Stimming a lot without asd

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually don't consider it a negative, since at the moment my child's stims don't interfere with his functioning. He actually seems to be using the behavior in a functional way to help himself calm down (walking in circles, jumping up and down). His dad stims too so there's something genetic about it.

Is that considered a stim? That seems to me to be just classic ADHD motor activity. I'm never sure what's really considered a "stim". My ADHD kid did/will do things like chewing clothes, rocking his head from side to side, repeating words in a fairly nonsensical way. I think some of those might be considered stims, but I'm not really sure.

Those are all pretty classic stims. It might be described as "sensory seeking" but that is what stims are.

Stims can be a lot of things. My autistic DD picks at her scalp and lip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually don't consider it a negative, since at the moment my child's stims don't interfere with his functioning. He actually seems to be using the behavior in a functional way to help himself calm down (walking in circles, jumping up and down). His dad stims too so there's something genetic about it.

Is that considered a stim? That seems to me to be just classic ADHD motor activity. I'm never sure what's really considered a "stim". My ADHD kid did/will do things like chewing clothes, rocking his head from side to side, repeating words in a fairly nonsensical way. I think some of those might be considered stims, but I'm not really sure.

I never really recognized it as a stim until recently! I think as he gets older and more mature, it's more visible to see the movements that are out of the ordinary, as he gets further away from the toddler/3 year old stage where it is more normal to be all over the place physically.

[Anonymous]

OP, check out the Johns Hopkins web pages on motor stereotypies - http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/pediatric-neurology/conditions/motor-stereotypies/. There is also a pretty active Motor Stereotypy Facebook group; lots of good information in both places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually don't consider it a negative, since at the moment my child's stims don't interfere with his functioning. He actually seems to be using the behavior in a functional way to help himself calm down (walking in circles, jumping up and down). His dad stims too so there's something genetic about it.

Is that considered a stim? That seems to me to be just classic ADHD motor activity. I'm never sure what's really considered a "stim". My ADHD kid did/will do things like chewing clothes, rocking his head from side to side, repeating words in a fairly nonsensical way. I think some of those might be considered stims, but I'm not really sure.

Those are all pretty classic stims. It might be described as "sensory seeking" but that is what stims are.

Stims can be a lot of things. My autistic DD picks at her scalp and lip.

Honest question: are these stims? Or are they just "nervous habits" that tons of society has; the equivalent of biting nails, chewing on hair, biting your lip?

my son is adhd, and has some of these types of habits (pulling hair, chewing inside of cheek), but has some distinct stims too (pacing, flapping hands, jumping in place). The former he does when he's nervous, thoughtful, deep in thought. The latter he does when he is overexcited or overstimulated. Only the latter category seem to be directly related to his adhd issues (which get much worse in overstimulated environments).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually don't consider it a negative, since at the moment my child's stims don't interfere with his functioning. He actually seems to be using the behavior in a functional way to help himself calm down (walking in circles, jumping up and down). His dad stims too so there's something genetic about it.

Is that considered a stim? That seems to me to be just classic ADHD motor activity. I'm never sure what's really considered a "stim". My ADHD kid did/will do things like chewing clothes, rocking his head from side to side, repeating words in a fairly nonsensical way. I think some of those might be considered stims, but I'm not really sure.

Those are all pretty classic stims. It might be described as "sensory seeking" but that is what stims are.

Stims can be a lot of things. My autistic DD picks at her scalp and lip.

Honest question: are these stims? Or are they just "nervous habits" that tons of society has; the equivalent of biting nails, chewing on hair, biting your lip?

my son is adhd, and has some of these types of habits (pulling hair, chewing inside of cheek), but has some distinct stims too (pacing, flapping hands, jumping in place). The former he does when he's nervous, thoughtful, deep in thought. The latter he does when he is overexcited or overstimulated. Only the latter category seem to be directly related to his adhd issues (which get much worse in overstimulated environments).

I should have clarified -- I was referring to the picking at scalp and lip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Honest question: are these stims? Or are they just "nervous habits" that tons of society has; the equivalent of biting nails, chewing on hair, biting your lip?

my son is adhd, and has some of these types of habits (pulling hair, chewing inside of cheek), but has some distinct stims too (pacing, flapping hands, jumping in place). The former he does when he's nervous, thoughtful, deep in thought. The latter he does when he is overexcited or overstimulated. Only the latter category seem to be directly related to his adhd issues (which get much worse in overstimulated environments).

Nervous habits can be consider stims to b/c they often serve a regulatory purpose--showing excitement, trying to self soothe.

There's probably some kind of line when it crosses over into OCD when it becomes ritualistic.

My guess is that all of these are related to brain activity. Like when institutionalized orphans would rock back and forth for stimuli. They weren't autistic, but their brains were craving input.:
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/02/20/280237833/orphans-lonely-beginnings-reveal-how-parents-shape-a-childs-brain