Stimming, Oh No!

2010-01-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

For those who do not know, stimming is self stimulating behavior. A lot of people on the spectrum engage in this type of behavior. Stimming behaviors include rocking, hand flapping, vocalizations, pacing, etc. There are many others, but rocking and hand flapping are the ones that I most often hear about.
A lot of people seem to be quite disturbed and horrified when an autistic person engages in these behaviors. This reaction seems quite strange to me because it seems quite natural to me and others on the spectrum. Other people on the spectrum talk about stimming, and I think I would like to write about it from my perspective. I hope that maybe if more people understand, then they will be more accepting.
The most important thing to remember is that stimming does have a purpose. Autistic people don't just stim arbitrarily; there is a reason for it. We are not trying to be difficult, stubborn, or anything like that. It is also important to remember that it is not entirely within our control; it's sort of like a cough or sneeze. You might be able to hold it in for a while, but eventually it's going to come out.
One of the reasons that I stim is to relieve stress. Movement seems to decrease anxiety for me. I might flap my hands or rock. If I am alone, I can do this as much as I want, but if I am around other people, I will try to suppress it or do it in an inconspicuous way. Trying to suppress it takes a lot of energy, and it tends to increase anxiety. I think this energy is wasted, and it could be put to much better use.
Another important reason that I might stim is to help me concentrate. Being able to move helps me to stay focused. I think this might be one of the reasons that I like to paint; I can scoop up some paint with my brush and dab, stab, twist, rock, and scrape it against my canvas. Painting can be very physical, and so I love the process as much as, if not more, than the finished product. This desire for movement seems to be quite advantageous for some of my artwork.
I once saw a very funny video on YouTube made by an autistic woman (she is no longer there) on the subject of stimming. She showed neurotypical people (i.e. non-autistic people) engaged in behaviors that could be considered stimming: tapping fingers, biting nails, chewing on pencils, tapping feet on the floor, twirling a pen in the hand, and several others. Until then, I had no idea that neurotypical people stimmed too. I'm guessing that they do it for the same reasons that autistic people do it. It seems very hypocritical for an NT to expect an autistic person to stop stimming when they stim as well. Why don't you try to stop stimming; I'll bet you can't do it.
Stimming cannot be eliminated entirely. It helps us to cope, and to try to take this away from us altogether is cruel. While I believe that stimming is not necessarily a bad thing, I also recognize that anything in excess can be harmful. Stimming helps us cope with stress and it serves other purposes as well, but it should not be the only coping mechanism that we have. Other ways of coping with the stress of everyday life should be explored.
My hope is that society would learn to accept it; I am definitely an idealist, but I know that change is usually slow. Our movements might be unusual at times, but I don't think that warrants the degree of concern that we often receive. Lighten up everyone! Don't take everything we say and do so seriously! Try flapping your hands a little; you just might (gasp) enjoy it!

What Does Neurodiversity Mean?

2010-01-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

I recently saw a video on You Tube whose user name is christschool, and it really got me to thinking: what exactly does neurodiversity mean? You can see the video here.

In the video he talks about neurodiversity and how it applies to "low functioning" or "severely autistic" people. While he is talking, there is a video from another YouTube user in which there is a young autistic man (probably late teens or early twenties). He is non-verbal, engages in self injurious behavior, is not toilet trained, and surely has other difficulties.

I typed "neurodiversity" into a search engine and found a few exerpts from Wikipedia that I think provide a fairly good definition of what it means:

Neurodiversity is an idea which asserts that atypical (neurodivergent) neurological development is a normal human difference that is to be recognized and respected as any other human variation.^[1] Differences may arise in ways of processing information, including language, sound, images, light, texture, taste, or movement. The concept of neurodiversity is embraced by some autistic individuals and people with related conditions. Some groups apply the concept of neurodiversity to conditions potentially unrelated (or non-concomitant) to autism such as bipolar disorder, ADHD^[2], schizophrenia^[3], developmental speech disorders, Parkinson's disease, dyslexia, and dyspraxia.^[2]

Here is another exerpt explaining the goals of neurodiversity:

Proponents of neurodiversity are striving to re-conceptualize autism and related conditions in society. Main goals of the movement include:

acknowledging that neurodiverse people do not need a cure
changing the language from the current “condition, disease, disorder, or illness”-based nomenclature
broadening the understanding of healthy or independent living; acknowledging new types of autonomy
giving neurodiverse individuals more control over their treatment, including the type, timing, and whether there should be treatment at all^[12]

Autistic supporters of neurodiversity want their way of life to be considered as a respectable, autonomous, and equal way of living. Since autism is inseparable from daily perceptions and decisions, some believe it ought not be separated from the person and treated as a curable disease. Rather, autism should be recognized as a different but equal way of understanding and approaching the world.

I have no doubt that these explanations are not exhaustive, and there is lots of opinion about what neurodiversity is.

In the video, christchool talks about how hollow it must sound to a parent of a "low functioning" or "severely autistic" child (similar to the one in the video he talks about) when a "high functioning" autistic says that his differences should be accepted. I think I can understand what he is saying. Neurodiversity sounds wonderful in theory, but in practice it's quite different. What aspects of a person should be accepted? Which aspects should be changed? Is this trait or that trait an asset or a hindrance?

Self-injurious behavior is something that should be addressed. I'm not saying that the autistic person should be punished. There is a reason why those of us on the spectrum do what we do, including self-injurious behavior. It might be caused by sensory overload, an unrecognized medical problem that's causing discomfort, frustration for a variety of reasons, etc.

A lack of communication is something that should be addressed. I think communication difficulties are one of the greatest, if not the greatest difficulties faced by people on the spectrum. I'm guessing that this person must feel extremely frustrated by not being able to communicate. The purpose of communication is to influence the world around you, and all human beings are driven to communicate. Not having a voice means being powerless and excluded. It is recognized that behavior challenges can be caused by the inability to communicate, and these behaviors can be greatly ameliorated by finding some type of alternative communication: high tech AAC device, PECS, communication boards, sign language, etc.

I could probably go on and on mentioning specific problems, but I would like to try to articulate a principle that one could use to discern between traits that should and should not be accepted.

Things not to accept:

Any trait or behavior which endangers the person's physical safety, e.g. self-injurious behavior, or running into traffic.
Any trait or behavior that endangers the physical safety of others.
If a person has a medical condition that is causing pain and discomfort, it should be treated.
If a person has sensory hypersensitivities, then the irritating stimulus should be removed if possible. Otherwise, every effort should be made to help that person cope with overwhelming stimuli.
Communication difficulties should not be accepted. Every effort should be made to help the person find a way to communicate.

This list is not exhaustive, but it includes some that I think are important. I want to emphasize that addressing any of these problems should not include punishing the autistic person. These traits and behaviors are usually not under the autistic's control e.g. the hypersensitivities. Punishing will not help and will make things worse. Any attempts to ameliorate these difficulties should not include any intervention which is dangerous and might cause the autistic person to be physically or psychologically harmed.

I think that, generally, if an autistic person has a trait or behavior that is not harmful to himself or others, then it might be better to leave it alone. Being different than the norm is not a sin (or at least it should not be), and just because a trait or behavior is unusual does not necessarily mean that it should be eliminated. (I have thought about trying to put together a list of traits and behaviors that are not necessarily bad, but there are so many that it just is not practical to try to list them. And each one would probably have to have a multitude of qualifications. In future posts, I would like to talk about some individually).

In conclusion, I will explain what neurodiversity means to me:

It means that I am not ill. I do not have a disease. I have a legitimate neurological difference, and this difference is not intrinsically bad or evil.
It means that I am a person who deserves to be treated with respect, and I have absolute, unconditional value.
It means that the fact that I need help with some things that most people can do easily, does not mean that I am weak or incapable, and it does not mean that I am defective.
It means that if I need help with something, the person helping me should respect my neurological differences and not try to take away my differences. You cannot help me by trying to make me "normal."
It means that if I am in pain or distress, I will need help. There are drawbacks to every kind of human wiring, and mine is no exception. Everyone needs support, not just those of us who are neurologically unusual. When a "normal" person needs help, it is usually not considered a sign of weakness or evidence of some defect, but when an autistic person needs help, it is seen as evidence of some mental defect. This has to change.
It means that I have difficulties as well as gifts like everybody else. I am not just a bunch of deficits.

I think I summed up my feelings pretty well. Some will probably consider my position controversial. I would be glad to persuade others to think as I do, but this is not really my intention. I want people to sincerely examine their beliefs about autism because I think that a lot of people just accept the stereotypes without a second thought. I will feel good if I can accomplish that.

Diversity is Beautiful

Stimming, Oh No!

What Does Neurodiversity Mean?