stim?

[Fagsandbooze]

Hi, as my as son gets older his differences seem to be more obvious (i still find it hard to accept the dx) he seems to spend more and more time just pacing back and forth, anywhere even in the classroom. Is this common? When he is stressed it's more intense, tends to walk round in circles sometimes on tiptoe. Why does he do this? Is it a stim?

[claire33]

Hi fags and booze

 

Sorry i couldnt tell you to be honest im still trying to work out what a stim is myself there seems to be alot of them just not sure how to work out what is and what isn't hopefully someone will be able to answer that for you.

[Brook]

Sounds like a stim to me.

 

Sometimes it's a way of drowning out unwanted stimuli, or the other way around and trying to

get stimuli, depends on the situation I suppose.

Maybe there is noise he cannot cope with, or smells, lights etc... sensory issues.

But does sound like it's his way of coping.

 

My son paces alot and sometimes makes noises with it, he usually does this if he has had

too much excitement or if he hasn't been doing much.

Also he does it when he gets in from school, I think it's his release.

 

Brook

Edited January 21, 2007 by Brook

[summertime]

does sound like a stim to me.

 

Stims usually occur when the child is being faced with a sensory overload or is anxious, if they self stimulate by flapping, pacing, skipping etc they can concentrate on that and hence drown out the stimulation they can't control ie noise, movement, colour etc

 

usually as the child gets older they can learn to control it or damp it down so it isnt so noticable

[elun1]

Hi it sounds like a stim to me. My son is severe end of the spectrum and ever since he could walk he has walked on tiptoe and constantly rocks from one foot to the other. He has never stood still, he just can't. I don't think my son engages in these behaviors to block out stimuli, though I know some children do it for that reason. The more I read about Sensory Integration the more I think he does because his senses are 'out of balance' and he is hyposensitive to movement so has to constantly seek out that sensation to feel 'balanced' - if that makes sense!! I have searched high and low for a good Occupational Therapist who is qualified to carry out S.I with young autistic children but I've never found one yet.

Take care, Elun xxx

[anita81]

my son jumps up and down and swings his arms.i used to do it as a child too.i still stim now.i do it because it feels nice(kinda thereputic).

[krystaltps]

I would be inclined to think of it as a stim. C sometimes paces, but it's usually integrated with his spin-stim. He stims almost constantly. He says it helps either concentrate or relax.

[MichelleW]

It sounds similar to my son's stimming- when he is anxious he tends to run backwards and forwards making buzzing noises, usually flapping or spinning his hands at the same time. If he is holding something he will spin it or move it really fast backwards and forwards. J used to do it when he was excited or anxious, but now tends to do it more when he is anxious, and has started doing it more at school lately. Another stim, which he does when he gets out of school to realease his tension, is to hit the back of me continuously with both hands flat (like patting but hard enough to nearly push me over).

[BusyLizzie100]

Hi, DS1 is nine and has Asperger's. He tends to get up and pace about, usually on tiptoes, when anxious.

If he gets really upset, he'll start flapping his hands and jumping up and down too. If he reaches meltdown, he'll start hitting.

 

So does that count as a stim? It's an expression of anxiety, that's for sure, but I don't know if it makes him feel better/cope better etc.