The Importance of Stimming for LATE Diagnosed Autistic People

[@laura.bseyoga]

I joined a really interesting discussion group last month about a non-western perspective on autism. The host was Jewish & explained how grateful he was for being born into a tradition that encourages rocking & swaying as part of their daily prayers/ rituals. Also, many cultures consider making direct eye contact to be rude!! Some cultures seem to be naturally less stressful for autistic people. It was a really fascinating discussion!

[@syberphish]

I can tell you for certain that having a cop for a dad and living in a strictly religious western household was not a positive experience growing up. I often wonder how incredibly different life could be to grow up in a manner that isn't constantly stifling them and expecting different behaviors then puishing to try to get them.

[@babs66]

Remember that psychiatrist in the Depp/Heard trial. Everyone laughed when he stroked his chin and did something strange with his tongue. I remember Billy Crystal doing a similar thing as a character. My point is maybe the mannerism is normal in the Jewish community in US.

[@babs66]

I do it with songs too.

[@laura.bseyoga]

@@syberphish it was really interesting to hear from people who aren't from the USA or UK - everyone had a different experience, although it was different traits that weren't tolerated in different cultures/ traditions. Most mainstream autism advice & articles are written based on a Western (largely white) experience of being autistic. What was really interesting was that all the participants except the host came to realise they were autistic during COVID!

[@laura.bseyoga]

@@babs66 I'm not familiar with the exact mannerism, but there are certainly cultural movements/ behaviours that carry through & might/ might not "suit" autistic people.

[@joanelizabethhall9455]

My wonderful partner of 6 years was diagnosed several years ago (long before I met him) with "moderate to severe Aspergers." His stimming takes the form of incessant leg-bouncing in situations (church, formal concerts, etc.) where it is important to sit quietly and sit still. I am a church musician and a harpist, so we find ourselves in these situations often and Paul swears that he wants to come with me to enjoy my music. He likes watching me perform. I used to find his fidgeting embarrassing, but now if someone glares at him, I just glare back! He's a wonderful man - how dare you give him a dirty look?!

[@GullibleTarget]

My 'friend' embarrassed me for stimming as we were waiting in line for the cinema. Thing is I didn't know what stimming was but I have always stimmed. People have always seen me move around. My parents didn't know what it was but I never stopped. I just found more socially acceptable ways of stimming. But I have also learnt to suppress stimming. Now that I'm unmasking, I stim so much😂 I do it at home, though. Because I really need to 'move'. So anyway, I'm doing my usual Rocking side to side. My friend suddenly goes: Can you STOP doing that? You look crazy! " I wasn't even shocked. I went: " you are the only one looking! Nobody gives a sh it! Do you see people staring? I don't" But it did made me feel bad. Because I felt she was punishing me forr something I have always done and suddenly she says I'm embarrassing her. I was thinking:" you are embarrassing me , why? Why did she go so out of her way to make me feel weird when I excuse her destructive but hidden behaviour?! Needless to say: she is no longer a friend of mine.

[@Venomskye00]

I have the leg bouncing too people get annoyed with me and I can't even control it I don't even know I'm doing it until someone says something this made me smile

[@EamonWill]

@@GullibleTarget Me realizing that other people think rocking looks "crazy" when I thought it was my "stealth stim." 🤯

[@EamonWill]

Thank you for being a supportive spouse! I've read comments from other people about how their spouses were very judgemental and it breaks my heart. ❤

[@zacara8469]

Was looking for this, I'm a perpetual leg bouncer, to the point everyone points it out to me as I end up shaking tables and such. It's also a PTSD response, but I have both.

[@laiky4373]

Jesus. Scalp picking is something i've been doing since I was a child and i've never been able to stop. It's something i've kept hidden out of shame for decades. I also chew my fingers to where they become raw. I've only been looking into the potential for me being autistic over the past couple of months (thanks to you, and a couple of others). I've been feeling immense relief at having a potential explanation for my 'bad habits', and some insight into why I was bullied so much growing up and why I was frequently ousted from friendship groups.

[@patriciasadlertrainor6771]

I do the same ❤

[@Grant82gc]

Omg I'm not alone

[@coinsilver3]

I used to chew my nails until I found toothpicks to chew on. My hair stimm is rubbing my mechanical pencil on my head, especially on those days when it's statically.

[@EsmereldaPea]

Me.

[@nookiemonster42069]

I pick the hair out of my ears knuckles and beard. Lol

[@lisapedley5427]

I have been a skin picker for as long as I can remember and it was classified as self harm before autism was recognised, Thanks for saying there's noting wrong with it!

[@mrm8850]

i had a guy at work who did such until he would bleed!

[@lisapedley5427]

@@mrm8850 I'm covered in scars and lumps of dry patches from it, I'm better at understanding it now I have come to realise that once I get to that stage of stimming I'm heading for a meltdown and can often, not always but often redirect myself to another more comforting stim.

[@mrm8850]

@@lisapedley5427 i twirl my hair until it gets knotted lol

[@colletteprops8708]

I always thought it was excoriation disorder and ocd.. 😮‍💨

[@billygreen9512]

It makes you feel sick when people don’t understand why you do it, then try to stop you doing one thing, which makes you do another 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@MrAndywills]

The neurotypical majority conveniently forget that EVERYONE stims. They just have look at people's anxiety levels of when people stim.

[@AutomaticDuck300]

Everybody does it, to an extent. You’re right.

[@MrAndywills]

@@AutomaticDuck300 unfortunately, it gets pathologized for autistic people

[@amachine6556]

Yes, that’s true. I think it just more relatable bc more people do the same thing. I did a little experiment, when I do the “common” neurotypical stoma people don’t really care so much. When I use my own stims in the same groups (and not directly after each other oc) I get negative comments.

[@hannah-lk3oc]

@@amachine6556I was thinking the same thing. The leg shaking, pen clicking, hair twirling, etc is usually pretty safe because the ingroup is comfortable with it. That’s what makes it feel discriminatory. If they were truly worried about “disrupting others” when they gave us negative feedback, the ingroup stims would be gone too. It’s the fact that they’re weirded out by our autistic stims that create the issue.

[@kochaos6129]

Too right. And what are the ultimate ubiquitous stims..? Hmm.. maybe smoking/vaping..? drugs..? Xbox..? CELLPHONES!?!?!

[@janinemills6732]

I have had a "blanket" (silky piece of fabric) since I was a child, I am now 47 and still, always have to have something with me, especially if I am heading out, and I know it will be stressful. It really does help to regulate me. Thanks for this post ❤️🤗

[@g6qwerty]

i've worn off the silky parts of blanks when i was a kid and even now i wore off one side of my blanket and the other side isn't far behind. though i kept the other pice that fell off it feels so nice between my fingers. I'll also when i'm out talking to someone and I'm neverous or un easy i'll cross my arms or pick at the zits if i can find any and pop them.

[@annegroarke7567]

I have a “blanket” too - sadly not the original, I’m 64 😄 good to know I have company. Thank you Orion ♥️

[@thatrunningirl]

I'm 37 and have a raggedy old beanie baby that reminds me of my dad who passed away 14 years ago. There is no age limit on feeling emotionally safe! xxx

[@annegroarke7567]

@@thatrunningirl ♥️♥️♥️

[@SweetiePieTweety]

Yes…. Silky edged blanket girl here! Age 60. Miss that original blanket still lol😂

[@whitneymason406]

My son stims very overtly he hand flaps, toe walks, head bangs, etc. I stim more subtly. Realizing a lot of my "bad habits" was me stimming made me feel less shame. I'm trying to redirect it to less self destructive behaviors. I have a spinner ring that helps a bit with the nail biting/cuticle picking. Great topic, Orion!

[@orionkelly]

Thanks for sharing your experiences Whit!

[@breeinatree4811]

I'm 65 and recently diagnosed as autistic. I had no idea that toe walks was stimming. I've done that all my life.

[@GullibleTarget]

I headbanged throughout my childhood. Its funny how things get normalised. My parents told me not to do it. I was too small to verbalise why I did it. They didn't punish me but they did say things like: big boys don't headbang their pillows. You did that as a baby". So I would pretend to do it in my sleep😂. My mother went to the doctor(WITHOUT ME-not the first time) and he told her to just let me headbang myself to sleep. But then my father would tell me I'm stupid and weird and crazy(he hated the sound) and him and my sister did the whole 'pretending to be sincere but let's make him feel weird' "But WHY do you do it? It looks so weird. Do you see things when you bang your head? No? Oh okay...I'm not trying to make you feel weird but nobody does that....don't get angry with me! YOU are weird-not me! Go to.your room!" So i stopped headbanging. It was really difficult to surpess it. Especially my leg-twitching. My left arm and leg are always tingling. After years of masking I am rocking the whole time, now! I move my upper torso from side to side in the opposite direction of me hips, that i tilt from side to side. I discovered rollerblading....what a revelation that was! Turns out my stimming hips and shoulders were perfect prep for the skate-movement. I even do groceries on my rollerblades. The sway from side to side is just....heaven.

[@GullibleTarget]

​@@breeinatree4811aaaaaah! More things I resonate with! I am 43 and at home I always walk on my toes! I even put a little 'sha shay' in it when there's music playing😂 and when I feel particularly out of sorts or agitated, I stomp down an imaginary catwalk. I'm a guy but Naomi Campbell ain't got ish on me. I like the sensation of my leg muscles being stretched. When I sit or lie down, I subconsciously, roll my ankles and point my toes. Just to stretch. Or I sit cross-legged and press my abdomen on my legs. It sort of squishes the muscles.

[@TylerWorkAccount]

yeah as theres more pressure on the front of your feet, maybe other reasons but it can also be due to sensory with ur feet on the floor, maybe moreso if your sockless on bare floor, you may do it out of disgust of your entire foot touching the floor, or other reasons.@@breeinatree4811

[@jessibeckman2428]

I listen to favorite songs on repeat, too! Late diagnosed here. Never knew that was a stim until recently. I also HAVE to sniff certain smells. Done that my whole life! Thank you for shining the light on these lesser known stims, Orion! You rock!

[@erdinczor1]

Sameeee there are times I have to listen to a song for days on end. And when the songs not playing through a speaker, it's in my head on repeat. It's soothing to listen to through speakers but extremely distracting when in my head. No matter what I try I can't concentrate on anything else. And the more I try to concentrate on anything else, the louder the song gets

[@GullibleTarget]

I don't even know new music. Takes me ages do get around a new song. Been listening to the same playlists fir two years: Muse Live at Glastonbury/Milan/Rome and Nightwish live at Wacken 2013. 😂 and still know all the steps to Beyoncé's halftime show😂 my go to video to calm myself down after a vigorous skate or if I've been to a very busy environment. It sounds counterproductive since the routine is quite vigorous and I sing along as well. Not very calming. It's 15 minutes of constant moving and almost passing out, pushing out the air to vocalise. But when I reach the end of the vid. I'm calm, I'm present and that's when I can get things done. Cook, clean, do chores. Etc.

[@joyful_tanya]

Me too!!! And moving to the music. I also love to sing. 🥰

[@bellyanchor138]

I recently found out I'm in the spectrum this week and I've been reeling at how much of my own behaviors make sense now. I've been stiming the while time but I've always tried to force my self not to because I thought I was resisting going insane! I've been paranoid, especially the last 5 years of my life, that I was just about to snap and lose my mind for ever. Turns out there was never anything wrong with me! I'm just Autistic! I just turned 35

[@ThinkPositiveDude]

for me, stimming is putting on my headphones and blasting the same song over and over again while maladaptive daydreaming, hand flapping, and making weird noises for an hour.

[@moribunee4849]

@@ThinkPositiveDude you've described me perfectly - i'm not even on the autism spectrum! (as far as i'm aware, but im always open to the possibilities)!

[@alexwegner4221]

I've been picking the skin around my fingers since I was a teenager and now I'm 25... I'm so glad you talked about it because I was just looking at harm minimisation fidgets before I clicked on your video. It's hard not to feel shame for it. I have the same thing where it's damaged beyond repair and I know it sounds bad when I say it out loud but I find it really hard to fight the urge, and a lot of the time I don't realise I'm doing it.

[@KidarWolf]

Something that works well for me to redirect that finger skin picking thing is clicking pens, playing with clay, or ripping small bits of paper wrappers apart. The tearing feeling and resistance of the clay and paper in particular seem to be hitting that point of the physical proprioception in a pleasant way. Tangle Twists also work really well for me.

[@tomtroy3792]

@@KidarWolf I'm going to try the p e n clicking I like pens. I was picking the skin on my fingertip today once I started it was hard to stop

[@MissNikkiDawson]

Literally nothing works for me better than picking my thumb nail cuticles and occasionally other fingers. Typically though, it's just my thumbs. I do love calm strips and some knock off calm strips for scratching and rubbing my fingers on. But still, picking my thumbs is ridiculously hard to let go of. I've tried putting bandaid on my thumbs but it never seems to last. It's one thing that really bothers me because I'm embarrassed about how gross my thumbs look.

[@aylameridian]

I pick at my cuticles too. The clauses I have are pretty epic. I've been tapping my fingers and picking my skin ever since I can remember. My parents told me my fingernails would fall off or something.

[@SK-is2ux]

17:11 so I was literally dressing a wound I had made on my knuckle as you hit this part. Thank you 🙏🏻 for helping us know this is not a dirty little secret- it definitely can get ugly though. One thing I have found is that having all the tools (including tweezers, manicure scissors, skin cleansing spray, tissue, healing oil, and fabric Band-Aids that I don’t react to) close to hand helps me to be more focused on helping my skin than harming it. So another form of stimming I guess, trying to substitute the helpful one instead of getting too far into the harmful one

[@colleenvaught6829]

I finally got my diagnosis in 2021 at age 50. I was raised by abusive parents and have been masking even at home since childhood. I also don’t seem to have any stims…until you spoke about music/songs…and I swear you described me! When I really like a song, it will repeat for hours. And I feel so happy and calm then! I hand wring in extreme stress and whenever I was around my parents in adulthood. Thank you for helping me to understand myself better so I can make the most of what I have left of this life.

[@joyful_tanya]

Very relatable. Everything you said, me too.

[@AnnieFairfoul]

My boyfriend really needs to wrap me in his arms, which sounds romantic but he does it so he can stim on me. I have to move his hands around so he won't rub the skin off because he gets stuck on one part of my arm or leg. It's confusing, we're at cross purposes. He really takes his hair apart and and yawns hugely in the middle of a conversation, it happens before he shuts down and has to take a nap. He's 65, has a grown autistic son and has not yet been diagnosed himself although he's willing to be. Thank you for helping me to understand these activities, I recognised that he was on the spectrum shortly after we met but without the diagnosis, I struggle with understanding and communicating clearly with him. Love at first sight. He's so kind that he's easily taken advantage of, so intelligent that he gets lost in his work and so innocent that it's like dating a fourteen-year-old boy. A boy who can't read the room. I'm subscribing.

[@hollyjoboerse3945]

Such a great video! I was diagnosed at 59 and you can imagine how much of my life I spent trying to repress my stimming! Now at 64, I find it difficult to let myself go and stim...but I'm learning. Thank you for sharing!

[@furburgle]

I am 63 and discovered my Autism 2y ago. I don't have any of the classic physical stims and kinda envy autistics who do. My self soothing has been largely via singing to myself, either out loud or in my head.😊

[@shawnaaustin3396]

@@furburgleme too! And I’ve even caught people staring at me oddly because apparently I was talking and singing to myself a bit louder than I thought.

[@Myslexia]

Recently self-diagnosed at age 36 and seeking official diagnosis. 90% of the time I laugh at a joke, it's forced and I don't think whatever is being said is actually funny. I laugh because I don't want hurt the person's feelings and I know it's expected of me. However, since becoming involved in the Autism community, I am genuinely laughing regularly for the first time ever. The bit about stroking your phone has me in tears! Also, I loved Inspector Gadget as a kid (because Penny is awesome). I am working my way through all of the videos on your channel and enjoying every moment. Thank you

[@SatansWerewolf]

One verbal stim I have is "I want to go home." I say it whenever I start to think about things that make me sad or upset. Problem is I use it when I'm at home. Once while stepping out of the shower to start my day and just the other night when I was in bed, trying to fall asleep for the night. It works, yes, but even I wonder why I'm saying it at times like those ones.

[@ErinYoung3]

I do this all the time 😳😲

[@GullibleTarget]

I put on silly voices but I see neurotypical people do it too. Little quips or sayings, they utter under their breath to focus. My go to sound is to say 'Do you know what....?' In a very uppercrust pommie accent(I don't even speak English as a first language ). Or I say: "ah! How clever!" In QE2's voice. I heard it once and found it so funny.

[@joyful_tanya]

Very relatable, to me.

[@fernglade]

Something kind of similar happens to me, but with a more extreme statement. During one of the most stressful time periods of my life, I developed a habit of repeating to myself over and over "I want to die". I still occasionally do it when I'm very overwhelmed, even though I don't actually want to die at all. And I usually feel bad about it, like I'm being overly dramatic since it's not actually true. But it's a relief to say for some reason

[@SuzyNepatiz]

I say the same thing at home!

[@joanneentwistle7653]

Thank you for helping me feel comfortable about stimming and that I'm not alone. I really think I use the repetitive rhythmic nature of knitting and crochet to provide a "grownup" means of stimming. I also find the texture of the yarn and stitches therapeutic as well, and I am constantly feeling and admiring the completed material while I do this.

[@oliviachipperfield6029]

Me too!❤

[@daffadilly]

I know exactly what you mean! I taught myself amigurumi style crochet and it ended up being a great way to stim. I was really surprised how well it helped me focus my mind and relax

[@lllin526]

Yup! I have to wonder how many of us "obsessive knitters" are autistic and stimming 😂

[@caroberton]

I do this too - it is very soothing.

[@margilvi5890]

A crocheter here.

[@iHabika]

I’m an autistic adult, and I already knew what stimming was, but I think you’ve given the best definition of stimming that made me go from mostly understanding what it is to understanding what it is.

[@Ozghost77]

That was the best explanation of stimming that I've seen. You had me chuckling away both with how relatable it was and how you presented it, awesome stuff 😺

[@HayzTeeArt]

Thank you for this. As a late diagnosed autistic, just ove ra year ago, I'm now at the point where I'm trying to actively focus on stopping the act preventing myself from stimming. Slowly as I let myself do what's natural for me, I'm finding I start to feel a little more regulated. It's nice. This video was helpful in reminding me that there's nothing wrong with me for my skin picking stims. I keep trying to have fluffy objects around like teddies and popping bubble stim toys for when my skin pickings worse so I can try to divert my stimming focus when it's getting bad and I'm aware of it. Though it doesn't always work. Now I'm much kinder to myself about my skin picking than I used to be as I realise it's just something I have to live with and accept

[@MrAndywills]

Trying to hide our authentic autistic selves is a form of masking. Masking can lead onto mental health problems. So good one for trying remember that stimming is OK. But don't beat yourself up if you still find yourself hiding stims in some situations (or even around some people).

[@Ayreon-TECsystem]

My stims were always suppressed by my parents. If I would stim I would get smacked or set in the closet in the dark or tied me up on a chair. As I grew older, I naturally suppressed my own stimming because of thinking it was wrong. Now that I got my diagnosis at a late age, I'm trying to learn to stim again. I consciously have to tell myself that it's ok to stim, and it's ok to be different, knowing it helps me. I find it very hard to unlearn masking. Same as you, I like stimming because it helps regulate myself and prevents meltdowns at times.

[@HayzTeeArt]

Thankyou both of you. And yeah I was a heavy masker my whole life till diagnosis. Diagnosis for me was the card that internally said "you're okay the way you are and don't have to change for anyone again now" Granted, unmasking and figuring out what's beneath that can be hard. But I'm slowly getting there and becoming happier for it. When my ex stepmum lived with us for most of my childhood after my mum's passing as a young kid, she also would punish me for anything tism related, and in full honesty would just make up shit to punish me for. And meltdowns often were punished and seen as temper tantrums. But, now without her around, and with me enforcing my my boundaries with those around me, it's slowly getting less daunting to be my autistic self. Whatever and whoever that might be. I'd say that since he started listening and understanding, my relationship with my dad was the one with the most improvement. And now I can stim without being asked to stop, previously was seen as a sign of unruliness or wanting to not be around. Now they understand stimming is self regulatory and important and don't judge me no more

[@Ayreon-TECsystem]

@@HayzTeeArt I'm sorry you had to go through that. Must have been very hard on you. Happy to hear you also break loose from it and try to find yourself. Yes, it's with a lot of bumps in the road, but it's worth it. It will take a lot of time, but you are worth it, don't ever forget that.

[@catherinecarter8987]

​@@Ayreon-TECsystem I felt so sad to read of your childhood treatment. I am glad you are now able to stim and find some comfort. To be honest, sometimes I think the neurotypical people are more maladjusted than we realise. Most of the autistic people I have met are gentle, sensitive, kind, intelligent, funny and pleasant.

[@emmaloriy5515]

Wow. Orion really lays his soul to bare. Thank you for being so candid with your own experiences. This helps so much when trying to educate myself about my son’s autism. I was also shocked to realise I myself have stimming behaviour. I write words in the air and picked my lips bloody when younger..so, so insightful xx

[@SK-is2ux]

hmmmmm 🤔 both of those are kind of specific… are you ONE OF US 😂

[@cheryldaltonchandler8431]

I peel the skin on my lips and cuticles til they bleed…. When I think of a number, I see dots…. 5 = ⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️or put dots on visuals of number in my head…anyone else??

[@marthawatkins7184]

I write words in the air too!!! I have never heard anyone else say that!!!

[@tilly6973]

I’m a BIG ROCKER. Done it all my life. When I’m tired and/or stressed. ALSO-always rocked myself to sleep.

[@Dmariebella999]

I'm so glad that you made this video, coz now I know why I do these and don't know how to stop. My dad used to tell me off for pulling my hair and jiggling my leg all the time. I literally do everything on your list. I've watched Muriel's Wedding over 10 times and I can repeat all the words, I never get bored, I find it as exciting as the first time I watched it. When people talk to me or even when I watch KZbin or tv for some reason I repeat all the words in my head before it even comes out of their mouth. I've been doing this for years.

[@thedavesiknow4598]

Muriel's Wedding❤

[@ShadoeLandman]

Rocking chairs and porch swings are the best. My dad is a leg bouncer and pacer. My grandmother was a hand wringer.

[@artsylady3187]

my neighbor had a porch swing and I always like to go sit on it and swing back and forth while she sat in a regular chair and we talked....she was 95 and I was 55 ....anyway I wonder if she thought I was strange.....no I am sure she and many others think that....

[@heidimj1380]

I am so glad you brought up the paradox of skin picking. I can't stop it, and I've done it since I was a child. Most of the time I have no discernible fingerprints because of the constant cycle of picking and healing. It is validating to recognize and understand HOW my present distress levels parallel the time spent and amount of damage done to my skin. This is quite embarrassing to discuss, but I'm so grateful to have the opportunity. Being that it's not exactly healthy and can be dangerous to do, now understanding it, I'm trying different hand held fadgets to satisfy the urge and keep my fingers busy. The fact that I also remember periods of time as a child when I had noticeable eye and body movements makes so much sense. I was in a state of high anxiety, always, at school. That's when I was "called out" for my behaviors. It's shameful that I was made to feel bad about it, knowing now what it signified.

[@Mermaidd0ll]

I'm glad that I clicked on this video because you helped me to learn more about myself. Now I know definitely for sure that I am on the spectrum and to be honest it's a sigh of relief 😊

[@DreaAbercrombie]

Oh wow 😳 I have to say a huge thank you yet again to you Orion, I used to pick my nails and skin around them to the point that my nails and skin around them were always sore and bleeding. I still do it to some degree but because of the many years of criticism and out right cruel comments I have definitely stopped doing to the degree I used to. My thumb nail has been picked to the point that the nail never grows in correctly. Honestly I think somehow I just replaced the finger nail/skin picking with another potentially self harmful behavior.... so I appreciate the fact that you are willing to share the things that might be a little bit personal or even embarrassing so that others can relate and not feel so weird or defective. Love the inspection gadget reference!

[@Georgeoran]

Hi Orion, my name is George and I am a recently diagnosed adult with autism and coincidentally, I have a son with autism, whose first name is Orion. Your videos have changed my life so much for the better. I am from America and I’m unfortunately going through a difficult divorce and the topic if you ever have the time that I would appreciate your input on this discrimination against autistic people in the court system and being miss labeled as mental health issues just because my normal is different from what neurotypical peoples normal is. Obviously laws and civil rights differ from country to country. However, I have to imagine this is a common problem in many countries if not all. Thanks again for your hard work. You are changing the lives of many people, so I want to congratulate you and tell you I am proud of you. Take care

[@kaylinwhite8721]

One that I do a lot is internal stimming. Sound, rhythms in my head or songs on repeat in my head. I also stim in layers- there might be internal stimming going on as well as smelling pleasant scents and jiggling my foot. It ramps up and down as needed.

[@patriciasadlertrainor6771]

I always have a song going through my mind. I also count the number of letters in a sentence and like it especially when it's an even number or 10 letters. Also I like to alphabetize the letters in a word

[@naysneedle5707]

I can't help imagining melodies on repeat while out walking, in time with my footsteps. It's really annoying actually but when I try to stop, I accidentally start again within seconds 😅

[@theproductivecannabisconno7147]

I pick at my face . Like squeezing the sebum out of my face. And I also tock back and forth. I fidget with my dreadlocks so I have been putting them in btaids to avoid messing with them all the time. The repetitive patterns that I stim through my drawings. I still have not received a diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder and I just turned 50. . I like to feel different textures. That's why I enjoy making fabric dolls. And I use to spin when I was a child. And as a young adult when I went out dancing I will spin in a circle. Thank you for this video❤

[@CuteCatsofIstanbul]

Haha I love it - I'm a professional space cadet! I LOVE spacing out, and I love how you said 'like we had a leash on our mind in the first place' and how 'our minds are absconding - so spot-on! Though I said I love it, it is also an escape during tough times, so those moments are tough, but once immersed in that faraway place, there is peace and I love that. I love peace, don''t we all! Another great and educational video, thanks as always.

[@SarafinaSummers]

"professional space cadet" ah, fellow disassociator. Greetings!

[@turtleanton6539]

​@@SarafinaSummersfor real😊

[@username46100]

Yeah, me too. Spacing out is so regulating and comforting to me. If I'm standing while I do it, then often the stimming of side-to-side swaying and spinning my silicone finger ring kick in. I didn't know what this was until recently, as I'm an older adult (undiagnosed), I just thought it was just part of my quirkiness; well, that too, LOL!

[@ROBERT9081]

I have been rocking myself front to back when I sit, n when I stand from side to side and to fall asleep I rock my foot since before I can remember and I’m 47 now! I’ve never been diagnosed with any type of autism but I’ve been told too many times to remember to stop rocking and I find it so hard to stop rocking I try but can’t stop it!

[@sarahsovereign4522]

Thank you for validating the experience!! Plus, my apologies Orion: I "shudder" my eardrums. It's some combination of flexing the muscles in throat jaw and ear that are engaged while yawning, and some resistance that requires my eyes closed for full power. Makes a brief pushing sensation and gentle hum/shush sound not originating from the movement of air. Helps me move head conjestion. Also: petting or moving finely machined parts, piling or pulling up a piled chain, singing, that couch-pushing whole body engagement your kid enjoys, and trying a balance board. I am rotten at it, but I like it.

[@citroenboter]

Hey I'm not the only one who does that then! Amazing

[@lanitagrice7644]

@@citroenboter Me, too!!! I never imagined my eardrum shrugging was part of my stimming repertoire. It's one of my favorite because I can do it during a meeting with NTs that is getting to be too long or too much.

[@davidpower1136]

Thank you I thought I was the only one when I was a child ❤.

[@heidehaydu]

I do that! It makes my cat purr when I do it near her. Which is soothing in itself.

[@MissNikkiDawson]

Heyyyy, me too!

[@TheAnhedonicOne]

When you brought up the finger picking thing, I realized I have the exact same problem on one of my thumbs just like yours, but I would always think about it and explain it to other people through the lens of just anxiety. Funny how common shared experiences are like this for autistic people. It's crazy to think such specific things could be innate to autism.

[@peteybmtb]

I'm 50 and am awaiting official diagnosis (unfortunately I live in England and have already been waiting a year for my referral). I pluck the hairs from my neck with tweezers to the extent that I only have to shave my face and not my neck. Making patterns with my tongue, touching 4 specific teeth is another. Also watching films and series over and over. I must have watched all Blackadder episodes, hundreds if not thousands of times. I also have a single playlist of songs that I only listen to. I would never have guessed these were stimming or even knew the term until very recently. What an amazing channel this is. Thanks Orion!

[@TheCatgirl]

without having finished the vid, i wanna mention that stimming isn't always negative. sometimes the disregulation comes from feeling positive emotions very strongly! so it helps us deal with that as well :3 orion definitely know this, but some other people may not so i figured i'd comment

[@orionkelly]

Yep. Agree. And definitely covered it in the video.

[@neophoys]

I feel seen! I also pick at my fingers and scalp. I recently got myself a set of rings with freely rotating chains on them. That way I have something to stim always accessible right on my hand. It really helped me not pick at my fingers too much anymore.

[@kathiarledge9275]

Videos I can play while knitting and crocheting. Red Dwarf, Good Omens, Sherlock Holmes. They stimulate and soothe at the same time, even calm me to sleep. I’ve played them dozens of times and I’m never bored. 😊

[@turtleanton6539]

Good choi hes😊

[@esm1817]

I was an auditory stimmer. I sang to myself, repeated catchy phrases, and talked constantly growing up. I talked to myself. And I danced. That's tough because my siblings shut down any dancing/talking/singing behaviors with teasing that to me felt pretty merciless. Which made me do all the behaviors more. It was a bad cycle. Like one time they were hanging out in the car, talking, and caught me singing to my dog. They honked and scared the living daylights out of me. And teased and teased and teased me about it afterward. I was a pretty oversensitive kid and I was afraid to do anything after that because I was worried they were always just around the corner. 😊😅 I have a door opener/closer. When we go out, it is often all he wants to do. It is a challenge. Maybe I can teach him to push forward instead since the back and forth motion with an exercise of force seems to be something he enjoys.

[@joyful_tanya]

I love to sing. I also 'play keyboard ' and dance around to the music. I have ear buds in all the time. I'm sensitive to sounds and remember music really well. I never forget a song I have learned. I was even a vocal performance major and lasted only a few months before I broke down and ended up in a psych hospital. I now know it was a burn out and self harm because of overwhelm..I am feeling understood for the first time in 57 years. 🥰

[@katarinavomdach]

Thank you for putting yourself out here on KZbin. I can relate to almost everything you said in this video. Especially listening to the same song (in my case) for the whole day. Stimming helps me focusing, but doesn't prevent me from spacing out.

[@Anxious-logic]

“Our mind isn’t wandering, it’s absconding” true statement…. My mind is AWOL (absconding without leave)

[@Thilosophocl3s]

I highly recommend adopting an effective meditation practice. Our brains need it. If we don't give the brain what it needs, it'll take what it wants whenever it wants. It'll go AWOL and I'll forget to take the highway exit, or any number of things in the act of doing them. Mediation takes practice, but it's really helpful in keeping me present, thus improveming my active memory.

[@greenliter1]

I’m a toe curler, leg bouncer, finger tapper (I call it xylophone fingers because sometimes it’s to specific rhythms internally or externally), finger picker (just my right thumb cuticle area), I like soft things but hate ones that clump together after you’ve worn them, like wool, I like knit clothing but sometimes it’s either too hot or too itchy, I like floral scents and fresh scents, can’t stand vanilla or cinnamon smells, I like spinning but can’t do it for very long now, swinging is the same because I don’t fit well into kid sized swings (the flat ones are great!), foot mover, I sway, I pop my knuckles constantly, stretch my wrists constantly, usually if I do one I have to do the other, I do actually hand flap but most of the time it’s not up and down, my palms either face the ground or face up like I’m waving at someone, I have the same collection of songs and shows that I can watch continuously over and over again and it’s hard for me to watch new shows/movies or add new songs but I do on rare occasions, and when I do I listen to that song on drives and in my room for at least an hour just learning every little thing about it: the way the beat drops, melody, harmony, flow of the lyrics, the words themselves, the story behind the words combined with the timbre of the music…ok I have to move on from this now, I bite the insides of my mouth sometimes, my lower lip, if someone makes an animal noise I can’t help but repeat it, if I see a horse or a cow it’s a neyney or a moomoo (I will die on this hill), I truly love long, deep hugs. Oh, and if I’m in a store like hobby lobby and there’s something that looks fuzzy or soft or bright, I absolutely HAVE to touch it, and when my hands experience a sensation I usually have to make both hands experience it before my body will relax.

[@dawnlivingston6236]

Thank you Orion, again another good video. Thank you for making us that do these things feel normal. I can look back at my whole entire life and see how I've been doing these things all along. I'm 61 years old now. I did not know I was autistic all these years. I have twelve grandchildren and almost half of them are autistic. I see these things in all of my grandchildren.❤

[@sasquatchvirginia8381]

You should do a topic on the importance of a pet. The best stim is a soft haired dog/cat. I could pet my dog for ages.

[@LisaAnnOberbrunner]

Thank you for talking about skin picking. It helps so much to hear other people talking about it.

[@dagmarneves72]

In the movie “The sixth sense”, the psychologist reaches a point where he has to reevaluate the events in his life, knowing he was not the person he had believed himself to be. As a 64 year old just diagnosed last year, I have looked back at scenarios from my past, seeing it from my new autistic viewpoint. I understand the misunderstandings now.

[@taratajbakhsh5095]

I am a late diagnosed female with autism. Relearning to and allowing myself to stem has been a game changer!

[@delphinebez3045]

Orion, I was waiting for the number 1 stimming habbit that I have : mental stimming. It always comes with some music: a short, repetitive melody which usually comes from memory, a TV add or a song. During a burnout, i will be on high alert when it begins ... at one point during covid, I had piled up so much stress that I was having these 3 or 4 notes on repeat mode in my head like ALL DAY LONG. It was a sign my burnout levels were going through the roof . In a way, it's like a protection trick to go through a lot of BS situations. But in the end, you realize it is actually making you go nuts.

[@vaasnaad]

Rare form today, Orion! You had me laughing so hard at some points, especially with the phone stroking! I also didn't realize my leg bouncing was stimming though I should have known. I know my finger thing is stimming but to see you actually do it was quite something. I so understand being able to listen to a song for hours but I thought it was just because I am a musician. I had a dance/electronica/disco compilation that played constantly in the car when me and my kids needed to drive somewhere. It was a routine and a pattern we all enjoyed together and this sheds new light on us bonding in an autistic way that I quite enjoy. Thank you so much, my friend! I always learn something new about myself and my children watching you and that value cannot be understated. You are awesome!

[@nicolasykes6637]

My son stims with labels on his clothes and moving, but when it’s windy then he loves hand flapping and he will just stand there a flap in time with the wind movement and I actually love seeing him do this. He has a ball chair at home and uses that to bounce on and that helps, but it’s when he just walks round and round you that we generally have to intervene, as I end up feeling dizzy, but he could keep going. We’ve learned to accept whatever Matthew does and see autism as part of his cheeky personality.

[@TheMuse6959]

Thank you for this vid. Closes the loop on my being undiagnosed autistic for 80 years!!!

[@johnthomas5026]

You’ve got me beat, my friend! I went undiagnosed for 70 years! Just learned last October. But better now than not at all. Wish you well!

[@jaypickard]

Calm down, stop tapping your legs, theres no need to be anxious. This is how i calm down and now im more anxious because you're pointing out that im anxious and now i need to supress my way of dealing with being anxious

[@natalieharris1588]

I shake my legs and tap my feet or tap and i get it gets on my husbands nervs but i cant help it so i get how you feel When im on my own i rock but i dont do that unless im on my own i love being on my own 😁

[@kumarsankarra3372]

Orion, you are so lively and I resonate with your ideas, suggestions, with my autism, or asperger's syndrome, whatever that might be, having remained undiagnosed for 50+ years.😊

[@ChantalleStott]

Yes. Skin picking. My cuticles get raw red when I’m neglecting my needs. Got so bad that I’ve calloused! Thank you for sharing 🥹

[@tcj226]

I loved Lego when I was a kid and passed on a big box of them to my kids. Every single tire they found in the box had been chewed to some extent by me. On top of that, when I was a kid I used to chew paper like gum. It drove my parents crazy. The interesting deviation from some of your examples is music. I can't stand listening to things over and over and over. I need new sounds and textures so I rarely listen to anything with frequency like you describe. Instead I often go through a period where I have to hear everything that artist has recorded. And when I've hit the wall, where I just can't listen anymore but don't have something else lined up, I feel lost for a bit. But soon I'll pick up on some other artist and go through their stuff. I will eventually return to a lot of these artists and albums but not like most people, I find. I tend to listen to what I listen to for specific sounds and, especially audio textures.

[@angelacarlo3447]

I don't think I'm autistic (maybe an HSP) but this video resonated a lot. I do a lot of these behaviors, like all the time, every day, ever since I was a kid. Nail biting and picking, hair pulling, cheek and lip biting, foot bouncing, fidgeting with tactile objects like pencils or erasers, mind wandering several hours a day (especially at work when my hands are busy), comfort shows I watch over and over when sad. I got a lot of flack about eyelash pulling as a kid. I wish my family had just let me be. I don't want to pull out my eyelashes, but trying to stop made the compulsion so much worse. I know some of these things probably make me look weird in public (like the eyelash fidgeting and foot bouncing) but it calms, or helps me concentrate/focus, or releases excess energy, and I'm over forty now so I care less. I think lots of people stim, autistic or not. Thank you for bringing awareness to this. I hope stimming can become less stigmatized and more understood and accepted.

[@christineiam2556]

Thank you Orion I recognize now multiple visual stimming my boyfriend does This is huge eye opener for me and the need or understanding why stimming occurs Have a blessed day Orion

[@MShaiqable]

Brilliant video! As a kid, looking back on it now, I used to stim by biting the inside of my mouth in school and once after choir practice, my music teacher told my mum that I was making faces. Ever since, I controlled it and would only do it when I was really focused on a task and not around other people. I'm a hairstylist and when I'm applying colour on a client, I tend to zone out and rock from one foot to the other. I had no idea I did it until one of my colleagues pointed it out. I now realise that is me stimming. I used to rock side to side as a kid but ever since I got asked "do you have to pee? Is that why you're doing that?" by adults around me, I stopped. I only do that now when I eat a food I love and call it my "happy dance" but only around my safe people. A lot of my conscious stillness is my mask. Thank you for helping me realise that.

[@chaparralchic4028]

Thank you for bringing up skin picking! It is so difficult to explain to people how it is comforting.

[@HayzTeeArt]

Looking back, as a kid- teen I would sometimes stim by spinning, E.g laying on the floor and spinning myself around on laminate flooring . Or I would have myself lay on the couch, but with my head hanging over the seat edge so I was "upside down", or, at least visually, the room was flipped. I found it relaxing to just look at the room and observe it from another perspective. Probably visual stimming. Until it would make me feel nauseous from being upside down with my head for a while lol

[@FreezyPeach11.11]

Wow, I do that too, and that's stimming? I did not know that! 👍

[@hannakinn]

Oh my, I used to love hanging my head off the edge of the couch or my bed and thinking about the whole house being upside down and being able to walk on the ceiling. My son used to do that as a child too. Funny thing is one of my two cats likes to do it as well. She's a very strange cat an adult feral rescue, she's different and I love that about her.

[@dellseasandoval8187]

I have Asperger’s, OCD, & undiagnosed, ADHD, so don’t take it the wrong way when I say, you are a total spaz, but I absolutely love it. I love watching your channel & listening to you. You make me laugh. It’s extremely difficult to encounter anyone that understands me you set my 3 Perfect Babies who I see on weekends & my girlfriend & the occasional family member who I grew up with of which there are dozens but they’re all in the USA.

[@inner_kundalini]

This is a wonderfully real and comprehensive piece on Stimming. I was of course only half listening the first time while doing a hyperfocus fine detail task. Still, you prompted memories of me stimming different ways through my life. And how I'm stimming now, at this point in my life. The visual stimming just shocked me, I had never considered what I do as stimming ...... But it so clearly is ❤ So now obvs I will be watching it again and diving deeper into understanding myself ❤ Anyone else? 😂 *edited to capitalize the lower case i's.

[@lottevanderzanden5045]

Thanks for talking about this important topic. Since my burnout I have been rocking back and forth more often which made me feel ashamed for a long time, even around my husband. It's so freaking stereotypical. But it really does feel good and soothes me. It's great that you are telling and showing people how normal and how useful stims like these are for autistic adults.

[@camillenelson8909]

I kept thinking, 'I don't stim!." I have absolutely NO tolerance for repetitive behaviors, pencil tapping, pen clicking, foot bouncing or any other mechanical squeaking or rapping. I would never do THAT myself. :oD Then you talked about other kind of stimming. When I get really anxious or almost overwhelmed, I do word puzzles, or card solitaire games to calm me down and help me re-focus. I thought that was what anyone would do. I have a computer next to my work computer that I kept various puzzle games up. When I can't solve a problem with work or I get stuck, I go to the games for a bit, then come back to my work. And here I thought I was shirking. Thank you for not putting us all in the Rain Man box. I used to bite my nails and pick or bite my skin around my nails, but I've worked to not do that as much. So something else takes it's place.

[@camillenelson8909]

Thank you to any one who read my long post. ❤️

[@samdroddy8741]

I love showing my joy and love through random dancing and flamboyant hand gestures

[@Nutellochka]

Wow, such an immense amount of validation! Thank you so much! ❤

[@jamesu9508]

He’s so cute. I love this guy! My family calls me Mr.Fidget. I literally can’t stop moving my hands or playing with something in my hand until it’s destroyed lol.

[@SaucyKitty11]

Just now realizing that my trichotillomania/dermatillomania diagnosis when I was 8 was me stimming, and the treatment was just trying to find another stim that was similar enough to hair/skin picking that it was easy to change the stim

[@staceyruwoldt9158]

As a Autistic person I absolutely love media stimming 😊 Just watching the same, or my most favourite ever TV show scenes over and over again. I've being doing.... ..that for a long time ever since I was a teenager 😃 I love to watch certain scenes from fictional shows, then I daydream about them later=) I also really love.... Watching the same KZbin channels, only watching the video once but often watching similar videos daily. My most favourite of all content is on Autism.. Neurodiversity and seperately family- KZbin channels.. I also love constantly learning and immersing my brain in knowledge, so watching..... Real- life individuals whom are content creators and, where I can relate to them is so very awesome and, I'm so grateful to creators.. Like yourself as us Autistics can always learn, so much from each other too said with respect and kindness ☺️😊

[@imfine_ithink]

A few weeks ago i had a stressful time, so i listened to the same song for two weeks in a row.

[@Sursie_Metzger]

This. I’ve been listening to the same band every day for about 6 months now (they’re just so freaking GOOD you know?! It’s just such a relief 😂) with some of my other usuals that are more chill thrown in every now and then for the sake of my ears lol *edit because apparently I can’t spell today lol

[@artsylady3187]

@@Sursie_Metzger I did that with QUEEN...I got hooked and couldn't stop listening...

[@stevenbigbee1766]

Been around long enough for vinyl lp on family stero..no cd, cassette even. With stimming aware i looked back and remember sitting by the hi/fi liftning the needle to repeat, repeat. Fidn't feel odd to fo. In my 70s muscle car i hade one tape only. Ted Nugent for cruising from 75 til 80 ... Stimming is so healthy.

[@TylerWorkAccount]

hey man/woman, if you like listening to music to calm yourself, give REN a listen to, hes absolutely phenomenal at making music that literally seems like stims for the ears, he has alot of personality in his music and the mouth sounds he makes are similar to that of stims, its no wonder i loved listening to every song, its hugely relatable too.

[@LaGuera2858]

Depending upon my life situation, the song changes in my head (in the back ground). It will play over and over and over. For the longest time I couldn't tell what that was in the back ground of my mind because I was too busy trying to "multi-task" while being totally stressed out to the max.

[@CarbonitePlays]

I've only recently started to think / believe that I am likely high-functioning autistic after I was diagnosed with ADHD and it was suggested to me by someone that there is quite often a link between having ADHD/ADD and simultaneously being on the ASD scale in the case of many autistic people so I thought it wouldn't hurt to look into it. I found your channel a while ago and thought pretty much every time I have watched your videos "My God I am exactly like that, I've done that since childhood and I never noticed / realised / thought of it as 'not normal behaviour' or even knew that these are autistic traits/stimming!" etc. I've been looking into things more and more ever since, and I'm realising that it's now pretty much a certainty that I am an undiagnosed autistic adult and in that light-bulb moment - suddenly as if someone turned on a light in the darkness or unblocked a dam - bucket-loads of events from my past came flooding in; like memories of people telling me I'd been rude / come across as "harsh" or sarcastic / nasty when I spoke to people without me ever meaning to be / thinking I was being rude or abrupt etc, how I am always being told I'm 'loud' (despite as a kid I never noticed my voice being any louder than anyone else around me, I was still always told to be quiet or stop shouting), as an adult friends often have had to remind me to be quieter or "stop shouting" / calm down when I get excitable about something we're discussing! Stimming though is something I was not even thinking about / aware that I was doing - yet I now understand the hair-plucking "self-harm", skin picking (yes I do it too), hair-smoothing, certain faces I pull, sounds I make, phrases I use, voices I've learnt to put on or say random phrases in etc are all likely forms of stimming for me as an adult, just as they were in childhood, but I had never looked at these habits / tendencies as things I was doing to "stim" or regulate etc! I just did them...well...because! To me I didn't have a reason, but thinking about it now the majority of the things I do that qualify as stimming are things to help regulate myself in some way or other. Hell, when you mentioned the foot-bouncing / leg-twitching I just now remembered how an ex told me that she hated the constant foot-tapping I do subconsciously whilst I'm sitting on the sofa or on the floor under the table when I was eating in a restaurant with her or sat at my desk playing games etc. I always put it down to just having too much energy / needing to burn off nervousness, but the likelihood is it's one of my many stims too! It's incredible how many things I've realised about myself from just having watched your videos, Orion - and, having taken some initial online screening tests recently for autism and scoring towards the higher end of the "likely to be autistic" scale on all of them, I am now going to push my doctor's surgery for a referral for proper assessment and diagnosis of potential autism. I've struggled with so much - so many different things - for my whole life and never understood why things seem so much easier for other "normal" people and why I, despite always trying to fit in or be part of the crowd or to educate myself on things or learning how to "mask" as best I could by emulating/mimicking friends who were "normal", I just couldn't get on or fit in, in life - I would always end up being thought of as "weird", "odd", "random", "strange" and so forth by 'normal / popular people' and friends who I now understand to be neuro-typical and that I am, in most probability, neuro-divergent and high-functioning autistic spectrum. This kind of thing throughout my whole life has lead to me internalising my ADHD (whereas when I was a child I was hyperactive, so I'd have been running around constantly on the go and not really thinking about much, per-se - rather than now as an adult living a pretty sedentary life my ADHD is internalised and instead of using energy to play games or be active, my thoughts are the thing flying around at lightspeed in my head instead) and things spiral really badly for me some days which often revolves around constant catastrophising, reliving PTSD from childhood, general anxiety and depression and as a result I'm never able to maintain relationships and I struggle with friendships / relationships / just holding down a job for any extended period of time etc. Before finding your content and looking more into it, I didn't realise that so many of my difficulties in life are potentially down to me having gone undiagnosed as neuro-divergent for so long, but now I am trying to find the help and understanding that I need in order to take my life back and start moving forward again and I want to thank you, Orion, for continuing to make this content - as hard and difficult as it is at times for you - it's massively appreciated and I have been sharing your videos with my close family and friends to give them insight into how my mind works differently to theirs and what a potential diagnosis of autism may mean for me!

[@Sursie_Metzger]

After learning I am AuDHD, it made SO MUCH sense that when I was a kid (Kindergarten) I had an obsession with bottle nipples even though I had been broken from a bottle for awhile. They had to be a certain brand, texture etc and my parents would think that they’d taken them from me but I’d have more stashed around the house. My teacher even called home about it because during reading time it was distracting TO HER 😂 I realize now that was a stim to calm myself down and meet oral motor needs. I was also in OT and PT for dyspraxia etc and I FINALLY after 20+ years found putty that’s the closest to what we used in those classes and I absolutely love it. If Im not careful I will end up with more than I know what to do with 😅😂

[@user-eg8ht4im6x]

I stim I have all sort of different stims. Finger flicking, hand twisting, stroking my face, twisting my hair, making choo choo noise, picking my head, etc etc etc. sometimes it’s to keep me focused, other it’s because I’m stressed, or because I’m happy, or because I’m concentrating, or because it feels good. When really distressed the stims can be self harming in a minor way. There are different stim some that sooth, some that help focus, some that celebrate my excitement they tend to be the verbal noises I make. Before my very late diagnoses I hide most behind closed doors or I’d disguise them like twiddling with my scarf or something. I’d also shrink them so instead of flapping my hands I’d use a smaller finger movement that was not noticed. I’m so glad you did this video. I no longer hide my stim to the extend that I used to, although in a public place I do hide a lot because I don’t want to be ‘locked up for being mad’ I fully agree stimming is a very important part of the Autistic life and one that we should be free to use for many many different reasons. Brilliant video! Loved the Phone ringing hands!

[@robbunch2225]

Last October 2022 I watched a KZbin video from you mentioning spotting autism in adults; that was my late life wake up call to autism. At 62, I’ve struggled through social interactions. Tried alcohol which didn’t help in masking. And like you, when this mind blowing reflection of myself KNEW I was not alone. I might be the odd man out in a room but now know I’m not alone. Thank you Orion.

[@ericgunderson8465]

This video helped me realize I stim when I wasn’t realizing it. Head bobs, leg bouncing, foot shaking, swaying side to side, pacing for me is another. Head tilting to the left I’ve noticed. Thank you for the help here.

[@X3R0D3D]

my stimming is knee shakes. its actually a movement that originates in the ankles and mid foot muscles, but results in my knees bouncing. sometimes just one knee, but often both legs shaking just to be able to concentrate.

[@nightowl5226]

Same

[@Nancy-m9g]

that was filled with valuable info, Thank you Orion! i do so many of these stimming things, some i wasnt aware of. the scent thing is HUGE for me. i have 2 candles burning every day from wake up to bed time. i mop with essential oil mixed with hot water. ive been using clove recently, it reminds me of my Mom cooking a Ham on Sundays big dinner. (not that my childhood was that bloody pleasant ~ha) im constantly touching something, my arm, something smooth & cool to the touch is nice. Its reassuring to know im not the only one. the more i learn from you, the more i recognize this behavior in my siblings. Oh my, they could & would NOT want to accept that info. Queens of denial in so many areas. music on repeat, i have done this for years. there are songs that i know every sound & note & lyric etched in my fragile brain. Thanks again. Plus, im really digging your book! You freaking rock! Oh, by the way, i rock too, and i sway! Stim on everyone.

[@robintst]

Thank you for the thorough explanation, I'm almost 40 and was just diagnosed for autism in March of this year and I'm still learning about all of this, I had no idea the repetitive things I do actually had a term associated with them. The part about music rings true for me, I will loop a single song for hours across many days until I'm utterly sick of it. But there are specific whole albums I love to go through start to finish which I think stems from only having cassette tapes as a kid (man, I'm getting old). I really didn't like rewinding and fast forwarding them constantly and wearing them out so I would just listen to both sides all the way through.

[@TenshiAkeela]

"Opening and closing doors" I did this as a child! OMG I feel so seen!!~ Thank you Orion!

[@rechnerfuchs]

31:50 I personally have a cheap advertising pen that I love to carry around because it: - Is very easy to disassemble and reassemble repeatedly. - Has a satisfying click. - Is the perfect size for me to spin it in one hand. - Is blue. - And I've gotten used to carrying it so I guess there's no stopping now.

[@Joss0051]

It may seem a little irrelevant but I love your shirts, always interesting. All the best Joseph

[@claytonbonser7629]

Thank you Mr. Kelly. Today a set of Greek style worry beads arrived in the post, largely prompted by this video. They tick so many of the boxes you talk about. The set I got is all stainless steel. They are smooth to the touch. The beads fill up my palm very nicely. I can roll them between my hands. The beads can be counted 'round Rosary style. The little chain tassel can be let swing from my hand when I walk, and it's odd gyrations feel nice too. The beads can be pressed into the palms for more intense sensations. The chain of beads can be flipped and flopped about in a lot of different patterns which are nice to play with. The beads look like how I like them too. There's a nice soothing aesthetic for me with the cool silveryness of the stainless steel. Best investment I have ever made. Today I have a handful of balls, and I feel good.

[@plain_me]

30:33 30:33 Ohhh. I do that and that and that & didn't realize. Yes! I'm going to do more! Better stims! More, better! Ice- don't chew that. You've freed me of some some self criticism. Thank you!

[@soccer2themax]

Thank you for being open about self harming. Its one of the things I share first with people when I disclose that I'm autistic. So many people tell me that somebody else they know does it too. I'm trying to normalize it and let people know I'm trying to find other stims to go for instead if possible, but that its something I do.

[@marycooney303]

I have a verbal stim. I have "conversations" in anticipation of future conversations, or I rehash conversations I have already had. I have done this all my life. It helps to keep me regulated.

[@ashleysullivan8529]

The more I watch your videos, the more autistic traits I identify with that I never noticed. I didn't even think about the possibility of being autistic until last year and I'm trying to get testing as an adult (which is really difficult). Thank you for all of the videos you have and the education you give. It's really been enlightening.

[@mellowfish316]

As a late diagnosed adult, exploring my natural stimming behaviors (long masked) has been such a great experience.

[@RobAnthonyDire]

I had to stop skin picking and biting my fingers after people started noticing and I became so mortified. I transferred it to playing guitar drums and tapping on things all the time which is a lot better

[@RoknRobz121]

Thank-You, Orion! One way of Stimming that has helped me is melting scented wax to pour into bottle caps for use of relieving anxiety. It makes whatever room I'm in smell nice! Smell-goods are very important to me

[@heythere4732]

I am 37 and just figured out I'm autistic. I've picked my fingers (index finger and thumbs) and I've also bit at my cheeks too my whole life. My pediatrician when I was super young got onto me for the biting of cheek, my dentistdid later too. I never was able to stop. Now, since I learned about autism, I know why.

[@Sara.T90]

My go to stimming is rubbing my index finger over my thumb, I do it when everything is a bit too much. I also pull/twist the skin on my chest and/or troat whenever I feel stressed. I twirl my fingers through my hair when I try to concentrate but this also leads to me pulling indivdual hairs from my head which sometimes hurt a lot but I keep doing it. I bite off skin from my lips, but only if my lips are dry, which leads to bleeding and blisters. I like to chew on hairbands that are "twisted" and I tap my feet alot or "spin" them around. I also like watching lava lamps or shake a snow globe (as a visual stimming). I could go on but I'm gonna stop.

[@artsylady3187]

i could shake the snowglobes over for hours and hours...LOL

[@blue_anime_cat2526]

Mahooooosive extra Thanks for talking about skin-picking (and similiar actions) Orion!😻 Showing it off as a "normmal" behaviour/stimming will hopefully lead to not only help those (like me) who do it personally but will also take the "bad" and "unacceptable" notes off!🐈‍⬛🐾😻

[@artsylady3187]

i was yelled at, humiliated, all the time for biting nails and cuticles...sucking fingers as a child etc...they beat all those out of me...but now I skin pick and bite nails and cuticles..and rock etc..LOL...I live alone so no one can yell at me anymore

[@blue_anime_cat2526]

@@artsylady3187 Isn't it unbelievable what traumas can happen just bc of not understanding your child....often not having the will to have closer looks? But in the same way it is impression what strong and in oneself ensured people can come out of those circumstances? Yes i have issues with this world, some that not everyone understands (very thankful for communities like rhis here) but i fought to still be here and always remember that it counts what i want or do, that it is the world that isn't made perfectly for me and that not i am the problem. I stayed myself (with "flaws" like how i'm stimming, etc) through everything and who cannot live with me or accept this is not obligated to be/stay in my life. We create a surrounding for us to feel good, live and go on ... not for the others that not even try to understand!

[@l.donaldson4223]

The phone part had me rolling Thanks for these videos. As someone who recently discovered they’ve made it all the way to 38 before knowing I was autistic… this video is pretty enlightening

[@PianoSongDownload]

I am watching this video while swaying, holding my hands together while playing air piano, tapping my teeth, and biting my cheek.

[@ashleewalker1858]

I really enjoyed this one, you definitely had me giggling at points lol. I have so many stims. Swaying is my main one, hair plucking, chewing the skin around my nails, one odd one that I stopped doing as a child was a type of hand flapping where I let my hands and wrists go completely limp, and use an up and down motion with my arms. I remember I stopped doing that one because I was looked at weird. Once I realized as an adult that I was autistic and started learning about stimming, I remembered this one, and now I've gone back to using it from time to time. It's a good one, a lot of sensory input. Listening to music and dancing is a fave of mine, and when I'm really stressed I sing Disney songs, or sing talk. For me, floating in water regulates me immediately. I swam like a fish as a kid.

[@cazza42]

I am so pleased you talked about skin picking! I have always picked the skin off my right foot. So much that it bleeds and I can't walk comfortably some times. I didn't realise until now it was a type of stimming. When I confessed to people that I am autistic I was surprised at how many friends and family said "Of course you are! I've known that for years! It's obvious." Well I hadn't realised it. My friend said today, "Well I couldn't very well come out say it to you, could I?" Why not? But then would I have believed it? Probably not.

[@breeinatree4811]

Thank you for this video. I feel so much better about the odd things ive been doing all my life. Im 65 and was just diagnosed as autistic this year.

[@stacyh8056]

I haven't been diagnosed. But when you started tapping your fingers I felt so seen. I 'm still struggling not to start crying.

[@Pelle2415]

OH MY GOD!!!!!!! I thought I was stupid for not being able to stop picking - and that I was the only one so strange and stupid!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR BEING HONEST!!!!!!!

[@Batty77]

Right!