Published on 12, July, 2020
The title says (asks) it all really. I keep seeing these terms but they are new to me (since joining this forum and wrong planet forum). Nobody seems to explain them, its as if it's taken for granted that everyone will already know what they mean.
I have picked up that 'stimming' means some form of self-stimulation and that hand-flapping is a classic 'stimming' example. I am pretty sure I don't do any 'stimming' unless keeping clenched fists a lot of the time counts?
As for meltdowns, I get very frustrated and angry when things I'm doing don't go right. I feel very tense around my chest and in my head, and I can sometimes swear very loudly when things get on top of me (usually when there's nobody else around to offend). Is this 'meltdown'?
Hi Technophobe23,
What astonished me when I got diagnosed was to find I was described in a textbook.
But at the same time only parts of the textbook described me, and that made it hard to come to terms with the diagnosis.
Over time I've got this view of my autism status I've been very lucky.
I only have meltdowns very rarely, mostly in response to my parents' attempts to change me, and bullying at school, also in the workplace, and when there's just way too much information coming at me all at once. With me it is definately sensory overload. They don't amount to much, and usually I manage to get out of sight, in private. I see them coming.
Some people don't have meltdowns at all, but may become very withdrawn or mute. The textbooks define a type, but if you look at the Triad of Impairments there's little sign of the phenomenon, so to onlookers it seems extreme and psychotic. Consequently there really isn't much research on it. And public opinion sees it as immature behaviour. And lets face iit, if the health professionals and scientists out there don't seem bothered to look into it, not much will change.
Stimming is about reassurance, sensory checking, also some obsessive compulsive traits. Only some people stim visibly. Personally I have amassed a collection of little noises, occasional spoken expressions and very discrete hand movements that mostly nobody notices.
Some people with very marked and limiting autism show little or no outward signs. Others, including people who could be defined as borderline, have very conspicuous behaviours.
It is I think why progress on understanding autism is so slow. There are such diverse manifestations and complex mixes of traits.