Vocal stim is my #1, I wake up with a song in my head and sing a certain selection from that song on a loop, until a new song replaces it. But when I was little, my mom used to yell at me whenever I sang, screaming at me that she hated my voice. So I learned to sing silently with zero sound to avoid my mom's berating. Later I became a singer in bands because apparently my voice is pretty damned good, my mother's opinions not withstanding. My other 2 stims are leg shaking and running my fingers through my hair (kids, if you do this, try to control it because it makes you lose your hair super fast when you get older)
I'm sorry your mom was like that. I'm happy to hear you kept singing! I do it all the time at work, I get bits in my head. I have a coworker thats still in High School that sings song pieces all the time and sometimes people at work complain a little but I think they're just jelly cause she has a good voice. I let her know that too. I do the same thing so we just are two annoying coworkers together.
@@Snakeplisskin440 haha snake pliskin. how's that escape for NY going BTW? my mom and all her sibs had been abused by her father. he was especially weird about hem making any sort of noise around him thus her intense sensitivity to music and singing. sad for her, right? wish i had known when i was a kid, though. woulda made things a bunch easier for us both. currently i have the theme song to Pee Wees Big Adventure on vocal auto-play. Yeah, I even sing instrumentals. This one is particularly harrowing for my house mates due to its intense pitch jumps - but i only sing this one when i am more happier than not. so while annoying, it is a good sign in my world LOL.
When i am at work, I have noticed that are about five songs that I sing to myself over and over. I never paid attention to it until recently, but I always do it, It is like those songs are on repeat in my head. I tend to bounce my legs or play with my hair when I am sitting at my computer. Listening to music soothes me, no matter what it is. I can relax to the sounds of classical, or death metal. It really doesn't matter, as long as it is music.
Yeah! I have tics vocal stims embarrassing in public Thank you so much for the comment! Make sure you are subscribed and have the notifications turned on :).
Wow, I’m just learning that I have ADHD (possibly also mildly Autistic, if that’s even possible. Don’t know if there are degrees of Autism), and when I was little I would become obsessed with the sound of specific parts of songs and record just those parts on an endless loop, which drove my Mum crazy having to hear it endlessly.
First off, I have one of those fidget rollers. And I absolutely love it. It helps my complex PTSD, my blindness and my autism. Second off, I do stim because of being totally blind, autistic and maybe complex PTSD may play a role. But I know for sure blindness and autism do play a big roll in stimming. I also vocal stim a lot. I repeat the names of my favorite songs by my favorite artists. I repeat the names of my favorite musicians. I also make noises. Like I’ll make a grunting noise, or I’ll make a noise like I’m wheezing. I hum, and I do lots of other vocal stimming.
I mainly shake my legs, sometimes bite the inside of my cheeks. Now that I know I'm on the spectrum I'll raise my hands over my head and just shake my whole body for a while. It releases a lot of uncomfortable pockets of chi energy. I write a lot, and have always had to get up and pace for a while, before I could concentrate again.
VERY GLAD you brought up vocal swimming as no one has been talking about it. I have noticed myself doing it and wondered why no one had thought to bring it up. Thank you!
If talking makes you feel good, then yes. But stimming is a specific emotion/reaction that is levels above just "enjoying" something. It's like a fuzzy buzzing, or a mild jolt of energy you get when doing certain things. Some people probably could get that just from talking, and they would probably talk a lot. Maybe some autistic people talk so much because it DOES cause them to feel good, like they're stimming.
I do it every day. When I'm alone, I monologue or have conversations with myself in different accents. It's also how I teach my students to learn English. None of them know I teach the way an autistic learns, but it's far superior to traditional language teaching. Essentially, I teach stimming, but in a way that's relative to their experience. But not the part about having conversations with yourself in different voices - they would think I was mad.
I think you just explained to me a co-worker's behavior. We did the same job, but often if she needed help, she wasn't sure what to do with something, she would ask me for help to figure out what to do. If I was not clear on what she was telling me or asking me, I would ask her to repeat, or ask questions, and then she did 3 things that I think were stimming because she was uncomfortable. She would swallow at the end of what she said, in a big and audible way that made a noise, I don't know what to call it, a cluck of the tongue in a closed mouth is the closest I can think of. Or she would say "mmh hum" kind of like "uh huh", at the end of each statement, as if she was reassuring herself, like that's right, what she said was correct, that kind of noise. She would also do a hard and sharp big sniff before she said the next part. There were so many of these in "a paragraph" of telling me the situation, and I could see they were tied to feeling uncomfortable, and not just incidental. Now I understand what that was about, so thank you!
I recently learned that my son (9) has more than likely contracted his autism from me (I didn't know that I had autism and i'm 35) ...I've always wondered why I'm socially awkward, get easily burnt out on being out in public, and do vocal stimming. It's actually gotten really bad since my husband passed a couple of years ago. I repetitively say my son's name in kind of a sing-song voice and even my son has noticed it, but doesn't quite understand why I do it because his way of stimming is different... It's just soothing to me somehow. I guess if I can call out for my son, it means that he's within reach and that makes me less anxious. And I definitely listen to the same songs on repeat. While I don't use the little popping or clicking toys, I do consistently rock back and forth while I'm at my computer working. Thank you for this video.. it makes me feel a little less weird now lol
You have a very chill and positive vibe and you make great content! I don't have any stimming toys, maybe I should get some. I'm self identified AuDHD and I find it very soothing to stim! It really helps with the anxiety. I recently started making videos about my experiences.
I get like a mild short grunt sometimes or start getting like a weird nervous giggle at inappropriate times that’s really embarrassing. Sometimes people will mimic it or aggressive tease mocking which is horrid. The nervous giggle is more when I’m trying to talk which stresses me out. I’m also glad you mentioned physical stimming when stressed both here and more in another video because when stressed I found my arms and hands go stiff and then I uncontrollably start flapping my arms usually for sensory overload or nervous stress. Also embarrassing in public. It’s like everything in your body and brain is on fire. It can take up to an hour to fully settle depending how bad it was. I’ve heard repeatedly that stimming like that can only happen when happy. Which I found odd and that makes you feel like there’s something wrong with you because of that. One thing I’ve never heard about that I’m curious about is, why do people sometimes start smiling or giggling during stressful events when it’s not appropriate or a true reflection of what you are really feeling? Both my son and myself sometimes do this. I have Autism just diagnosed on the DSM-5 without a full examination from a psychiatrist and my son has a ADHD /CD diagnosis from child paediatrician. I wish we had access to information about ADHD when he was young the doctors were too busy arguing if it was real even in the early 2000s which made life difficult and access to information barely existed
Repeating music patterns and "color noise" such as white noise, seem to be both popular and effective for a majority of people. Not for me though, it triggers my audio sensitivity. White noise, more often than not, will induce a migraine headache. Visual or tactile seem to work will. What is colloquially referred to as "Doom Scrolling" and "Rabbit holeing" on on the internet. Feels good, man!
I do both kinds of stims. My vocal stims are usually 2 favourite words that I put together and I even put them in the middle of a sentence to add variety. I like words with very crisp sounds to them and like certain individual letters and will vocal stim on those letters as well. I do a lot clicking, tapping and flicking stims with my fingers. I'll also do dancing with my fingers.
This makes me think of how I tend to say out loud words I read when I'm out and about. In my mind I'm making conversation, or pointing something out, but thinking about it now, I'm feeling a bit strange about the behavior.
As a kid, I used to humm with my upper and lower teeth barely touching each other so that they would resonate. Now I know why that was satisfying to me. Though I can't say if it was the feeling of the vibration or more like the sound I could hear as a result that I liked in doing so.
Thanks, Dan. I learned so much in that video. I actually do both types of Stimming. I usually stim certain sounds when I am with my mother. Other times, I stim in other ways depending on if I am nervous or happy. I might flap my hands or crack my knuckles if I am nervous. I might play a song over and over in my head if I am happy. I really enjoyed learning in this video. ❤
I was diagnosed with ADHD this past year at 57. When I was in high school, I used to drive both my Mom and my sister nuts with a couple of things....drumming (not the instrument I played!) and playing records on repeat and singing them over and over...and over. I grew out of the drumming part as I grew up and got out of band. To this day though I will have songs stuck in my head that I just have to sing on repeat until the next song takes over. Now at least I have access to a variety of music and can choose the music:).
I feel I vocal stim. Like I will repeat certain comms from nasa missions, or phrases that just pop into my head, or just… like recently I put my hand on my throat and I hum and feel the vibrations and it’s really cool. :-) I audio stim in that I will repeat a song or a clip of a song or a specific movie or line from a tv show (such as the train taking off in back to the future 3 at the end). I am not diagnosed but friends had asked over the years and then I was told by a family member that my teacher back in primary/elementary school that I may be on the spectrum. When I heard that I thought “If that’s true, then a whole lot of stuff suddenly makes sense.”
I mostly audio stim, and sometimes I don't bother to make any noise doing it. But, you can see the muscles working as I'm mouthing along. I will rock in sort of a diagonal motion though and I do like staring at rotating objects as well.
I haven't connected this to my asperger diagnosis before for some reason (the diagnosis is only a couple of years old), but I wonder if simply talking to myself out loud (as in verbalizing my thoughts) when I'm alone is a form of stimming. I've just been thinking of it as a bad habit that I've allowed to become "worse" over the years, partly because I spend so much time alone, but now that I think of it, it's almost like saying things out loud releases more energy and just feels better when my mind is being a little intense. It's not that weird either, I'm pretty sure lots of people start verbalizing to themselves when they get angry, for instance, which is an intense energy. But I don't have to be angry to do it. And when I'm out and about, I sometimes have to supress it so people can't eavesdrop on my internal dialogue, lol..
I have waited for a video like this for a long time! I will hum the same few beats / notes that I originate (without any thought) - all day long. I’ve wondered if such humming could be considered stimming . . . You, Dave, seem to have answered in the affirmative. Thank you for clarifying! (also about auditory stimming when one listens again and again to a sound or melody)
In high school I clipped OUT a part of a song so I could repeat it without the awful ending. "A Warm Place" by Nine Inch Nails. I used to fall asleep with it on repeat. Thanks for reminding me all about it. Cheers!
I hum to myself any time I need to focus, usually only one song. When I’m at work, though, I’ll hum whatever tune I currently hear over and over without really realizing I’m doing it.
I actually do mostly the physical stims, to where I'm only stimming parts of my body. I will swing my foot back and forth a whole lot. I do lots of rocking from side to side, and sometimes back and forth. Every time I'm sitting in a computer chair, I'll keep turning from side to side most of the time. I even play with fidget toys too. In regards to the vocal stims, I usually NEVER do them during college classes or exams. I always take control. Reasons for this is because I do not want to make to much noise or cause to much distraction.
Yes, music is my #1 soother, dance & sing for hours some days, then wake up aching, constantly repeat favourites. Noticed stims have increased since a scare & I find myself pep talking myself out loud & jibbering to myself thinking out loud. Click my fingers when I loose my train of thought. It’s really embarrassing & isolating.
Great channel, Dan. Thanks. I'm 52 and was dx with ADHD way back as a kid. I only learned of the term stim/stimming in the last couple years. A bit of a revelation as I have always done this thing with my hands when I get excited, though I am somewhat conscious of it now and can control it or just rub my hands. I have a ten-year-old daughter with autism and ADHD, and she verbally stims and rocks back and forth when she is excited or nervous. The body stimming seems to have become more prevalent as she grows. Questions: Are autistic people aware that they are stimming? Does stimming grow as the person ages? Is there a good way to help autistic people, especially kids, to channel that energy differently? Or is that just not realistic. FWIW I never reprimand her, and do not mind my daughter verbally stimming but I do occasionally ask her if she can be quieter.
I find that my vocal stims have a very vibratory quality. I also like feeling music coming through festival speakers. I enjoy it the most with earplugs and my eyes closed. I also realize repeatedly that I cannot simply will myself to do my vocal stim. It just comes out involuntarily when I am alone or around others that I feel safe with, often vocalized to my cats. I naturally suppress them in public. When I was a kid, my dad vocal stimmed, which I of course didn’t understand at the time. And yes, my dad and I, and my kids very much audio stim too.
There's that, personally, it's all about the way that it feels in my throat, the way that things move around in a very satisfying way. I've found that even without actually making any sounds, I still get a good chunk of the benefit out of it. But, that may just be me.
I'm ADD and I just realized I have echolalia. Repeat the same tired phrase to myself, after checking no one is within hearing distance. Ive been doing this all my life. I also fold and refold wrappers or paper of any kind and fill notebooks with random words written in script literally hundredsof them... my handwriting has gotten really good lol. I'm starting to think my whole family is on the spectrum, but I suppose we are all on it somewhere!
My daughter was unaware she was humming whilst doing her work in school. Her classmates weren’t very understanding. I wish her teacher had been more aware of autism. I did keep saying I thought she was.
My son - who is on the spectrum, blows raspberries constantly when he is stimming. Irritating to people not on the spectrum but we hardly hear it nowadays.
This video reminded me of the ways I've always stimmed physically but never really thought about it as stimming until now: I've since childhood always flicked my 1st and 2nd (big and index? what are these toes even called!) against each other, *exactly how you showed in this video with your fingertips! I've always done that with my toes!). Next, when I was still presenting as male (I'm finally transitioning now in my life), I would pull at my goatee all the time very obviously, but I sort of wish I didn't even have to mention that one any more... Anyway, those stims I just mentioned are definitely ones that I do when present with other people, either in a social situation or at my PC at home when I'm cognizing my relationship with a social situation... But in private when I am really alone, one stim I've had for a very long time is to stroke my inner arm, all along the inside of my forearm from the elbow usually... As a means of self soothing and reminding myself what "good" touch feels like, as I've really never had much of that before XD Anyway! The only problem with that stim is that I tend to "run out" of dopamine response to doing that pretty quickly. As a child and young adult it provided good feedback and felt good, but the further and further I've gone into adulthood as a bio male in highly toxic relationships, it's been extremely difficult to even find any dopamine response from that kind of stim. It's ok though, I'm *finally getting through to gender transition and being myself again, and although it's been a struggle to find a way to meet new friends, I hope one day soon I might find relief from being touch starved for so long. Sorry if my comment was hard to read, but don't worry, we believe :)
TBH, there's more practical reason for an ADHD diagnosis as the treatment for that is a lot easier to come by. However, the autism diagnosis tends to be more about your own self as there aren't typically even the level of support that ADDers get out there. It tends to be more about acknowledgement, being included in the statistics and something to point at if people question. Ultimately, if you have the resources and access to a diagnostician, it's completely up to you. If you absolutely had to have the diagnosis, you'd probably already have it.
Often when I feel depressed or apprehensive about something, I will blurt out "I want to go home". Problem is I'm home half of the times I say it, including in my bathroom at home, getting out of the shower to prepare for the work day, and even once in my own bed while getting to sleep for the night.
I like to use those noisy hand dryer machines in public places. I had not giving any tougth on this before but every time the machine starts I have to shout "Xcelerator" from the name embossed on the machine. I like both the name the noise and the sound of my voice modulating on top of it. 😂
I stim by listening to the same track over and over, also I stim by bouncing my knee, playing with my ears, picking ect, My son stims alot by humming and other noises, running from one side of the room to the other, playing with his ears, flapping his hand and jumping, spinning and many more things, My son has been diagnosed with autism and I'm awaiting an adhd assessment Love these videos xx
I clear my throat really heavily/audibly over and over again as a stim when I’m anxious, especially if I’m about to speak up or have something important on my mind. My partner now recognizes it and will help me by asking “nervous or have a thought?” He’ll then know if he needs to give me time to speak or just let me finish stimming.
I make high-pitched noises in my throat and/or blink my eyes, squeezing my eyelids tightly while tightening my throat. I do both with one goal - to soothe my throat. This terribly interferes not only with speaking, but also with simply breathing, especially during a conversation. I don't remember how it started. I just remember that when I was a teenager, I blinked, I grunted, I inhaled air forcefully through my lips, pursed the way we fold them when we whistle, something else... I just remember that one stim was replaced by another, I even knew about it in advance. Someone help me please. I'm 48, and I've been suffering from this for at least over 30 years...
Vocally stim all the time and physical stim through touching soft textures... tonight though I have just realised that my dad used to vocal stim using words he had made up...
I have always rocked side to side. It has annoyed me because I was asked about it a lot in my teen years. Undiagnosed though, I still identify as "Autistic and ADHD diagnosed". I do like to listen to one song over and over though.
I make a weird little chirp purr noise. I'll be talking alot and then when im done i just go 'hmph'. One of my cats did it when I'd surprise her with a touch of my hand or she'd want my attention but didn't feel like yelling at me. She died last July but i still make the noise every now and then
I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 42 with AuDHD. I always will remember as a kid I would hum a LOTTTT. once I was at a basketball game with my dad and the crowd was so loud and my dad turns and looks at me and asks “Is that you humming?” and he had this look like I was an alien😅 That was a core memory that always stuck with me because I thought I was just weird, which is what I was labeled growing up. I also stim by kicking my leg up and down and the finger movement. Stimming has the opposite effect on me most of the time. I am so mentally exhausted from my hand stimming that I wonder why my body makes me do it. Isn’t it supposed to regulate us? It totally exhausts me how I stim most of the time. Any thoughts? This is still new to me.
hi Dan, any chance you could raise the volume on your videos? Watching on computer and have all settings on 100pc and can just hear you. Thanks for this video, I know someone who does vocal stimming
Idk if it's a stim but I sing song pieces out or keep saying phrases from a show I've seen. My Gf does it too but not as much as me. When I get nervous I go into like, super random, pull what you guy from the memory bank, mode. I'll just spew random words, sometimes louder the more nervous/overstimulated I am. I realize now why I have rage fits sometimes. It's because I'm overstimulated.
I do the finger type stimming, but with my toes. Also, I've always wondered if this is a stim ?(definitely a self soothing action). Since a baby ,I have had to suck a soft cloth to get to sleep. My mother told me the first thing she remembers me doing as a tiny baby was sucking the collar on my cardigan. Not too long ago,I would have to suck a soft material to focus properly. That's not as bad these day but I still cannot sleep without doing this,and I'm in my 50s. My family think it's hilarious but I find it seriously embarrassing. Many is a night I have not slept when staying somewhere because I've forgotten to bring something of the right texture. 😂it mortifying. Would you class this as a stim?
@@TheAspieWorld you are welcome. What are your thoughts regarding what I asked? The reason I'm interested is I have 10 biological grandchildren (12 grandchildren In total) and 5 of my grandchildren have autism with some also having adhd. I know I have adhd,just waiting to be diagnosed, (not that it will make a difference to me now,but would be interesting to know) ,but I also feel,for a number of reasons, (including what I mentioned),I too may be on the spectrum . I'm certainly not asking you to diagnose,it would be interesting to know if you've ever heard of anyone with similar 'habits' and would this be,or be similar, to a stim?
I use both aspects of stimming. In public it tends to be physical, and also vocal, which sometimes can be embarrassing. At home what ever happens, happens lmao.
I do both with words from hungarian trash videos , music parts, sounds. scratching my body drumming with my feet or jus dig my hand to my pockets to hold something.almost always listening music outdoors .
My daughter vocal stims she is 6 we are currently in the process of getting her diagnosed, is she aware she is doing it? However, I’ve noticed she only does it at home, nan and grandads or in the car is it just she feels safe to do it there?
Hi, @@TheAspieWorld , I enjoyed your video! I think you misunderstood what @TessaCoker was saying, though. I think she's pointing out that you said "alexithymia" a few times in your video when you meant to say "echolalia".
I was just thinking along these lines also. Some of my family’s stims are tics also. I guess that’s the problem when one person is describing stimming because it’s so different for everyone. 😊
Dr Oyalo herbs is really helpful, and have helped my son improve with his speech and social skill complete. My son now responds to name, his aggressive behavior has stoped completely
I dont know it im being sold a pitch for a £40 fidget toy and $7 stim pack download...or this is genuine guidance and advice....so confusing to know in todays world if its all just a pitch to earn money??.....from every angle were being sold something all the time....taking advantage and targeting people with genuine mental health disorders who are just looking for organic advice.. tired of peole like you looking to earn a quick buck out of us. Do one.
Whe Donald Trump says, "A lotta ... " with that weird grating tone in his voice, I have to repeat it. I don't know why, but I can't not repeat it several times over.
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Vocal stim is my #1, I wake up with a song in my head and sing a certain selection from that song on a loop, until a new song replaces it. But when I was little, my mom used to yell at me whenever I sang, screaming at me that she hated my voice. So I learned to sing silently with zero sound to avoid my mom's berating. Later I became a singer in bands because apparently my voice is pretty damned good, my mother's opinions not withstanding.
My other 2 stims are leg shaking and running my fingers through my hair (kids, if you do this, try to control it because it makes you lose your hair super fast when you get older)
I'm sorry your mom was like that. I'm happy to hear you kept singing! I do it all the time at work, I get bits in my head. I have a coworker thats still in High School that sings song pieces all the time and sometimes people at work complain a little but I think they're just jelly cause she has a good voice. I let her know that too. I do the same thing so we just are two annoying coworkers together.
@@Snakeplisskin440 haha snake pliskin. how's that escape for NY going BTW? my mom and all her sibs had been abused by her father. he was especially weird about hem making any sort of noise around him thus her intense sensitivity to music and singing. sad for her, right? wish i had known when i was a kid, though. woulda made things a bunch easier for us both.
currently i have the theme song to Pee Wees Big Adventure on vocal auto-play. Yeah, I even sing instrumentals. This one is particularly harrowing for my house mates due to its intense pitch jumps - but i only sing this one when i am more happier than not. so while annoying, it is a good sign in my world LOL.
Great video - just one thing: You said "alexithymia" when I believe you meant "echolalia". Alexithymia is related to identifying feelings.
When i am at work, I have noticed that are about five songs that I sing to myself over and over. I never paid attention to it until recently, but I always do it, It is like those songs are on repeat in my head. I tend to bounce my legs or play with my hair when I am sitting at my computer. Listening to music soothes me, no matter what it is. I can relax to the sounds of classical, or death metal. It really doesn't matter, as long as it is music.
haha we have all of the same stims :D
I do both types of stimming but my vocal stims are more embarrassing, so I tend to do them in private or when I feel safe to do so.
Yeah! I have tics vocal stims embarrassing in public Thank you so much for the comment! Make sure you are subscribed and have the notifications turned on :).
Wow, I’m just learning that I have ADHD (possibly also mildly Autistic, if that’s even possible. Don’t know if there are degrees of Autism), and when I was little I would become obsessed with the sound of specific parts of songs and record just those parts on an endless loop, which drove my Mum crazy having to hear it endlessly.
First off, I have one of those fidget rollers. And I absolutely love it. It helps my complex PTSD, my blindness and my autism. Second off, I do stim because of being totally blind, autistic and maybe complex PTSD may play a role. But I know for sure blindness and autism do play a big roll in stimming. I also vocal stim a lot. I repeat the names of my favorite songs by my favorite artists. I repeat the names of my favorite musicians. I also make noises. Like I’ll make a grunting noise, or I’ll make a noise like I’m wheezing. I hum, and I do lots of other vocal stimming.
Love it! Thank you so much for the comment! Please subscribe to my channel to see more videos from me :).
@TheAspieWorld why say on ur Instagram we only live till 30 to 50 years of age ???? You're a div trying to scare people????
I mainly shake my legs, sometimes bite the inside of my cheeks. Now that I know I'm on the spectrum I'll raise my hands over my head and just shake my whole body for a while. It releases a lot of uncomfortable pockets of chi energy. I write a lot, and have always had to get up and pace for a while, before I could concentrate again.
VERY GLAD you brought up vocal swimming as no one has been talking about it. I have noticed myself doing it and wondered why no one had thought to bring it up. Thank you!
I asked it before and I’ll ask it again, “Is talking stimming? Is hearing one’s own voice stimming?”
It can be if repetitive t on
If talking makes you feel good, then yes. But stimming is a specific emotion/reaction that is levels above just "enjoying" something. It's like a fuzzy buzzing, or a mild jolt of energy you get when doing certain things. Some people probably could get that just from talking, and they would probably talk a lot. Maybe some autistic people talk so much because it DOES cause them to feel good, like they're stimming.
Yes it is😊
Auditory processing
Look into it bc that may be what ur referring to some, it was for me
I do it every day. When I'm alone, I monologue or have conversations with myself in different accents. It's also how I teach my students to learn English. None of them know I teach the way an autistic learns, but it's far superior to traditional language teaching. Essentially, I teach stimming, but in a way that's relative to their experience. But not the part about having conversations with yourself in different voices - they would think I was mad.
I think you just explained to me a co-worker's behavior. We did the same job, but often if she needed help, she wasn't sure what to do with something, she would ask me for help to figure out what to do. If I was not clear on what she was telling me or asking me, I would ask her to repeat, or ask questions, and then she did 3 things that I think were stimming because she was uncomfortable. She would swallow at the end of what she said, in a big and audible way that made a noise, I don't know what to call it, a cluck of the tongue in a closed mouth is the closest I can think of. Or she would say "mmh hum" kind of like "uh huh", at the end of each statement, as if she was reassuring herself, like that's right, what she said was correct, that kind of noise. She would also do a hard and sharp big sniff before she said the next part. There were so many of these in "a paragraph" of telling me the situation, and I could see they were tied to feeling uncomfortable, and not just incidental. Now I understand what that was about, so thank you!
I recently learned that my son (9) has more than likely contracted his autism from me (I didn't know that I had autism and i'm 35) ...I've always wondered why I'm socially awkward, get easily burnt out on being out in public, and do vocal stimming. It's actually gotten really bad since my husband passed a couple of years ago. I repetitively say my son's name in kind of a sing-song voice and even my son has noticed it, but doesn't quite understand why I do it because his way of stimming is different... It's just soothing to me somehow. I guess if I can call out for my son, it means that he's within reach and that makes me less anxious. And I definitely listen to the same songs on repeat. While I don't use the little popping or clicking toys, I do consistently rock back and forth while I'm at my computer working. Thank you for this video.. it makes me feel a little less weird now lol
You have a very chill and positive vibe and you make great content! I don't have any stimming toys, maybe I should get some. I'm self identified AuDHD and I find it very soothing to stim! It really helps with the anxiety. I recently started making videos about my experiences.
Aw thank you so much!! Ooh! Link me to your videos! Thank you so much for the comment! Please subscribe to my channel to see more videos from me :).
@@TheAspieWorld Isabella Malmqvist is the name of my channel. (Maybe i should change it?)
I get like a mild short grunt sometimes or start getting like a weird nervous giggle at inappropriate times that’s really embarrassing. Sometimes people will mimic it or aggressive tease mocking which is horrid. The nervous giggle is more when I’m trying to talk which stresses me out.
I’m also glad you mentioned physical stimming when stressed both here and more in another video because when stressed I found my arms and hands go stiff and then I uncontrollably start flapping my arms usually for sensory overload or nervous stress. Also embarrassing in public. It’s like everything in your body and brain is on fire. It can take up to an hour to fully settle depending how bad it was. I’ve heard repeatedly that stimming like that can only happen when happy. Which I found odd and that makes you feel like there’s something wrong with you because of that.
One thing I’ve never heard about that I’m curious about is, why do people sometimes start smiling or giggling during stressful events when it’s not appropriate or a true reflection of what you are really feeling? Both my son and myself sometimes do this. I have Autism just diagnosed on the DSM-5 without a full examination from a psychiatrist and my son has a ADHD /CD diagnosis from child paediatrician.
I wish we had access to information about ADHD when he was young the doctors were too busy arguing if it was real even in the early 2000s which made life difficult and access to information barely existed
Repeating music patterns and "color noise" such as white noise, seem to be both popular and effective for a majority of people. Not for me though, it triggers my audio sensitivity. White noise, more often than not, will induce a migraine headache. Visual or tactile seem to work will. What is colloquially referred to as "Doom Scrolling" and "Rabbit holeing" on on the internet. Feels good, man!
I do both kinds of stims. My vocal stims are usually 2 favourite words that I put together and I even put them in the middle of a sentence to add variety. I like words with very crisp sounds to them and like certain individual letters and will vocal stim on those letters as well. I do a lot clicking, tapping and flicking stims with my fingers. I'll also do dancing with my fingers.
This makes me think of how I tend to say out loud words I read when I'm out and about. In my mind I'm making conversation, or pointing something out, but thinking about it now, I'm feeling a bit strange about the behavior.
i do this!
Alexithymia is when you can’t describe your emotions
maybe he meant echolalia. it rhymes
As a kid, I used to humm with my upper and lower teeth barely touching each other so that they would resonate. Now I know why that was satisfying to me. Though I can't say if it was the feeling of the vibration or more like the sound I could hear as a result that I liked in doing so.
U like both. Sound is vibration
@@KimikoMaui though those are two different senses. Even when the physical phenomenom is the same.
Thanks, Dan. I learned so much in that video. I actually do both types of Stimming. I usually stim certain sounds when I am with my mother. Other times, I stim in other ways depending on if I am nervous or happy. I might flap my hands or crack my knuckles if I am nervous. I might play a song over and over in my head if I am happy. I really enjoyed learning in this video. ❤
You are welcome !! Thank you so much for the comment! Make sure you are subscribed and have the notifications turned on :).
@TheAspieWorld Dan I was one of your first subscribers. Of course, I am subscribed and have notifications turned on.
I was diagnosed with ADHD this past year at 57. When I was in high school, I used to drive both my Mom and my sister nuts with a couple of things....drumming (not the instrument I played!) and playing records on repeat and singing them over and over...and over. I grew out of the drumming part as I grew up and got out of band. To this day though I will have songs stuck in my head that I just have to sing on repeat until the next song takes over. Now at least I have access to a variety of music and can choose the music:).
I feel I vocal stim. Like I will repeat certain comms from nasa missions, or phrases that just pop into my head, or just… like recently I put my hand on my throat and I hum and feel the vibrations and it’s really cool. :-) I audio stim in that I will repeat a song or a clip of a song or a specific movie or line from a tv show (such as the train taking off in back to the future 3 at the end). I am not diagnosed but friends had asked over the years and then I was told by a family member that my teacher back in primary/elementary school that I may be on the spectrum. When I heard that I thought “If that’s true, then a whole lot of stuff suddenly makes sense.”
I mostly audio stim, and sometimes I don't bother to make any noise doing it. But, you can see the muscles working as I'm mouthing along. I will rock in sort of a diagonal motion though and I do like staring at rotating objects as well.
I haven't connected this to my asperger diagnosis before for some reason (the diagnosis is only a couple of years old), but I wonder if simply talking to myself out loud (as in verbalizing my thoughts) when I'm alone is a form of stimming. I've just been thinking of it as a bad habit that I've allowed to become "worse" over the years, partly because I spend so much time alone, but now that I think of it, it's almost like saying things out loud releases more energy and just feels better when my mind is being a little intense. It's not that weird either, I'm pretty sure lots of people start verbalizing to themselves when they get angry, for instance, which is an intense energy. But I don't have to be angry to do it. And when I'm out and about, I sometimes have to supress it so people can't eavesdrop on my internal dialogue, lol..
I have waited for a video like this for a long time! I will hum the same few beats / notes that I originate (without any thought) - all day long.
I’ve wondered if such humming could be considered stimming . . . You, Dave, seem to have answered in the affirmative. Thank you for clarifying! (also about auditory stimming when
one listens again and again to a sound or melody)
Crazy - my niece does this endlessly. Again, David. Thanks so much. 😮❤
You are welcome Liam 🔥💪🏼
@TheAspieWorld
Don't respond often, however watch always. ❤️😎
In high school I clipped OUT a part of a song so I could repeat it without the awful ending. "A Warm Place" by Nine Inch Nails. I used to fall asleep with it on repeat. Thanks for reminding me all about it. Cheers!
I'm A Proud 🦚 Member of The San Diego County California USA Community Autism Society Since December 4 Of 2019!!!!!😂🎉🎉🎉🎉!!!!
I do both types of stimming; I do it a lot when I am in pain.
I hum to myself any time I need to focus, usually only one song. When I’m at work, though, I’ll hum whatever tune I currently hear over and over without really realizing I’m doing it.
I actually do mostly the physical stims, to where I'm only stimming parts of my body. I will swing my foot back and forth a whole lot. I do lots of rocking from side to side, and sometimes back and forth. Every time I'm sitting in a computer chair, I'll keep turning from side to side most of the time. I even play with fidget toys too.
In regards to the vocal stims, I usually NEVER do them during college classes or exams. I always take control. Reasons for this is because I do not want to make to much noise or cause to much distraction.
Yes, music is my #1 soother, dance & sing for hours some days, then wake up aching, constantly repeat favourites.
Noticed stims have increased since a scare & I find myself pep talking myself out loud & jibbering to myself thinking out loud. Click my fingers when I loose my train of thought. It’s really embarrassing & isolating.
Interesting - I never thought of my 39 yo autistic son's vocal sounds and words as stimming, but it makes tons of sense.
Echolalia is repeating sounds, words or sentenses
Yes!!
Great channel, Dan. Thanks. I'm 52 and was dx with ADHD way back as a kid. I only learned of the term stim/stimming in the last couple years. A bit of a revelation as I have always done this thing with my hands when I get excited, though I am somewhat conscious of it now and can control it or just rub my hands. I have a ten-year-old daughter with autism and ADHD, and she verbally stims and rocks back and forth when she is excited or nervous. The body stimming seems to have become more prevalent as she grows.
Questions: Are autistic people aware that they are stimming? Does stimming grow as the person ages? Is there a good way to help autistic people, especially kids, to channel that energy differently? Or is that just not realistic. FWIW I never reprimand her, and do not mind my daughter verbally stimming but I do occasionally ask her if she can be quieter.
Thank you so much for the comment! And kind word. I would say no we are not aware as it is an involuntary compulsion
I find that my vocal stims have a very vibratory quality. I also like feeling music coming through festival speakers. I enjoy it the most with earplugs and my eyes closed.
I also realize repeatedly that I cannot simply will myself to do my vocal stim. It just comes out involuntarily when I am alone or around others that I feel safe with, often vocalized to my cats. I naturally suppress them in public. When I was a kid, my dad vocal stimmed, which I of course didn’t understand at the time.
And yes, my dad and I, and my kids very much audio stim too.
There's that, personally, it's all about the way that it feels in my throat, the way that things move around in a very satisfying way. I've found that even without actually making any sounds, I still get a good chunk of the benefit out of it. But, that may just be me.
I'm ADD and I just realized I have echolalia. Repeat the same tired phrase to myself, after checking no one is within hearing distance. Ive been doing this all my life. I also fold and refold wrappers or paper of any kind and fill notebooks with random words written in script literally hundredsof them... my handwriting has gotten really good lol. I'm starting to think my whole family is on the spectrum, but I suppose we are all on it somewhere!
My daughter was unaware she was humming whilst doing her work in school. Her classmates weren’t very understanding. I wish her teacher had been more aware of autism. I did keep saying I thought she was.
Oh yeh, we are awaiting a diagnosis appointment.
My son - who is on the spectrum, blows raspberries constantly when he is stimming. Irritating to people not on the spectrum but we hardly hear it nowadays.
This video reminded me of the ways I've always stimmed physically but never really thought about it as stimming until now: I've since childhood always flicked my 1st and 2nd (big and index? what are these toes even called!) against each other, *exactly how you showed in this video with your fingertips! I've always done that with my toes!). Next, when I was still presenting as male (I'm finally transitioning now in my life), I would pull at my goatee all the time very obviously, but I sort of wish I didn't even have to mention that one any more... Anyway, those stims I just mentioned are definitely ones that I do when present with other people, either in a social situation or at my PC at home when I'm cognizing my relationship with a social situation... But in private when I am really alone, one stim I've had for a very long time is to stroke my inner arm, all along the inside of my forearm from the elbow usually... As a means of self soothing and reminding myself what "good" touch feels like, as I've really never had much of that before XD Anyway! The only problem with that stim is that I tend to "run out" of dopamine response to doing that pretty quickly. As a child and young adult it provided good feedback and felt good, but the further and further I've gone into adulthood as a bio male in highly toxic relationships, it's been extremely difficult to even find any dopamine response from that kind of stim. It's ok though, I'm *finally getting through to gender transition and being myself again, and although it's been a struggle to find a way to meet new friends, I hope one day soon I might find relief from being touch starved for so long. Sorry if my comment was hard to read, but don't worry, we believe :)
I’m getting evaluated for adhd and contemplating on whether or not I should get autism evaluation
TBH, there's more practical reason for an ADHD diagnosis as the treatment for that is a lot easier to come by. However, the autism diagnosis tends to be more about your own self as there aren't typically even the level of support that ADDers get out there. It tends to be more about acknowledgement, being included in the statistics and something to point at if people question.
Ultimately, if you have the resources and access to a diagnostician, it's completely up to you. If you absolutely had to have the diagnosis, you'd probably already have it.
@@SmallSpoonBrigade Thanks!
Often when I feel depressed or apprehensive about something, I will blurt out "I want to go home". Problem is I'm home half of the times I say it, including in my bathroom at home, getting out of the shower to prepare for the work day, and even once in my own bed while getting to sleep for the night.
I like to use those noisy hand dryer machines in public places. I had not giving any tougth on this before but every time the machine starts I have to shout "Xcelerator" from the name embossed on the machine. I like both the name the noise and the sound of my voice modulating on top of it. 😂
I stim by listening to the same track over and over, also I stim by bouncing my knee, playing with my ears, picking ect,
My son stims alot by humming and other noises, running from one side of the room to the other, playing with his ears, flapping his hand and jumping, spinning and many more things,
My son has been diagnosed with autism and I'm awaiting an adhd assessment
Love these videos xx
I clear my throat really heavily/audibly over and over again as a stim when I’m anxious, especially if I’m about to speak up or have something important on my mind. My partner now recognizes it and will help me by asking “nervous or have a thought?” He’ll then know if he needs to give me time to speak or just let me finish stimming.
I make high-pitched noises in my throat and/or blink my eyes, squeezing my eyelids tightly while tightening my throat. I do both with one goal - to soothe my throat. This terribly interferes not only with speaking, but also with simply breathing, especially during a conversation. I don't remember how it started. I just remember that when I was a teenager, I blinked, I grunted, I inhaled air forcefully through my lips, pursed the way we fold them when we whistle, something else... I just remember that one stim was replaced by another, I even knew about it in advance. Someone help me please. I'm 48, and I've been suffering from this for at least over 30 years...
Vocally stim all the time and physical stim through touching soft textures... tonight though I have just realised that my dad used to vocal stim using words he had made up...
I have always rocked side to side. It has annoyed me because I was asked about it a lot in my teen years. Undiagnosed though, I still identify as "Autistic and ADHD diagnosed". I do like to listen to one song over and over though.
I make a weird little chirp purr noise. I'll be talking alot and then when im done i just go 'hmph'. One of my cats did it when I'd surprise her with a touch of my hand or she'd want my attention but didn't feel like yelling at me. She died last July but i still make the noise every now and then
ALL TO YES. Sometimes I will stim while holding an object and say what it is or the color. So like I would say "Orange" in a weird tone
I was JUST looking at that fidget!
I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 42 with AuDHD. I always will remember as a kid I would hum a LOTTTT. once I was at a basketball game with my dad and the crowd was so loud and my dad turns and looks at me and asks “Is that you humming?” and he had this look like I was an alien😅 That was a core memory that always stuck with me because I thought I was just weird, which is what I was labeled growing up. I also stim by kicking my leg up and down and the finger movement. Stimming has the opposite effect on me most of the time. I am so mentally exhausted from my hand stimming that I wonder why my body makes me do it. Isn’t it supposed to regulate us? It totally exhausts me how I stim most of the time. Any thoughts? This is still new to me.
I do both
hi Dan, any chance you could raise the volume on your videos? Watching on computer and have all settings on 100pc and can just hear you. Thanks for this video, I know someone who does vocal stimming
Idk if it's a stim but I sing song pieces out or keep saying phrases from a show I've seen. My Gf does it too but not as much as me. When I get nervous I go into like, super random, pull what you guy from the memory bank, mode. I'll just spew random words, sometimes louder the more nervous/overstimulated I am. I realize now why I have rage fits sometimes. It's because I'm overstimulated.
I do the finger type stimming, but with my toes. Also, I've always wondered if this is a stim ?(definitely a self soothing action). Since a baby ,I have had to suck a soft cloth to get to sleep. My mother told me the first thing she remembers me doing as a tiny baby was sucking the collar on my cardigan. Not too long ago,I would have to suck a soft material to focus properly. That's not as bad these day but I still cannot sleep without doing this,and I'm in my 50s. My family think it's hilarious but I find it seriously embarrassing. Many is a night I have not slept when staying somewhere because I've forgotten to bring something of the right texture. 😂it mortifying. Would you class this as a stim?
Thank you so much for the comment!
@@TheAspieWorld you are welcome. What are your thoughts regarding what I asked? The reason I'm interested is I have 10 biological grandchildren (12 grandchildren In total) and 5 of my grandchildren have autism with some also having adhd. I know I have adhd,just waiting to be diagnosed, (not that it will make a difference to me now,but would be interesting to know) ,but I also feel,for a number of reasons, (including what I mentioned),I too may be on the spectrum . I'm certainly not asking you to diagnose,it would be interesting to know if you've ever heard of anyone with similar 'habits' and would this be,or be similar, to a stim?
At home I sing all the time.
It helps! Happily nobody hears it !
I do vocal and flapping at the same time A LOT!
My grandson, who is adhd and loves dinosaurs, vocal stims dinosaur sounds.
My son grunts like a piggy when excited. But when hyperfocused doing crpto he's immobile
I think you’ve misspoke and meant to say echolalia
I do that
I use both aspects of stimming. In public it tends to be physical, and also vocal, which sometimes can be embarrassing. At home what ever happens, happens lmao.
Did you mean echolalia? Instead of alexithymia?
I do both with words from hungarian trash videos , music parts, sounds. scratching my body drumming with my feet or jus dig my hand to my pockets to hold something.almost always listening music outdoors .
🌻
That fidget toy is really expensive!😳
I fidget with a lighter l usually have in my pocket. Hell of a lot cheaper!!!😊♥️
a pebble
Megadeth's Symphony of Destruction has an interesting intro.
My daughter vocal stims she is 6 we are currently in the process of getting her diagnosed, is she aware she is doing it? However, I’ve noticed she only does it at home, nan and grandads or in the car is it just she feels safe to do it there?
Does talking to yourself count as stimming?
Alexithymia or Echolalia?
Bit if both!! Thank you so much for the comment! Please subscribe to my channel to see more videos from me :).
Hi, @@TheAspieWorld , I enjoyed your video! I think you misunderstood what @TessaCoker was saying, though. I think she's pointing out that you said "alexithymia" a few times in your video when you meant to say "echolalia".
Great! Is there a difference between a vocal stim and a tic sound made involuntarily when relaxed?
I was just thinking along these lines also. Some of my family’s stims are tics also. I guess that’s the problem when one person is describing stimming because it’s so different for everyone. 😊
I tend to repeat nonsense words for no reason, but when nobody can hear. I suppose it is s a stim.
The thumbnail was a catfish.
Bravo🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Our family discovered ADHD & Autistic behaviours were a result of mould exposure
alexithymia
nounPSYCHIATRY
the inability to recognize or describe one's own emotions.
"alexithymia has been linked to depression and suicidal behavior
Would clearing my throat multiple times be considered stimming? It's something I've always done ever since I was a kid
I do the same thing.
My 10 yr old does the same thing and it seems to fit the mold of stimming
so stimms are just ticks
Dr Oyalo herbs is really helpful, and have helped my son improve with his speech and social skill complete. My son now responds to name, his aggressive behavior has stoped completely
Car stimming is the best.
I dont know it im being sold a pitch for a £40 fidget toy and $7 stim pack download...or this is genuine guidance and advice....so confusing to know in todays world if its all just a pitch to earn money??.....from every angle were being sold something all the time....taking advantage and targeting people with genuine mental health disorders who are just looking for organic advice.. tired of peole like you looking to earn a quick buck out of us. Do one.
I stim all day.
The begging for likes and subbing in every video is really annoying 😰
Your accent is most definitely British,
yeah, i got screamed at a lot for making funny noises 🤷🏿♂️
Toes❤
Whe Donald Trump says, "A lotta ... " with that weird grating tone in his voice, I have to repeat it. I don't know why, but I can't not repeat it several times over.