Basics: Stimming

Stimming is a phrase used by the autistic community to describe self regulatory behavior. If you know someone with autism, this is probably the first thing you noticed to be different about their behavior. Common forms of stimming include rocking, hand flapping, and spinning. 

Self regulation is important because society is built for neurotypicals to succeed and environments are often not sensory friendly. If you are neurotypical, I would challenge you to notice the various sensory stimuli you encounter going through your day. Then, imagine what you would do if these stimuli were physically painful to you. Are the lights on the subway too bright? Does your local coffee shop offer accessible ordering options? Just being aware of these differences is the first step to making the world a more equitable place. 

As an autistic person, specific stimuli are too much for me to handle, but sometimes there is nothing I can do to avoid interacting with my environment. Bills need to be paid and I have to take care of myself. Stimming allows me to control something about my sensory experience and being able to focus on that piece I can control is what allows me to start to ignore the unpleasant parts. I still have meltdowns and shutdowns due to sensory overload, but these are much less frequent when I am able to self-regulate. 

If you are in public and see a person stimming, what is your initial reaction? Do you avoid them? Do you think of them as being on drugs? Analyze your initial reaction to these situations and try to catch some of your implicit ableism. In order to work towards a more inclusive society, we all need to analyze our own biases around ability and try to check them whenever possible.