Stimming

@skyfireinferno99 here it is!

@Janine-RO I just like them because they look bumpy 

Looks like such a good texture. 

@Tiny_leaf  I agree, and I'm so glad that there is much more awareness these days about the function that stimming plays, and how important it can be to people. I think that some parents can sometimes feel worried about their kid appearing "weird", or worry about them being made fun of, and that can lead to people being pressured to stop. Threads like this are so important  

I agree with the jellyfish -they actually look super similar to ones a friend of mine makes for premature babies in the NICU. They've found that premmies can find it really soothing to play with the octopus tentacles because they feel like the umblilical cord, which they would have been playing with in the womb. So now people will volunteer to make them for babies who are still in the hospital   

@Janine-RO it's really sad when people get made fun of for stimming.

I actually had to re-learn how to stim after I found out that there was nothing actually wrong with it, because everyone had conditioned me not to.

Starting to stim again made a really big difference to me which is actually why I made this thread.

Also can I just say that the tentacles on those jellyfish look like they would be super entertaining to play with.

Hi @Anonymous , this is such a great resource, thanks so much for sharing it! 

I am really loving this thread , I've just skimmed back through it and have learned so much, thanks @Tiny_leaf , @xXLexi_Lou122Xx , @mrmusic and everyone else who shared here. 

I have a close family member who stims quite a bit, and I know as they've got older (they're primary school age) , they've had more people commenting on it, and occasionally shaming them for it.

Their most common stims are clenching their fists and shaking when they're excited, hand flapping, and drawing on their legs in pen. I remember doing similar flapping when i was young and got overwhelmed sometimes.

I've read quite a bit on stimming but I feel like it's often talked about in a way that overlooks the positive aspects of it, and how soothing it can be for people - I love threads like this! Thanks so much again everyone for sharing

I'm also wondering if anyone here finds activities like crocheting or knitting helpful? I used to study with someone who found that crocheting/ knitting  in class was a really helpful way for her to concentrate, plus as a bonus she would end up with pretty scarves, and cute toys and stuff! 

@Hozzles yeah, stimming's amazing and diverse!

Honestly chewing stuff's a pretty common stim, have you ever tried chewellry? 

Reversible sequins are the best! I have a dinosaur plushie covered in them.

Personally my visual stims are centered mostly around sparkly/ rainbow things, I haven't experienced anything like that. But everyone stims differently; so if something feels like a stim it probably is. 

Oooh, a good thread I just discovered! I just remembered that I need to go and buy some kinetic sand. 😋

When I first considered I might have autism (not officially diagnosed... yet!) once of the main reasons I/ my family rejected it was because I didn't really stim in a way that's stereotypical of autism... but now I realize there's lots of ways to stim! I know, for example, that when I was little I used to chew the strings of my hoodies, and I still have a habit of chewing on pens and drinking straws. 

Something funny... shaving your head is a great way to stim anywhere 😂. After I recently shaved my hair, I really didn't expect to be patting it as much as I do! it just feels so nice and soft! I'm out there sitting in public just absent-mindedly rubbing my own head. 😂😂 I definitely pat things a lot. I love those cushions with the reversible sequins. 

Also, I was wondering for a while if this 'counts' as stimming, but ever since I was I child I have had a tendency to stare at certain images repeatedly. Usually they've been photos of friends, or characters I really like. I recently saw a resource about stimming and it mentioned visual stimming and I was like !!! that's why I do that weird thing all the time! It's really important to emphasize that stimming can use all the senses! 

I just remembered this really cool thing you can do with home-made playdough that makes it even better for stimming with.

You can add essential oils/ dried rosemary or even shampoo for the smell, plus stuff like uncooked rice, dried rosemary or even dehydrated peas to give it texture. 

It feels really weird and smells nice. 

Plus of course you can dye it if you want:

Wow I really need to make some now..

@not-an-otter I like stretchies!! So fun!

I also love tangles! They are curved pieces which are clipped together and they can be spun around and moved so the tangle is in different shapes. You can even take them apart easily and change them up 🙂

I use them during my psychologist session and it helps me cope

@xXLexi_Lou122Xx 

Weighted vests are used for people that have problems with sensory input, and commonly we need some extra sensory input through feeling and pressure, so the weighted vest can put pressure where the person needs it. 

It's like clenching a fist- just putting the pressure on parts of the body can relieve some distress and help with calming down and to focus.

Some examples of weighted vests look a bit like this: 

Hope this helps a bit 

@not-an-otter yay!!!

I've seen those, I have a frog shaped one!!

Hmm.... 

One of my favorites is a tube of glitter, kinda like a snow globe but super sparkly!!

@xXLexi_Lou122Xx oooo, and kinetic sand's really good for that as well!.

I'd personally really like to get my hands on some fidget jewelry, or sensory clothes like a weighted vest though.

Gonna try and revive this thread hopefully 

I've discovered a type of stim toy that seems to be working really well for me at the moment- squishy silicon things! Things like these are super fun to play with and the small dinosaurs and lizards can also fit in pockets!:

Only downside is the plastic for packaging and manufacturing 

Also the dinosaurs stick to walls which means you can pretend to throw poke balls at the wall and bam a little lizard appears out of nowhere 

I'm curious to hear about any new stim toys anyone recently got or a recent favourite 

Tagging few members who have participated in this thread before: @Tiny_leaf @MisoBear @xXLexi_Lou122Xx @mrmusic @N1ghtW1ng 

@not-an-otter flappy hands are a favorite of mine as well 

I sometimes flap my hands

I have some good news about chewies at school!!

https://www.arktherapeutic.com/pencil-topper-chews/

 This is just one example, but if you look up "chewy pencil toppers" you should find more.

You can even get ones that make it look like you're just chewing on a pen lid!

I can't believe I am only just discovering this thread now I'm so excited we have a thread on stimming! 

I used to have a fidget spinner I kept hidden in my pocket because it was considered just a trend and people in my school used to make jokes about fidget spinners and then they got turned into a meme and now if someone has a fidget spinner it's "cringey" so that's why it stayed in my pocket (until I lost it a few weeks ago )

Another stim I use is flappy hands which I do when I'm talking (not even excitedly) or when I get overexcited by something. 

When I was younger I used to chew on the collar of my school polo shirt, but then I stopped because I used to get told off for chewing on my clothes, and I haven't had a chew toy since, but I'm going to try and find one soon (even if I can't take it to school)

@xXLexi_Lou122Xx I like a combination of both I think.

@MisoBear same!! It's so conflicting for me when on one hand my whole leg is aching/ cramping up, but on the other hand my leg needs to be jiggled..