Re: What is your stim?

October 24, 2006

In a message dated 10/23/2006 11:48:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

"Stimming" is a behavior Aspies use to work off tension.Mine is bouncing a leg or legs repeatedly. Anyone else have stims, andif so, what are they?TomAdministrator

Bouncing my legs and fidgeting is also something that I do. Drumming my fingertips on my chest is another. Running in place or walking around the house is still another.

October 24, 2006

Anyone else have stims, and

if so, what are they?

Would chewing my fingernails, cuticles, skin till they bleed be

stimming? I do this even if I have no anxiety.

Kim

October 24, 2006

In a message dated 10/24/2006 9:37:04 AM Eastern Standard Time, ravenmagic2003@... writes:

Due to excessive bullying in my earlier years (from family and strangers alike) including bullying for stimming, I have learned to keep my stimming nearly imperceptible to others.

I do this as well. I'm very careful not to stim around others, at least not obvious ones. Fidgeting and such is usually ignored, but hand flapping is very obvious and would freak people out.

Still, when I can't stim I can feel the energy burning inside and it makes me edgy and grouchy. This will pass as long as no one does anything to make me angry. If that happens then I get snappy. If I can I'll walk away to some place that isn't so bad. An example of this was in a museum this past weekend there was this woman who chewed gum like a cow. I wanted to smack it out of her face, but one can't do that, so I wandered off and waited for her to get out the way. My mother did call me over once near the woman to look at something, and I asked my mother, "what did you want to show me that I have to be tormented by this gum smacking cow?" The woman heard me I think but saw my hard look and didn't say anything. She did stop smacking her gum though. That's why I try to sneak away to stim because the burning will force its way out.

October 24, 2006

Upper body jerking, arm jerking, hand flapping, knee shaking, twirling

my hair and ordering out irregularities I can feel in it.

October 24, 2006

> Anyone else have stims, and

> if so, what are they?

>

> Would chewing my fingernails, cuticles, skin till they bleed be

> stimming? I do this even if I have no anxiety.

>

> Kim

>

It sounds less energetic than the classicla aspie stim. It's a Tourette

symptom, described prominently in Amy Wilensky's Passing for Normal. Of

course, aspie stims and Tourette's are linked without a clear boundary,

+ seem to be why Mozart is suspected for both.

October 24, 2006

I am not sure this is a stim in cases where I am tense I am mute. It

can actually be very hard to speak, that or I have to leave where ever

i started from. Bolting and silence

October 24, 2006

Tom wrote: " Stimming " is a behavior Aspies use to work off tension.

Mine is bouncing a leg or legs repeatedly. Anyone else have stims,

and if so, what are they?

wrote: " Bouncing my legs and fidgeting is also something that

I do. Drumming my fingertips on my chest is another. Running in place

or walking around the house is still another. "

Due to excessive bullying in my earlier years (from family and

strangers alike) including bullying for stimming, I have learned to

keep my stimming nearly imperceptible to others.

As a composer and musician, I will sometimes hum the same few notes or

rhythm pattern as a stim. I oftentimes rock back and forth which,

once again, can be excused as 'rocking' to the music -- either music

in my head or music in my environment.

Raven

October 24, 2006

Dear Raven -

As a child I too had much bullying around stimming. I think the early infant

head banging

was probably a stimming behavior as well as rocking for hours on a red rocking

horse and

bouncing on it. In my grandparents' home - my grandfather was probably Aspie

and our

grandmother was a very gentle, kind schoolteacher - my Aspie/hyperactive brother

and I,

as well as our Aspie cousins were allowed to run on an " indoor " track in their

big house

that went from the dining room, kitchen, back hall, into the livingroom and back

into the

dining room - from the time we could " trot " the young ones would join in the

constant

motion around the house without any consternation from elders.

As I got older dancing frenetically replaced this and walking for hours

outdoors. AFter a

bad day at High School I would often walk the hour and ten minute walk, at a

very brisk

pace, home where my mother would not return often till late at night so I was

alone. As

an adult I have a fourteen foot trampoline that I bounce on outside, between

client

sessions and I walk up to three hours a day. My idea of a vacation is being in

nature

where I can walk for up to 6 hours. I do jumping jacks throughout the day if I

I feel

overwhelmed . . . but I also find that breathing exercises and Yoga, as well as

meditaion,

are very helpful and probably some sort of stimming behavior as I " NEED " them -

and get

agitated if I don't have them or day time client work or colleagues get in the

way of these

needs . . .

Thanks for asking!

Deborah

" Bouncing my legs and fidgeting is also something that

> I do. Drumming my fingertips on my chest is another. Running in place

> or walking around the house is still another. "

>

> Due to excessive bullying in my earlier years (from family and

> strangers alike) including bullying for stimming, I have learned to

> keep my stimming nearly imperceptible to others.

>

> As a composer and musician, I will sometimes hum the same few notes or

> rhythm pattern as a stim. I oftentimes rock back and forth which,

> once again, can be excused as 'rocking' to the music -- either music

> in my head or music in my environment.

>

> Raven

>

October 24, 2006

Quite possibly it is. It varies from person to person and their is no

strict definition of what stimming is.

Tom

Administrator

Would chewing my fingernails, cuticles, skin till they bleed be

stimming? I do this even if I have no anxiety.

Kim

October 24, 2006

I'm not sure it is a stim either, but I can tell you that the more

cornered I am in certain situations, the more I clam up and find it

hard to speak as well.

I cannot speak even if I want to when someone acts foolish or tells a

joke that is not funny and tries to get me to laugh with them in both

instances. Generally, any increase in the over-the-top-ness of

someone's behavior, and the more I am inclined to retreat.

Tom

Administrator

" I am not sure this is a stim in cases where I am tense I am mute. It

can actually be very hard to speak, that or I have to leave where ever

i started from. Bolting and silence. "

October 24, 2006

" As a child I too had much bullying around stimming. I think the early

infant head banging was probably a stimming behavior as well as

rocking for hours on a red rocking horse and bouncing on it. "

Welcome to the group!

You were not alone in this type of stimming behavior. My sister was

recently diagnosed. As a child, she used to rock on a rocking horse

while she was awake, and rock back and forth on the floor otherwise,

and rock back and forth on a bed at night.

Also, my AS girlfriend's AS son likes to bounce up and down on a

trampoline when he is stressed.

Tom

Administrator

October 24, 2006

Thank you, Tom!

I think my brother's AS was hidden under his constant " hyperactivity " which had

him

running at nine months. When he rode our red rocking horse it would give adults

heart

attacks! My AS grandfather would ask him to get on the rocker whenever guests

came -

and then our grandfather would laugh and laugh as the person had a melt down.

My

brother still stims, I call it that, by going fast at 52, he is a top sled dog

racer - sprint, not

long distance - and gives dog sled tours to lots of folks in the winter - people

consider

him a " dog whisperer " as he doesn't stake his dogs - they follow him everywhere

and it is

a wonder fot watch them . . .

I wonder if anyone else has a " wrapping " behavior? I understood Temple

Grandin's

squeeze machine when I thought that from early on I would carefully, tightly

wrap in a

blanket like a jelly roll - it had to be tight. now I spend time wrapped,

tighly wedged

between the back of a couch and the cushion seats so that with the blanket I

feel enclosed

on two other sides . . . .

Regards!

Deborah

>

> " As a child I too had much bullying around stimming. I think the early

> infant head banging was probably a stimming behavior as well as

> rocking for hours on a red rocking horse and bouncing on it. "

>

> Welcome to the group!

>

> You were not alone in this type of stimming behavior. My sister was

> recently diagnosed. As a child, she used to rock on a rocking horse

> while she was awake, and rock back and forth on the floor otherwise,

> and rock back and forth on a bed at night.

>

> Also, my AS girlfriend's AS son likes to bounce up and down on a

> trampoline when he is stressed.

>

> Tom

> Administrator

>

October 24, 2006

Ho Deborah,

" I think my brother's AS was hidden under his constant " hyperactivity "

which had him running at nine months. When he rode our red rocking

horse it would give adults heart attacks! "

I think there is something about motion that appeals to Aspies and

soothes them.

" I wonder if anyone else has a " wrapping " behavior? I understood

Temple Grandin's squeeze machine when I thought that from early on I

would carefully, tightly wrap in a blanket like a jelly roll - it had

to be tight. now I spend time wrapped, tightly wedged between the back

of a couch and the cushion seats so that with the blanket I feel

enclosed on two other sides . . . . "

I begin " wrapping " myself in college. My bunk was a single (obviously)

and my favorite thing was to tuck in the sheets and the blankets so

that it was really tight. Then I would stick my feet in at the top and

slide in. The effect was being wrapped tightly in a sleeping bag. I do

this with my bed at home too.

Tom

Administrator

October 24, 2006

Perhaps more than stimming, this is actually more in keeping with

the nature of autism.

I do know that when I cannot speak, I absolutely *cannot* speak and

the more that someone tries to draw speech from me, the less able I

am. It is not a choice. It's not that I am choosing not to speak;

it's that I truly cannot speak.

Usually this happens when I am overwhelmed by the situation at hand

and the more overwhelmed I am, the less I speak and the longer it

takes for me to be able to speak.

Raven

>

> " I am not sure this is a stim in cases where I am tense I am mute.

It

> can actually be very hard to speak, that or I have to leave where

ever

> i started from. Bolting and silence. "

>

October 24, 2006

hey Tom!

Thank you for your sharing! It is good to know that others are " wrapping " too.

I have

taught clients - NTs ! - to use a blanket or " throw " for wrapping over their

shoulders and

mid back - then using hands and elbows to " pull " tight so that there is a

feeling of being

held when they are overwhelmed, greiving for loved ones, etc

When I read about Temple Grandin's squeeze machine something kept " tickling " out

my

mind - and finally I realized that the blanket thing seemed to do the same

thing. I

personally would not want to be in a machine in that position - but if it works

to help kids

and adults I am all for it.

I just wonder if the blanket thing shouldn't be something that should be

introduced as a

low tech calming devise early for children. I know, for instance, that in the

early 1980's

when my friends were raising their Aspie son - at the time he was not diagnosed

but the

father was an EArly childhood educator and the mom was a psychotherapist - they

would

hold him from each side - like a parent sandwich - when he would over stim and

they

would speak gently and soothingly to him and keep encouraging him to use " his

words. "

they also taught him to wrap up in a blanket - and when he was overwhelmed by

not

being understood by playmates or not being able to eat what others were eating

(they kept

him Gluten Free) - they would encourage him to have a bubble bath - that kid was

in the

water up to five times a day but he loved it and would calm down in the water.

I don't believe in a " cure " - but I do beleive that some of these things may

help certain

children and are a low tech solution that most homes can implement.

Blessings!

Deborah

>

> Ho Deborah,

>

> " I think my brother's AS was hidden under his constant " hyperactivity "

> which had him running at nine months. When he rode our red rocking

> horse it would give adults heart attacks! "

>

> I think there is something about motion that appeals to Aspies and

> soothes them.

>

> " I wonder if anyone else has a " wrapping " behavior? I understood

> Temple Grandin's squeeze machine when I thought that from early on I

> would carefully, tightly wrap in a blanket like a jelly roll - it had

> to be tight. now I spend time wrapped, tightly wedged between the back

> of a couch and the cushion seats so that with the blanket I feel

> enclosed on two other sides . . . . "

>

> I begin " wrapping " myself in college. My bunk was a single (obviously)

> and my favorite thing was to tuck in the sheets and the blankets so

> that it was really tight. Then I would stick my feet in at the top and

> slide in. The effect was being wrapped tightly in a sleeping bag. I do

> this with my bed at home too.

>

> Tom

> Administrator

>

October 24, 2006

Forgot to mention my love of baths. My thing is to fill the tub up

with near-scalding water and sit in it for as long as humanly

possible. This is a fairly rare occurrence though (a few times a

month). If I had my druthers, I would do it daily.

Tom

Administrator

" they would encourage him to have a bubble bath - that kid was

in the water up to five times a day but he loved it and would calm

down in the water. "

October 24, 2006

Have always loved rocking chairs and swings! Have gone for hours at a time on each! With the chairs people always complain I'm wearing holes in the rug! (Trampolines sound great!) Something about the sensation of movement is very calming-relaxing. I really love tire swings, going round and round in all directions (without hitting the tree!). It's like the whole world goes away and time stops. Hot baths are good. I also tend to constantly move- for example when I'm standing in lines I'm always swaying back and forth, or rising up on my toes, swinging one leg at a time back and forth, etcetera. But I tend to think of that as more ADHD. (I'm both, though only dr. diagnosed as aspergers.) (I also tend to squirm around a lot when trying to sit for a long time.)

Though I suspect there is also an element of stimming going on there. I think it's pretty extreme, but people have never really commented on it strangely enough. Used to twirl my hair a lot when I was young and wore it longer- and twirl/pull-on my beard too. Mostly in response to stressful situations I tend to just move away. Sometimes it's really inconvenient or even impolite perhaps, but I do it anyway. This morning at the bus stop somebody was smacking their chewing gum over and over. I got up and went over and sat on the grass about twenty feet away. I remove myself from lines I am standing in a lot of times for similar reasons. Heph environmental1st2003 <no_reply > wrote: "Stimming" is a behavior Aspies use to work off tension.Mine is bouncing a leg or legs repeatedly. Anyone else have stims, andif so, what are they?TomAdministratorHephaestus Clubfoothttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hephaestushttp://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hephaestus.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabeiroi

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October 24, 2006

Moving away is what I tend to do when I am stressed out. I think this

is a good approach to dealing with noises and odors. A good

NON-CONFRONTATIONAL approach.

And here we get into a sticky place because psychologists would just

observe such behavior as being rude when in fact we are trying to

avoid conflict.

Tom

Administrator

" Mostly in response to stressful situations I tend to just move away.

Sometimes it's really inconvenient or even impolite perhaps, but I do

it anyway. This morning at the bus stop somebody was smacking their

chewing gum over and over. I got up and went over and sat on the grass

about twenty feet away. I remove myself from lines I am standing in a

lot of times for similar reasons. "

October 24, 2006

Hello Heph!

I love swings too! And I remove myself from lines . . I like to go to movies in

the afternoon

so there are few people there . . .I don't like crowds at all and now that I am

older,

diagnosed . .I no longer feel wierd about it so I just do what is best and I

don't have to

argue with NT's anymore . . . . now I have a real excuse . . . .

Anyway . . I think trampolines should be given to all the Aspies!

Blessings!

Deborah

> " Stimming " is a behavior Aspies use to work off tension.

>

> Mine is bouncing a leg or legs repeatedly. Anyone else have stims, and

> if so, what are they?

>

> Tom

> Administrator

>

> Hephaestus Clubfoot

>

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hephaestus

> http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hephaestus.html

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabeiroi

>

> ---------------------------------

> Get your email and more, right on the new .com

>

October 24, 2006

Dear Tom,

I agree - I have been trained as a psychotherapist and in all of my training I

was cited as

being screwed up for needing time alone, stimming and space. Eventually they

saw me as

" zany and eccentric. " It was before AS went into the DSM IV TR in 1994 - I

always thought

I wasn't doing a good enough job at healing from my physically abusive family of

origin -

but now I know it is healthy and we have our " excuses! "

Thanks!

Deborah

>

> " Mostly in response to stressful situations I tend to just move away.

> Sometimes it's really inconvenient or even impolite perhaps, but I do

> it anyway. This morning at the bus stop somebody was smacking their

> chewing gum over and over. I got up and went over and sat on the grass

> about twenty feet away. I remove myself from lines I am standing in a

> lot of times for similar reasons. "

>

October 25, 2006

Hi Deborah,

welcome to the group.

I don't have as much time to participate as much as I would like to

at the moment - but still wanted to say welcome :-)

>

> hey Tom!

>

> Thank you for your sharing! It is good to know that others

are " wrapping " too. I have

> taught clients - NTs ! - to use a blanket or " throw " for wrapping

over their shoulders and

> mid back - then using hands and elbows to " pull " tight so that

there is a feeling of being

> held when they are overwhelmed, greiving for loved ones, etc

>

> When I read about Temple Grandin's squeeze machine something

kept " tickling " out my

> mind - and finally I realized that the blanket thing seemed to do

the same thing. I

> personally would not want to be in a machine in that position - but

if it works to help kids

> and adults I am all for it.

>

> I just wonder if the blanket thing shouldn't be something that

should be introduced as a

> low tech calming devise early for children. I know, for instance,

that in the early 1980's

> when my friends were raising their Aspie son - at the time he was

not diagnosed but the

> father was an EArly childhood educator and the mom was a

psychotherapist - they would

> hold him from each side - like a parent sandwich - when he would

over stim and they

> would speak gently and soothingly to him and keep encouraging him

to use " his words. "

> they also taught him to wrap up in a blanket - and when he was

overwhelmed by not

> being understood by playmates or not being able to eat what others

were eating (they kept

> him Gluten Free) - they would encourage him to have a bubble bath -

that kid was in the

> water up to five times a day but he loved it and would calm down in

the water.

>

> I don't believe in a " cure " - but I do beleive that some of these

things may help certain

> children and are a low tech solution that most homes can implement.

>

> Blessings!

>

> Deborah

October 25, 2006

If it is possible I move away, sometimes it is not always possible.

Last night I was at a house group and after a while things just got too

much for me, fortunately my mum had rung; but then I just wanted to go

outside for a bit to escape. I would have said I was going outside, but

everyone seemed to be engaged in conversation, so I just let myself

out - I sometimes wonder if such is considered rude? I often just

wander off.

Some times where it has not felt possible to move away have been; in

supermarket ques (which I try avoid) sandwhiched inbtween people that

don't seem to understand personal space - I feel like there is no

escape - not a nice feeling and also at the doctors. Often my local

doctors surgery is packed and all the noise and smell makes me feel

ill, some perfumes and anti persperants affect my breathing. I asked if

I could wait in the corridor once, but I could still hear and smell, it

was not far enough away, I remember practically trying to crawl into

the wall.

>

> Moving away is what I tend to do when I am stressed out. I think this

> is a good approach to dealing with noises and odors. A good

> NON-CONFRONTATIONAL approach.

>

> And here we get into a sticky place because psychologists would just

> observe such behavior as being rude when in fact we are trying to

> avoid conflict.

>

> Tom

> Administrator

>

October 25, 2006

There are a list of things I cannot toerate well and chewing is

definately one of them. I too have excellent hearing, and sense of

smell. So no smoking. I cannot tolerate alcohol, or crowds and I

start to unravel when I feel claustrophobic. I can actually get a red

face as well as a crazed look. The desire to escape is undenyable and

can lead to near violence. It seems from the posts that is is best to

let us go. My son gets a time out if he is overwhelmed. (Ineed them

too sometimes) This website has some of the things mentioned by the

group. It has elastic bands for adults that some might find

comforting. as well as finger weights etc. many of the subtle ways

to get what is necessary mimi

http://www.southpawenterprises.com/sensory-integration-dysfunction-dsi-

products.asp

October 25, 2006