Neurotransmitters Flow in this Autism Mind: Stimming

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Stims and Multisensory Integration

In the context of multisensory integration, autism stims or self-stimulatory can be understood as a way to manage and regulate sensory input from their environment. Multisensory integration refers to the neurological process where the brain combines information from different sensory systems to form a comprehensive understanding of one's surroundings. For autistics, this integration process can be atypical, leading to unique sensory experiences and responses.

Understanding Stims in Relation to Multisensory Integration:

Compensating for Sensory Processing Differences: Autistics may experience hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to sensory stimuli. Stims can be a method to either dampen overwhelming sensory input or to seek additional stimulation to compensate for under-responsiveness.
Creating Predictable Sensory Experiences: Repetitive behaviors, such as rocking or hand-flapping, provide a predictable and controllable sensory experience in a world that can often feel unpredictable and overwhelming. This predictability aids in multisensory integration by providing a constant sensory feedback loop.
Facilitating Focus and Concentration: For some, engaging in stimming behaviors can enhance focus and help filter out extraneous sensory information. This self-regulation can aid in better integrating relevant sensory inputs.
Self-Soothing and Emotional Regulation: Stimming can be a way to calm oneself in response to sensory overload. It serves as a mechanism to regulate emotional responses that arise from difficulties in processing multisensory information.
Enhancing Sensory Discrimination: Certain stims may help autistics to differentiate between different sensory inputs. For example, tactile stims like rubbing textures might help in focusing on specific tactile sensations amidst a confusing array of sensory data.
Aiding in Social and Communicative Functions: In a social context, stimming might assist autistics in managing the multisensory complexity of social interactions, such as processing visual, auditory, and spatial information simultaneously.

Implications for Support and Intervention:

(THIS AREA IS STILL NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD & VERY MUCH A WORK IN PROGRESS)

Personalized Sensory Environments: Creating environments that take into account an individual's specific sensory processing needs can reduce the necessity for stimming as a compensatory mechanism.
Sensory Integration Therapy: In theory this therapy is supposed to help autistics develop better skills to integrate and process multisensory information, potentially reducing the reliance on stimming behaviors for sensory regulation. But there is a lot of confusing and conflicting information about what exactly constitutes SIT.
Educational and Behavioral Strategies: Incorporating multisensory learning and behavioral strategies that align with an individual's sensory preferences can enhance their ability to process information from multiple senses simultaneously.

Stimming in Autism - The Why and What

Stimming, a common behavior in autistics, encompasses a variety of sensory and motor actions.

Types of Stims

Self-Stimming

Visual: Triggered by or seeking lighting change - including flicking fingers in front of eyes, staring at ceiling fans, and repeated blinking.
Auditory: Manifest as tapping on objects, snapping fingers, replaying songs, humming, repeating words or sounds, and tongue clicking.
Olfactory & Taste: Involving smelling objects (even unpleasant odors), eating non-food items like paper, and licking body parts.
Tactile: Such as rubbing skin.
Vestibular & Proprioceptive: Including rocking, toe-walking, pacing, jumping, rolling, spinning, and throwing objects.

Self-Stims leading to Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB)

Actions like head banging, biting one's own wrist, and excessive skin rubbing that can cause tissue damage.

Stimming on Objects/Activities:

Lining up objects (e.g., lining up toys)
Creating specific patterns with objects, rejecting all other arrangements.
Spinning wheels on toys. Looking at the ceiling fan spinning.

Why do autistics Stim? Stimming behaviors can serve various purposes, such as:

Reducing anxiety and calming oneself.
Aiding in sensory and emotional regulation.
Self-soothing, communicating, experiencing excitement.
Coping with overstimulation or boredom.
Avoiding tasks or seeking attention.
Stimulating senses
Expressing frustration, particularly in those with communication challenges.
Easing pain or discomfort
Could be indicative of seizure activity.

Differences Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Stimming:

The irony is that neurotypicals stim all the time too like the endless clicking of the TV remote, doodling, chewing the end of a pencil or pen, drumming fingers etc. NT stimming are regarded as "socially acceptable"

Autistic stimming often differs in its intensity and ability to be moderated/changed/stopped according to the situation.

How much stimming is too much:

While some level of stimming can be calming, crossing a certain threshold may lead to behaviors resembling Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), further inducing anxiety.
What might a mild, controllable/adaptable habit in an non-autistic, could become an unmanageable compulsion in a non autistic.

Stimming in autism is a multifaceted behavior with various forms and functions. Understanding these behaviors is crucial for providing appropriate support and interventions. It's important to recognize the individual needs and experiences of each person with Autism, as stimming serves different purposes and requires a tailored approach in each case.

Stimming is not soothing

I wish folks stop saying stimming is soothing.

Stimming is soothing only upto a point. It quickly crosses over into OCD and is exhausting, mentally and physically draining, caught in this behavioral loop you cannot get out of.

Fidget Stim Toys and Autism

Many autistics have sensory processing difficulties and may be hyper- or hypo-sensitive to environmental stimuli.

Fidget stim toys (eg: stress balls or fidget spinners) have been associated with autism.

Do Fidget toys help ALL autistics? The answer may surprise you.

Autistics must not Stim

Autistics and stims. Please rethink.

Autistics MUST NOT stim.
Please rethink….

Stimming serves a purpose, its true
A coping mechanism, a way to soothe.
Calming nerves, reorganizing thoughts
A brush with Somatosensory body remapping

Engaging in stims... is quite typical for neurotypicals!!

Society accepts these stims with ease

Oh, the irony!!

... nonstop clicking of TV remote

... mindless paper doodling

... obsessive loop of tik-tok and youtube shorts

... head buried in phone when walking - accidents waiting to happen.

So should autistics be allowed to stim mindlessly too?

Au contraire, it's not always a breeze.

Stimming is exhausting, Energy consuming

A switch on repeat, an obsessive desire.

Runaway motor movements. No pause or stop

Maddening. All consuming. Overwhelming

Autistics and stims. Please rethink.

Some stimming can be beneficial, it's true.

But cross a threshold, and it becomes OCD,

The cutoff is something you need to determine.

Find balance in stimming, it's key,

To regulate emotions and bring inner peace.