Stimming

Self-stimulatory behavior, also known as "stimming"^[1] and self-stimulation,^[2] is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, words, moving objects, or other behaviors. Stimming is a type of restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB).^[3] Such behaviors (also scientifically known as "stereotypies") are found to some degree in all people, but is especially intense and frequent in those with developmental disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism.^[2] People diagnosed with sensory processing disorder are also known to potentially exhibit more stimming behaviors.^[4]

Stimming has been interpreted as a protective response to overstimulation, in which people calm themselves by blocking less predictable environmental stimuli, to which they have a heightened sensitivity.^[2][4] A further explanation views stimming as a way to relieve anxiety and other negative or heightened emotions.^[5]

Although some forms of stimming behaviors have typically been shown to be healthy and beneficial—as they help regulate intense sensory experiences, relieve intense emotions such as anxiety, may facilitate understanding and social interactions with other autistic people, may promote pleasant emotions, and facilitate sense of security—^{[6][7][8][9][10]} stimming is often socially stigmatized and looked down upon. People who are neurodivergent often feel that they need to hide or decrease their repetitive behaviors, as it appears to not be socially acceptable, and often elicits an undesirable response from those who do not understand the needs or functions behind them. While reducing disruptive or inherently harmful repetitive behaviors can be crucial,^[11][12][13] there are also potential risks to mental health and well-being in suppressing and masking some autistic stimming behaviors that are generally not harmful or generally adaptive.^{[7][14][10][9][15][16][8]}

Stimming behaviors can consist of tactile, visual, auditory, vocal, proprioceptive (which pertains to limb sensing), olfactory, and vestibular stimming (which pertains to balance). Some common examples of stimming (sometimes called stims^[17]) include hand flapping, clapping, rocking, blinking, pacing, head banging, repeating noises or words, snapping fingers, occasional toe walking, or spinning objects.^[18][19] In some cases, stimming may be dangerous and physically harmful to the person doing it; for example, individuals may risk injuring themselves by forcefully banging their body parts against walls.^[20] Another issue is that repetitive behaviors can disrupt learning and social communication for some autistic individuals in some situations.^[21][22]