Do all autistic people stim? Common stimming examples do not apply to everyone

Everyone has their own way of dealing with stress, moving their body, engaging their mind, and expressing their emotions because people are unique with individual needs and preferences. Stimming is a widely understood category used to describe behaviors that many neurodivergent people do, but it’s really an umbrella term that encapsulates such a diverse variety of behaviors for autistics and ADHDers. Each neurodivergent person has their own experience of/need for/relationship with stimming. There are some stims that people have in common, and there are other stims that are completely unique to the individual. One person’s stim might be another person’s sensory “ick.”

Neurodivergent people use self-stimulatory behaviors in several different ways. Stimming can be used to regulate, whether it is to provide additional stimulation when you are hypo-aroused, or to provide calming sensory sensations when you are over-aroused. Stimming can also soothe and comfort stress and overwhelm, or may simply be a way to channel joy and excitement. It’s also very worth noting: stimming just feels good.  

Read on to learn about the varied manifestations of stimming within autism as well as the most common stimming examples for autistic people. 

Autism and stimming

Let’s start off with a basic definition of what stimming is. Stimming, or self-stimulation, refers to repetitive behaviors that work as a coping mechanism and self-soothing technique. They help autistic people soothe themselves during times of discomfort or distress. Stimming can also be an important part of one’s identity and self-expression as well.

Historically, control and compliance-based neuronormative models such as ABA have unfortunately tried to paint stimming as a negative behavior that needs to be suppressed and controlled. But the opposite is true. Stimming is a natural and important facet of neurodivergence that is both a valid, healthy regulatory mechanism, and a valuable medium of neurodivergent communication/expression. 

Stimming can help autistic people in a variety of circumstances to cope with their feelings, including (but certainly not limited to):

• Soothing sensory overload from environment 

• Decreasing or distracting from anxious and uncomfortable emotions

• Expressing positive emotions, such as hand-flapping when something wonderful is happening 

• Expressing negative emotions, such as vocally stimming (e.g., shouting, moaning, groaning, humming, repeating phrases, etc. during an upsetting conflict)  

• Increasing engagement with surroundings, such as staring at pleasing/moving objects in an environment

• Adapting to an unfamiliar environment, such as smelling items at a new house, or feeling the furniture

• Releasing excess energy, such as a person who needs to move their body or fidget when they’re anxious or excited (this sensory need is very common with ADHDers)

• Simply honoring what sensations the body’s sensory system needs or craves

• Pleasure

Some common examples of stimming in autistic individuals

Stimming is different for everyone. Stims can vary in frequency, intensity, and purpose. Some stims may be more subtle, and some may be more obvious to outside observers. Whether more subtle, or more obvious and commonly recognized as stereotypical stimming behaviors, stimming is valid. Too many autistics have been encouraged, forced, or judged for engaging in and expressing their stims publicly. Suppressing stims to “appear more acceptable” to neurotypicals is proven to contribute to burnout and other significant mental health consequences. Unfortunately, some autistics with marginalized identities, including women, Black, Queer, and Trans autistics, have had to suppress or mask their stims as a safety and self-protective measure from actual harm against them. It is also worth noting that some stims are completely unconscious and automatic, while others may be a conscious behavior by the individual.

All stims meet a sensory need. Stims can also meet multiple sensory needs at once, and can overlap into more than one sense. Listed below are examples of stims by sense. 

Visual — Involves eyesight or eye movement

• Repetitively blinking

• Moving hands in front of eyes

• Staring at moving objects, lights, colors (e.g., a lava lamp)

• Eye tracking (looking out of the corner of one’s eye)

Oral — Involves a sense of taste, texture, or sensation for the mouth

• Placing objects in mouth

• Licking, chewing, sucking, or biting objects

• Making repeated lip movements

• Intense desire for certain food textures or tastes

Olfactory — Involves a sense of smell

• Sniffing people or objects

• Repeatedly inhaling specific scents

Auditory — Focuses on making or listening to sounds to meet an auditory need

• Tapping

• Clapping hands

• Snapping fingers

• Listening to specific music, noise, phrase, video, etc. (often repetitively) 

• Auditory ASMR

Vocal — Repeating words or making sounds with your mouth and/or throat

• Repeating phrases 

• Grunting

• Humming

• Squealing

Tactile — Utilizes sense of touch

• Rubbing hands together

• Drumming fingers against an object

• Clenching and unclenching fist

• Rubbing, feeling, or touching certain textures or objects

• Intense need to feel certain tactile information (such as wanting to touch something smooth, cold, warm, bumpy, soft, slimy, fuzzy, etc.)

Vestibular — Involves balance or movement

• Rocking 

• Pacing

• Spinning in circles 

• Swinging or swaying

Proprioceptive — Uses body awareness 

• Leaning against walls or objects

• Touching other people

• Muscle tensing

How stimming examples differ between neurodivergent individuals

The above examples of stimming highlight stimming behavior that satisfies a sensory need. These stimming examples generally provide sensory information and often meet a sensory-seeking need. 

As mentioned above, the same sensory-seeking stims that are helpful and pleasurable to one autistic person could feel deeply intolerable, uncomfortable, or even painful for another autistic person who has a sensory-aversion in that specific area. 

For example: 

An autistic person who likes playing with slime as a stim, but their autistic friend hates the feeling of that texture on their hands. 

A person with ADHD who needs to listen to loud techno music as a stim to focus on work, but their friend with ADHD needs complete silence to work. 

An autistic person who rocks as a stim to give their body a desired movement, but their autistic friend despises that type of movement and prefers to keep their trunk static in their seat.

An autistic person who loves staring at their color-changing bedroom lights, but their autistic friend gets overstimulated by the colors and lights.

A person with ADHD who loves going to music festivals to see all the sights and hear all the sounds, but their friend with ADHD gets overstimulated by those environments.

NeuroSpark encourages you to identify and honor your unique sensory needs 

Stimming is an important part of the neurodivergent experience for many people. Stims can be personal, and your stims do not have to look like anyone else’s examples of stimming. Your autistic experience and expression may vary. You get to decide what “sensory diet” is best for you. NeuroSpark can help you understand your neurotype, and help you gain insight into your sensory use and interests.

At NeuroSpark Health, we are all about embracing and expressing your true self. We can help you accomplish this with autism assessment and autism-affirming therapy. FYI — your therapist stims, too. 

We are a judgment-free environment that is safe and affirming for all people, especially neurodivergent adults from marginalized communities. We offer one-on-one coaching and accommodations consulting to further identify, meet, and advocate for your needs in all areas of your life.