| For a child with Autism, Stimming is an | | | | child and the caregiver to develop a means of |
| abbreviated term for Self Stimulating behaviour. | | | | encouraging the child to use their stims at home |
| It is a necessary element for the Autistic child in | | | | or in privacy thereby decreasing the risk of being |
| that it seems to be a way for them to make | | | | socially ostracized by their peers if they were to |
| sense of all that is going on around them. It can | | | | use them in public. |
| also be termed as Zoning Out. | | | | Some children with Autism are not even aware of |
| Stimming can manifest in many ways. It can be | | | | their flapping but if gently reminded, they will |
| displayed as flapping, an obsessiveness with a | | | | attempt to halt it themselves if they are in a |
| particular item or the way that it is moving or self | | | | place where it could be looked on as an anomaly. |
| injurious like biting of the hands or knuckles to | | | | With some Autistic children, their stimming can be |
| name but a few. | | | | used as a positive tool to encourage social |
| No two children with Autism are the same so it is | | | | interaction. |
| quite natural that there will be many forms of | | | | For example, if the child with Autism's particular |
| Self Stimulating behaviours. | | | | stim is ripping paper then if you were to join in |
| For the Autistic child, this is a needed outlet and if | | | | and rip paper too, after a while, you would notice |
| the stimming takes a form that is not | | | | that the Autistic child will look to see what you |
| inappropriate, it should not be restricted. It seems | | | | are doing. This is especially true when in the past, |
| to act as a self control method for them to calm | | | | you have tried to discourage stimming. |
| themselves and even, in some ways, to digest | | | | Every look should be responded to with positive |
| information. | | | | feedback e.g. "Great, you looked at me" or |
| Stimming seems to manifest on a larger, more | | | | "Wow, what pretty blue eyes you have" or |
| intense scale when the child with Autism is in a | | | | something similar. In time, this will open the door |
| situation that they are not entirely comfortable | | | | to more social interaction with the Autistic child |
| with which could be as small as a person entering | | | | sometimes handing you paper to rip or seeking |
| a room that they are not familiar with or an | | | | you out so that you can participate in their stim. |
| assembly hall which could be filled with many | | | | Any time that the Autistic child spends interacting |
| people and lots of noise. | | | | with you is less time they are spending in their |
| For a child with Autism, stimming is a necessary | | | | own world which should be the ultimate goal. A |
| outlet. It can be reduced somewhat by controlling | | | | paper ripping session today could turn into next |
| the external environment e.g. dimming the lights | | | | weeks jigsaw puzzle with slow, positive guidance |
| or lowering noise levels. However, to attempt to | | | | from you. |
| completely eradicate it may not be the correct | | | | The three major areas that children with Autism |
| thing to do as it may be replaced by the | | | | have problems in are: Communication, Play and |
| Autististic child with another stim that may be less | | | | Social Interaction. If you can increase their |
| appropriate. | | | | socialization skills, then you can only be helping the |
| It may be far more beneficial to both the Autistic | | | | other two areas to increase also. |