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Stimming

NAS18453

I was told, by someone on Twitter and who is autistic, that all autistic people stim. The thing is, I don't, unless talking to yourself, is considered stimming. I occasionally scratch at my psoriasis, but I don't do that on a daily basis, or to calm myself down.

Is it possible to be autistic and to not stim?

Parents

  • I thought I didn't "stim" as such because I didnt see myself as doing anything particularly unconventional. Turns out I'm always swaying or wriggling my legs, and actually I mainly do it when I'm relaxed and concentrating on something rather than always doing it because I'm stressed. I love knitting and I can't keep my legs still when I'm doing it. It drives my husband insane, but it's like I'm at my happiest and my legs just want to jiggle haha.

  • in reply to M

    Hi Michelle,

    I'm just thinking.... could the  knitting itself be a form stimming? My late mother (who I'm sure was  ASD, undiagnosed or maybe 'closet') knitted for the sake of it, she very often knitted items and gave them away. It  was clearly repetative and comforting, and I would say she needed to do it. Do you count when you knit - rows or stiches - knit one pearl one etc?

    Just a thought,

    Ben

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  • in reply to M

    Hi Michelle,

    I'm just thinking.... could the  knitting itself be a form stimming? My late mother (who I'm sure was  ASD, undiagnosed or maybe 'closet') knitted for the sake of it, she very often knitted items and gave them away. It  was clearly repetative and comforting, and I would say she needed to do it. Do you count when you knit - rows or stiches - knit one pearl one etc?

    Just a thought,

    Ben

Children
  • in reply to Ben

    Indeed, knitting and crochet are wonderful stress relievers.  Yes, it's the repetitive nature that is soothing, I love the even flow of stitches, particularly with self phasing yarns.  The hands move over and over in the same movement, whilst the colour gently changes.

    It also gets a bit obsessive.  I went through an intense phase of making crochet socks to my own designs - just socks, nothing else for the best part of a year.  They came everywhere with me; on the bus, in front of the Telly, in waiting rooms, round to tea at my mother's. I have a vast collection of sock yarns - and finished socks -and EVERYBODY got socks, dozens of pairs of socks.

    I never thought anything of it until I went through the developmental questionnaire with my mother, who drew just short of telling me I was boring about my socks. She was grateful for the ones I'd made her though, lol.