The Basics of Autism, Part 1: Stimming

I want this blog overall to cover issues I deal with, via my own experiences. This means I want to cover all of the basic things related to being on the autism spectrum, in addition to issues I face as a nonbinary LGBTQ+  person.

I have decided to divide all of the basics into individual posts, and what better way than to start with an info post about stimming?

What is stimming, you may ask?

The easiest way of describing it in my own terms, is things I do, either in repetition (usually) or not, that either result in stimulation, or as a way of soothing myself. Stimming can be done in a massive variety of ways. Stereotypically, it takes the form of flapping one's hands in excitement, as well as rocking back and forth. These are far from being the only methods, though, and I only do one of these (rocking) personally.

My personal favorite stims...

Probably my most common one involves one of my biggest loves, music. Singing in and of itself can be a stim for some. What I do involves not only singing, but also imagining I'm in front of an audience and I sing and I like to move my hands around. There may also be some attempt at dancing involved too. If I'm sitting in my computer desk chair with music playing, I tend to tap my legs in time with the beat of the songs I play. I also have both a fidget spinner and fidget cube that I use to keep my hands busy. Stims can also be sensory; I react strongly to soft things. Just feeling a soft surface calms me very much. Related to this, I love to run my hands through my hair also. It feels so nice to do.

Further, stims can also involve smell. This doesn't apply to myself, but I do know of some people whom it does apply.

Potentially dangerous stimming...

On a normal occasion, stimming, as mentioned previously, is a calming or stimulating activity depending on the occasion and it should not be interrupted. However, there are some stims that do involve self-harm. These can include headbanging and scratching one's skin in a hard manner. If at all possible, these should be redirected into a different, harmless way of stimming, and eventually, stopped entirely. I'll admit it, I'm guilty of having done both. Sometimes, I still do scratch, though thankfully, not nearly to the point I did once upon a time.

And so, there are the ins and outs of stimming, from my own personal perspective. It is entirely possible to go even more in-depth, but I do not want to make my posts into marathon reading sessions. Any comments or questions? Feel free to do so.