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Vocal stimming qu-when does it become a stim?

NAS88473

Hi all

My daughter is 5 and waiting for a private diagnosis.

She fits a potential PDA profile but not 100% sure.

She has started making a clicking sound over the last months and has always been a singer and dancer. Even at the age of 1 and half 2 she would sing and do sing and sign and dance.

My qu is how often does a child sing or repeate singing and dancing for it to be considered a stim? She has episodes.of singing a lot during the day but my family say she just likes to sing and dance...some kids just like to.sing.

Today she did a repetitive dance and song in the shower for over 7 mins. The same dance and song that she had seen. I feel that 7 mins repeating the same dance and song isn't usual but have no idea.

Guess I'm not sure.if I'm over thinking it as singing can be very usual for some children with and without autism.

Really wasn't sure when it becomes identified as a 'stim'.

She makes clicking sounds randomly but sings when colouring, dancing, playing, drawing or walking around the shops. We know when shes very content as she sings continuously. Doesn't sing when she's angry or upset 

She doesn't do it at school but does sing around family but not exessive but.mostly when at home.  This has increased during the summer holidays. Sometimes.she will.sing songs she knows and other times.its just saying words but with a tune to them and she will also make up songs.

Each day is different and it's.not impacting on life negativity but curious if this could be a stim. She sings at home everyday some days more than others

Thanks

  • I would throw money on a good part of the music industry - engineers and creatives - to have autistic traits: Monotropism, hyper-sensory and some to be actually autistic with a difference in social communication. 

    The difference between self-stimulating behaviour and repetition is a matter of being socialised out of it. However, working in sound and understanding what it takes to become a highly skilled performer / session player, I find the word "stim" rather pathologising, even if a good deal of people have hacked it and are using it. The world is in motion. We are conceived by rhythm. The weather is created by patterns, and in order to succeed like any great band, one has to be willing to play the same song on repeat, 8 hours a day, "8 days a week". And most likely until your final performance. You'd think U2 were over playing Bloody Sunday. This IS autistic play: engaging with the elements in sensory immersion, in mind full deep immersion, if we line up colours to visually examine nuances or squish our toes to kinetically examine the nuance, it is all the same. The only complication is when one cannot recollect a thing which is private should not be public.

    Now, it's good for us to have hobbies, but as she grows older, if she can discipline her craft, engage in the arts, focus on building her talents and natural inclinations and use them to her advantage, like any mathematician or engineer and also build her self as a beautiful human, than 'stimming' matters little. 

    Being autistic, I can tell you the major thing which will ruin and destroy the abilities one has is being interrupted. It is the difficulty with a natural Monototropic 'wiring'. But if given the proper space/time to explore and develop, her being and being in the moment can become an incredible gift. 

  • Hello ,

    Thank you for sharing this. It is difficult to tell whether this is a form of stimming, but you may find it useful to have a look at our information on stimming which may help to identify  and explain these behaviours: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour/stimming/all-audiences

    All the best,

    ChloeMod