Autism - Repetitive Behaviors Like Rocking and Flapping

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Video featured in Wired Magazine

Stress and how we as humans deal with it is the subject of this video. I believe neurotypical people can sometimes misinterpret an emotion such as stress when viewing the behaviors of autistic people like me and others. Every human experiences stress. Part of our shared experience is the emotion of stress (fight or flight). Whenever we feel we are being judged, we feel stress.

Have you ever experienced the stress to perform or live up to an "image" in your life? If so, you have something in common with autistic people.

Most people experience stress in their lives to perform under pressure, whether it is in your job or with your spouse or family.

Both autistic people and "normal" people experience stress and pressure. However, stress can manifest itself in autistic people in ways that are misunderstood by so called "normal" people.

When both autistic and "normal" people experience stress, it often manifests itself physcially in what is psychiatrically called "repetitive behaviors".

So called "normal" people exhibit stress with repetitive behaviors just like autistic people. However, their repetitive behaviors are considereed socially "appropriate" and are not subject to judgement.

Neurotypical repetitive behaviors are considered "normal" or in the mainstream. No one would consider that they need to be modified or "cured".

However, for autistic people, because our stress coping mechanisms are different, such as rocking and flapping, have very different consequences than a neurotypical's stress coping "behavior".

Our stress coping mechanisms such as rocking and flapping can get us institutionalized, put in self contained classrooms as children and abused like lab monkeys by our own family because they believe they are being helpful to us and benevolent. We are subject to the same type of behavior modification used with animals such as those you see at Sea World.

Our stress reducing mechanisms such as ROCKING, and flapping are medicalized and called stereotypical movement disorders. We are told that they are compulsive, repetitive and "non-functional" behavior. All because they are deemed so by people that are neurotypical.

However, one of us (autistic) has been very successful despite being labled Rain man, wierd, asocial etc. by society (google Bill Gates and rocking to see what I mean).

** Teachers/schools/community service groups: You may use this video as part of autism awareness or positive educational training. No additional permission is required. (I can provide a higher-resolution version if needed.)

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[christschool]

I'm sorry about the ad at the front of the video. Unfortunately, I have no control over it. Google decided to monetize this video with cheap ads. For 5 years this video went without ads. But now it has one. Google is an advertising company and this is how they make their money, off the work of other people. Google can go to hell.

[PhilMyBod41]

thanks christschool for not letting me defend myself to dan=kirks reply yep autist helping autist go fuckyourself you faggoty fucking dickless prick toodles

[christschool]

@PhilMyBod41 I always screen my comments. I approved your comment 2 minutes ago but you hadn't refreshed your screen to be able to notice.

[motleyminded85]

Whoa! Great video. I'm never able to clearly tell people why I rock. It's just how I am... I've never noticed that about Bill Gates, either!

[GirlGinnyLee]

Thank you so much for this video. I have sort of ADD and I think it might be an autistic spectrum disorder. I do some repetitive movements, especially during daydreaming. And I don´t want to be cured from them at all! Experts say repetitive movements have no purpose. That´s not true. Most of mine do have a purpose. It´s just very complicated to explain.

[bitethis47]

great video...very revealing...people who live in society tend to think that something is ok only when the mass does the same, and treat things that are not so common as disease or abnormal, how can u define normal?? its ever changing with time and trend. something may abnormal in an age but normal in another age.. something nt normal is not necessarily bad, its just that the system is dumb & unprepared to understand or face it.

[algorista]

Very thanks ! Absolutely great video !

[SydneySilly101]

Awesome.

[64forestkat]

Bill Gates doesn't rock much anymore in recent interviews. i wonder why?

As for biomedical interventions, my sons have Asperger's syndrome and ADD - they are both very impulsive and highly distractable, they can't focus on their academic work without their meds. The meds does nothing to diminish "stimming' My son hops up and down and flaps his hands when he is excited or very happy - it is a special part of his personality, and we love his stimming. It's strangers who are cruel about it.

[kgaccount]

Nice video. I just saw this one. Great job! How is your son doing? How are you?

[chvick]

Interesting perspective, I will keep this in mind.

[THEmscellany]

This video is brilliant! I loved it! Thanks. As a person on the autism spectrum I have no way of expressing the severe frustration, stress etc. This is a double whammy for me as I remain silent like an unconscious person in a serious accident.