Why stop stimming

It is most commonly associated with autism. First of all, no one can stop self-stimulatory behavior completely, because everyone does it anyway! Secondly, even if one stim can be removed, it will be replaced by another — and the next stim may be less preferable that the current one. The most important reason not to eradicate stimming is that you may cause your loved one to withdraw more and more, and lose your opportunity to encourage healthy interactions. There are several hypotheses and known causes for stimming:.

I recently read a blog in which a parent asked why her son covered his ears in his sleep. He had learned to cover his ears when his environment was too noisy, and that was soothing to him. So he started covering his ears whenever he needed to comfort himself, especially when falling asleep.

Self-stimulation can interfere with learning, interpersonal relationships and social situations. Some types of self-stimulation are self-harming and may lead to infections or require surgical repair. Self-stimulation may also be a symptom of an ongoing medical problem such as migraines which a person with a disability may be unable to verbalize. He adds that if you begin to use the gestures so the child, in order to get what she wants, has to gesture purposefully back to you, the can become part of an interaction.

In other words, to reduce the stimming, offer a replacement that is more alluring than the stim! Susan is not the only caretaker who suffers through this dilemma every day. It is a question often asked by caretakers and educators in the industry: Should we stop our children from stimming?

To answer the question, we need to understand what stimming is and what causes it. Stimming and Autism. Individuals with ASD are characterized to display motor movements that are stereotyped or repetitive American Psychiatric Association , Although the theory can be applied especially in settings where even neurotypical individuals would react in certain ways to specific stimuli, it does not fully explain why individuals with ASD react to some stimuli that neurotypical individuals do not.

For example, a child with ASD may cover their ears while listening to other children singing, while his neurotypical peers do not.

Moreover, it also does not take into account an individual's internal stimuli in the absence of an external stimulus. For example, a child with ASD may have a song playing in her mind and she may react by singing it aloud in the middle of class, while her neurotypical peers typically do not so.

Later theories have revealed that stimming could be a response towards excessive or insufficient sensory input due to deficits in sensory processing Ornitz, There is consistency in the theories as behaviours are observed to have been repeated when the same stimuli are presented e.

Later, he produces the same response to another toy that also lights up. Furthermore, the changes in brain waves in different parts of the brain linked to sensory processing revealed the prevalence of sensory processing dysfunctions in individuals with ASD Gabard-Durnam et al.

Continuing from the hypothesis of how stimming could be the result of overstimulation or a lack thereof, recent research has gone on to further theorise that stimming could also be a self-coping mechanism that actually helps individuals with ASD deal with troubling stimuli. Several studies suggested that adults with ASD reported that stimming aided in managing overstimulation, reducing anxiety, and in its process, calmed themselves down Steward, ; Kapp et al.

It is a response to cope with sensory stimulations that can be positive or negative, depending on the individual. Some may even say that it is a way to express themselves when words cannot be said, especially for individuals who are non-verbal. Destigmatising stimming. With the knowledge that stimming may be a helpful behaviour that seems to be a necessity for individuals with ASD, I ask the question again: Should we stop our children from stimming?

Personally, if their stimming does not involve harm or injury towards themselves or to others, my answer is no. Since it assists in coping with stimulations that are unbearable, we should not take away a system that is essential for their living. By forcing them to stop stimming, it is comparable to telling a person not to cry in a rather sad situation. Abnormal posturing refers to rigid body movements and chronic abnormal positions of the body.

Learn more here. Apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy for poison ivy rash. But does it actually help and is it safe? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Stimming: Causes and Management. Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph. How does stimming differ in autistic people? Types of stimming behavior. Quantity of behavior. Why do autistic people stim? Can stimming be controlled? Tips for management.

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