Do you shake your legs or twiddle your thumbs for comfort? You might hum, dance, or pace around. You could pick your nails or bite the side of your cheek.

We consider all of these nervous habits, but when people on the spectrum do them, we call it stimming, or “stim” for short. Stimming is a self-regulatory need that is mainly attributed to autistic people but is a natural habit in all of us. People on the spectrum use it to manage and regulate their environments and emotions.

There are different types of stimming; some of these are:

• Auditory: These involve hearing and sounds. It could be a snap from your fingers, tapping your ears repeatedly, or simply listening to the same sound repeatedly.
• Full body: Involves moving the entire body, pacing back and forth, or dancing.
• Tactile: Deals with all things touch-related, like picking your fingers, scratching your skin, or tapping your fingers and palms on surfaces.
• Olfactory: Involves taste and smell; a person may chew or lick objects or smell things or people.

While stimming is something everyone does, it is more pronounced in people on the spectrum. While some people with ASD are not able to mask their stims, they don’t necessarily do it more, but our society is built with neurotypical people in mind, so when something happens out of the norm, it is more obvious.

Like most things, there are good and bad aspects of stimming. Some harmful stims include head banging, which kids with ASD may use to gain control over sensory overload or to communicate frustration. If left untreated, this issue can continue into adulthood, so it’s best to encourage other habits while the child is young. Other harmful stims include ingesting toxic substances, intense ear clapping, aggressive scratching, and slapping oneself.

Stimming is necessary for people with ASD, especially if they are non-verbal children. This is the only control they believe they have at that time. When your child is stimming, allow them the space to do so. Always ensure that they aren’t hurting themselves or others; you may feel the need to step in, but do so in a way that secures your safety because, if you are injured, you cannot help your child.