2719]

What about lots of walking, skipping as well as auditory and visual stims? :) (Watching train tracks, humming, watching spinning things...)

[@Authentistic-ism]

@@tabitas.2719 for long car trips I would gaze out the window and invent a fantasy world with friends running alongside the car

[@JamieMitchellDesign]

46yrs old, CPTSD + Disassociation and just discovered I’m autistic too. Oh gosh.

[@AbolishTheATF]

I remember thinking at a very young age, probably younger than 5 that I shouldn’t let people see me stim (probably bc of social anxiety) so I always hid my nail biting and picked up more acceptable stims like leg tapping and hair pulling. But now that I’m an adult and am learning how to listening to my body more (hard to do with alexithymia and interoceptive hyposensitivity) I feel like I need to do more autistic type stims

[@markgeddes4411]

I been looking into stimming , wondering if I have this. Also i didn’t know there was visual stimming as do a lot of gazing for long periods

[@voikalternos]

I just realized having allergy, I know I scratch myself really hard in a particular way even if it doesn't feel itchy at all. I only know I do it when I'm stressed, and never realize it is a kind of stimming. People stop me from doing it, but it was the only way I could release my stress, so I would stop for a few seconds and then go back to scratching again. I felt guilty about it, but I just couldn't stop myself. Learning other ways to stim definitely prevented me from harming my skin over and over again. I still do that sometimes subconsciously, but at least my skin doesn't look terrible lol

[@dejavugodssonxrp6624]

Where can you find diagnosis in the UK it seems hopeless to find anywhere

[@-AnnaAnna-]

Binge watching your videos 😆💗∞

[@angeliquemarea7153]

You ever looked into Human Design? I was shocked to find I have a highly sensitive body, my super sense is touch, and my body is movement. I was surprised to see it in a chart... This is the first time I've heard of stimming, I have always danced and figited... Grateful you are you🌈

[@spaceforthesoul6286]

In the human design chart only 3 (lower) centers are defined, and the middle one (the one that defines the I) is empty.