What an increase in stimulation may indicate about your current autism treatment
As parents work to find effective treatments for autism, many of the usual symptoms displayed by their children will continue. In most cases, this usually includes some form of “stimming”. Stimming is an extremely common autism symptom that includes certain repeated behaviors or movements. These behaviors are self-stimulating and consist of repetitive behaviors that are performed to stimulate the senses. Examples of stimulation include clapping, running in circles, humming, or manipulating objects (such as bending straws or tearing paper).
Although stimulation behaviors may seem unnecessary or even inappropriate for some situations, they are not done to gain attention or interrupt. Instead, stimulating behaviors are often used to lower the stress levels of the child performing them. Because autism causes children to react atypically to sensory stimuli, they often use stimulation to help deal with their sensory issues.
Rocking is another type of stimulating behavior that is common among autistic children. Many autistic children find that rocking back and forth allows them to restore a sense of focus when they feel overly sensitive to stimuli in their environment. It can also help with concentration and focus.
Although it is most obvious in autistic children, non-autistic children and adults also participate in forms of stimulation. Consider the number of times you’ve seen someone drum their fingers, tap a pencil, fiddle with paper, or bounce a knee when sitting down. Anxiety tends to make these behaviors worse. Although behaviors like nail biting or whistling are often done involuntarily, they help us maintain control over our emotions and calm us down in tense situations. Because children with autism often find stressors in most stimuli in their environment, they often “pick up” regularly throughout the day and especially when placed in a new environment.
If you find that your child’s level of sexual stimulation increases in line with the introduction of new or more frequent treatments, it could be for a number of reasons.
1. They seek reassurance as they learn something new.
2. The situation is stressful for them, so they retreat to what is familiar: stimulating behavior.
3. They don’t like the change in their routine that the new or increased frequency of treatment is introducing.
Of course, these reasons are not the only ones. However, the key is to monitor the behavior and see if the stimming levels off, increases more, or decreases as the treatment program progresses.
It’s also important to note that stimulating behaviors can turn into obsessions. When identifying characteristics for the treatment of autism, divide your child’s stimulation into two groups: excitatory and calming.
Stimulation that is calming is the kind that helps your autistic child regain focus when feeling stressed or anxious. On the other hand, excitatory stimulation sends your child’s attention in a negative direction.
An example of excitatory stimming might be when an autistic child gets nervous and instead of smiling and giggling, he or she might start clapping, running, or yelling. This can be disruptive behavior, as it encourages behaviors that may be inappropriate and not conducive to effective learning.
Stimming can also be an attachment to specific objects. Although most young children tend to have a favorite toy, such as a doll or blanket, in the case of autistic children, they may have difficulty letting go of their attachment to this object. It can be something they like to smell, look at, hear or touch.
Stimming can also take the form of arranging things. For example, an autistic child may self-stimulate by arranging things, lining them up, or stacking them. This, like other stimulating behaviors, can easily become an obsession.
Pacing habits can be very difficult to break, as they are often relaxing and enjoyable and provide a coping mechanism for an autistic child. As a parent, you will need to decide what stimulation behavior is acceptable both in terms of the action itself and the frequency. Keep in mind that trying to stop all stimming can be very stressful for your child. So focus on behaviors that are arousing or inappropriate and leave calming or harmless activities alone.
When considering treatment for your child’s autism, make sure the doctor or specialist is aware of all of your child’s stimulation behaviors so they can be appropriately addressed. Keep in mind that stimming often differs from one form of autism to another.