A special needs blog on the site features many articles with tips and ideas for parents of children with special needs. This article was originally published on, the web site of a community organization in Michigan that offers assistance and support for families with special needs. In other words, to reduce the stimming, offer a replacement that is more alluring than the stim ! “The overall principle is to offer the child experiences that produce the same sort of sensations as the self-stimulatory activity but lead up the developmental ladder of regulation, engagement, and interaction.” He adds that if you begin to use the gestures so the child, in order to get what she wants, has to gesture purposefully back to you, the can become part of an interaction. Stanley Greenspan, author of Engaging Autism and developer of the Floortime method, explains: “Some children become intrigued-they now have a partner in crime, so to speak-and we get some shared attention and relating.”
He thinks it’s hilarious when I do that with him! My son’s preferred stim is to hold up his hand and talk to it, as if looking in a mirror. If a person is rocking back and forth, then rock back and forth right next to the person. If a person is spinning plates, then start spinning plates.
Get a medical exam to eliminate the possibility of physical causes for stims, such as ear infections, chronic pain, migraines and retinal detachment.Here are some ideas for increasing relationship skills while reducing time spent stimming: So he started covering his ears whenever he needed to comfort himself, especially when falling asleep. He had learned to cover his ears when his environment was too noisy, and that was soothing to him. I recently read a blog in which a parent asked why her son covered his ears in his sleep. Many infants learn to suck their thumbs to relax themselves. Self-regulation: Some stims serve the purpose of soothing or comforting.Frustration or anger may intensify a stim to the point that it becomes destructive. We’ve all seen physical reactions to joy or excitement, such as jumping or hand-flapping. Management of emotions: Both positive and negative emotions may trigger a burst of stimming.One hypothesis is that stimming causes the release of beta-endorphins in the body, which then causes a feeling of anesthesia or pleasure. Pain reduction: Repeated banging of the head or body actually reduces the overall sensation of pain.Understimulation: Stimming helps provide extra sensory input when needed.Overstimulation: Stimming can help block out excess sensory input.
There are several hypotheses and known causes for stimming: “Why does my child engage in this behavior?” Seeking to understand the motivation for a behavior is always a great place to start.