Matthew "stimming" on sword

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• Matthew
• stimming
• on
• sword

[4Paws4Matthew]

Yes, stimming is a hard one to figure out. And I coudn't agree with you more. Maybe we shouldn't call it a symptom. Matthew had an OT years ago that said everyone stims whether they realize it or not. For example, she said nail biting is a stim. So, if what she's saying is true, then we certainly shouldn't call self-stimulation behavior a symptom of anything. And thank you for the comment -- he's 8 yrs old now but still my baby :)

[4Paws4Matthew]

Almost forgot . . . actually, he's not sword-playing here. The "going back-and-forth" is only to boost visual stimulation. Matthew has never engaged in pretend play of any kind, but we're dealing with a severe case of autism and severe MR, we believe.

[4Paws4Matthew]

I must have missed the comment about there being a problem with stimming (?) I've never heard anyone say that before, but personally I look at my childs stimming as something he feels he has to do whether it's to calm him or satisfy some innate need to do so. If it helps him in any way, then I'm glad he does it :) And I agree about the expression of the beauty of the world -- great way to look at it!

[EllyinAdelaide]

@4Paws4Matthew I have a 4 year old with PDD-NOS/HFA. He stims (not quite this much, but certainly enough to notice the processing differences). We diminish stims as much as possible because the pleasure they cause seems to be quite addictive, which decreases the likelihood of other forms of engagement. And they are off-putting to other children, which can cause social isolation. But I've found that reducing one causes another to pop up somewhere else!

[4Paws4Matthew]

@EllyinAdelaide I know exactly what you mean. We've seen some stimming behaviors go that we thought never would, but they'd only be replaced by new ones. Matthew is now 9, and what we're beginning to see is agitation (sometimes) while visually stimming. I asked his neuro if it could be seizure related (Matthew has partial seizures), but he said he doesn't believe so. Who knows, but I agree that too much stimming can't be good for any of them. We usually redirect him to the swing :)

[Pridefulpain]

I have to admit, I've never really quite "gotten" the stimming thing. I mean I understand what it is, I just have always failed to see how the actions themselves relate to the autism spectrum. Example, I am an otherwise "normal" (believe me, its a term I use loosely lol) 24 yr old woman, but for all my life I have shaken my foot, and touched my fingertips. As far as I am aware, I'm not anywhere on the spectrum, but it has upset me to see similar behaviors deemed a "symptom."

He's adorable btw!

[Nibinaear]

The actual sword-play seems quite normal, but the voices not. To me stimming just seems an expression of the beauty of the world, why should it be a problem?