I used to think stimming was just a bad habit, now I see it totally different

For years I thought my son's hand flapping was something we needed to stop. A therapist told us last month that it actually helps him regulate his sensory input, not a behavior problem. She showed me a study from 2021 that found stimming reduces anxiety in autistic kids by like 40% in stressful situations. Now I notice he only does it when his class gets too loud or he's overwhelmed, not randomly. It clicked when I watched him flap for 20 seconds then calmly answer a math question. Why do so many teachers still tell parents to suppress these movements? Has anyone else had to unlearn this stuff from old-school therapy advice?

2 comments

2 Comments

thompson.robin1mo ago

Whoa, I'm not so sure. If you let kids stim freely in class, doesn't that distract other students and make it harder for them to focus, too?

cameron6841mo ago

From what I've seen working with kids, setting up a quiet corner or a specific spot for stimming helps a ton. It lets them get what they need without the whole class getting pulled off track.