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. Such behaviors (also scientifically known as "stereotypies") are found to some degree in all people, especially those with developmental disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.^[2] People diagnosed with sensory processing disorder are also known to potentially exhibit stimming behaviors.^[3]

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][3] A further explanation views stimming as a way to relieve anxiety and other negative or heightened emotions.^[4]

Although stimming behaviors have typically been shown to be healthy and beneficial—as they help regulate intense sensory experiences and emotions—^[5][6][7][8] stimming is often socially stigmatized and looked down upon. People who are neurodivergent often feel that they need to hide or decrease their self-stimulatory behavior, as it appears to not be socially acceptable, and often elicits an undesirable response from those who do not understand the compulsion behind them. There are also potential mental health and well-being risks in suppressing and masking some autistic stimming behaviors that are harmless or generally adaptive.^{[5][9][8][7][10][11][6]}

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^[12]) include hand flapping, clapping, rocking, blinking, pacing, head banging, repeating noises or words, snapping fingers, occasional toe walking, or spinning objects.^[13][14] 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.^[15] Another issue is that repetitive behaviors may disrupt learning for some autistic individuals in some situations.^[16]