Hand Flapping and Stimming in Autism

You may have seen repetitive stimming behaviours (self-stimulatory) in your child, such as hand flapping and spinning. These behaviours are concerning if not understood.

This guide will tell you everything you need about stimming and how to control it in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

What is stimming, and why?

Stimming can be used to describe “self-stimulating“. Stimming is a term used to describe self-stimulating behaviour, which usually involves repetitive sounds or movements.

Stimming may be one of the many signs that a child is on the spectrum for autism or ADHD. However, it does not mean that a person with stimming behaviours is neurodivergent.

Stimmers tend to make repetitive movements with their bodies (such as rocking), which can involve the five senses. They may also move objects in a repetitious motion. You may also hear “stereotypy” used to describe stimming.

Why do people with Autism stim?

Stimming may take many forms, including hand flapping or vocal noises, tics, rocking and other behaviours. Stimming in adults and children with autism can be caused by a variety of factors.

Take a look at the most common types of stimming, and their possible triggers.

Hand flapping and Autism

Hand flapping may be the most obvious stimming behaviour in children with ASD. This is a repetitive behaviour that can last for a short time or linger.

Hand flapping is a form of stimming in several ways.

• Move your fingers vigorously
• Finger flicking
• Moving arms

Hand flapping can be caused by a variety of factors.

• Excitement
• Nervousness
• Fidgeting
• Reduced body movements

What is the appearance of hand flapping?

The video below illustrates a child’s hand flapping in excitement, although similar movements can also be used to show distress.

Hand flapping should only be a concern if it leads to self-harm, or if it interferes with the child’s everyday life by limiting his/her use of hands.

Hand flapping: When to be concerned

It is usually nothing to be concerned about.

• Excitement
• Nervousness
• Fidgeting
• Reduced body movements

It would only be a concern if this led to self-harm or interfered with their ability to live a normal life or function in society.

Stimming Types

Vestibular stimming

Vestibular stimulation is a behaviour that affects a person’s balance and sense of movement. It can include:

• Rocking from side to side or back and forth
• Twirling or spinning
• Jumping repeatedly
• Hanging upside down

Stimulation verbal and auditory

Auditory Stimming refers to any repetitive behaviour that has the potential to affect a person’s hearing or communication. It can include:

• Repetitive Speech
• Snapping fingers or covering or tapping the ears repeatedly
• Humming, grunting or high-pitched sounds

Tactile stimming

Tactile stimming is a repetitive behaviour that involves a person’s sense of touch. Examples include:

• Rub or scratch your hands or other objects
• Repetitive hand motions, such as fist opening and closing
• Tapping fingers repeatedly
• Tactile defensiveness

Stimulation by smell or taste

Olfactory stimming is centred around the senses of smell and taste. It can include repetitive behaviours like:

• Smelling objects
• Tasting Unusual Objects
• Licking of hand or other objects

Visual Stimulation

Visual stimming involves a behaviour related to the sense of vision. It can include:

• Staring blankly at an object
• Hand flapping (as pictured above)
• Line up toys
• Blinking repeatedly
• Switching on and off the lights

Reduce stimming behaviour with these tips

Most of the time, stimming does not cause harm and should not be suppressed or stopped. Karen Wang, the author of My baby rides the short bus: The unabashedly human experience of raising kids with Disabilities believes that any stim removed by a caregiver will likely be replaced by another one.

Some parents may still want to limit a certain stimming behaviour to prevent self-injury or to maintain a level of social acceptability. A caregiver could, for example, use an Autism helmet to keep a child safe from injury when they are head-banging.

Here are more tips to reduce stimming behaviour if you’re worried about your child.

Create a calm, safe environment

Make sure your home is calm and safe to avoid stress or anxiety, which can lead to stimming. Your child’s home must be free of outside influences which can trigger stimming.

Medical conditions to rule out

It’s vital to check and treat any medical condition that may be causing stimming in autistic individuals. If your child does not speak, it can be difficult to determine if there is a problem. You must visit your doctor regularly. Treatment and support can help reduce or eliminate stimming if a medical issue is the cause.

Use stims to reward yourself

This can be done as a way to reward a child for completing a difficult task. It may sound odd, but this strategy allows the child to express himself/herself how he/she wants (and they might even stim less the rest of the time) (Moore 2008).

Encourage exercise

Physical activities have been shown to reduce stimming and release tension in those with autism. Exercise for autistic individuals every day could help reduce stimming.

Self-regulation is a good way to manage stimming

Parents and caregivers may help manage a child’s stims in many ways. However, it is possible that the most effective approach would be to focus on self-regulation. Many people believe that stimming will decrease when a child can control his/her feelings.

Children with Autism often have trouble recognizing their emotions and those of others. It can be difficult to encourage an autistic person to express their feelings, but it’s possible.

Here are some tips for helping autistic children recognize and regulate their emotions ( Naseef Ariel, 2006).

• Tell the child the reasons why they may be acting a certain way. It is the first step to helping them understand emotions. Tell the child that other people also feel these emotions, but that there are ways to overcome those feelings.
• Create an action plan for the child based on their unique sensitivities. For instance, if a child becomes anxious in a loud room, show them how to calm themselves down by finding a quiet area.
• Prepare yourself and inform your child. If you know that a certain situation will be stressful for the child, such as a social gathering, tell him/her in advance and encourage the child to face it by promising a reward if he/she is successful.

Summing-up

While stimming can be confusing for parents who don’t understand autism, it is not something to worry about.

You can reduce stimming in your child if you’re worried that it could pose a risk to them or others. You should first rule out any underlying medical conditions. Also, remember that children can stim when they are excited or stressed.