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AUTISM GLOSSARY
Stimming
DEFINITION
Stimming — short for self-stimulatory behavior — refers to repetitive movements, sounds, or sensory input that help regulate the nervous system. Common stims include hand-flapping, rocking, humming, spinning, chewing, or repeating phrases.
WHY IT MATTERS
Stimming serves a genuine neurological function: it helps autistic people manage sensory input, regulate emotions, and communicate. Suppressing stims is harmful and linked to increased anxiety.
COMMON MISCONCEPTION
Stimming is not a symptom to eliminate. It is not inherently disruptive. Many non-autistic people stim too — leg-bouncing, hair-twirling, pen-clicking — but autistic stims are more visible and more frequently targeted for suppression.