Stimming as Communication: What Children Are Really Telling Us

Stimming isn’t a distraction: it’s communication. When children flap, hum, tap, rock, or fidget, they are showing us what they need. At AutiVerse Academy, we treat stimming not as a behavior to stop, but as a language to understand.

Stimming Is Not a Problem — It’s a Message

When a child rocks back and forth, taps their fingers, or repeats the same word rhythmically, many adults worry that something is wrong. But stimming is one of the clearest forms of self-expression for autistic children.

Stimming can mean:

• “I’m excited.”

• “I’m overwhelmed.”

• “I need movement.”

• “I’m trying to concentrate.”

• “I’m calming myself down.”

It is not meaningless. It is not disruptive. It is communication.

Understanding Different Types of Stims

Some common stims include:

• Hand-flapping

• Spinning

• Pacing

• Vocal stims like humming or echolalia

• Tapping or fidgeting with objects

• Hair twirling

• Deep pressure seeking

Each stim has a purpose. One child may flap when happy. Another may pace when anxious. Another may hum to drown out loud noises.

A Moment Many Parents Recognize

One child at our academy flapped excitedly every time he recognized a letter sound. Instead of asking him to stop, we incorporated his flapping into the lesson:

Every time he learned a new sound, he took a “victory flap break.”

His joy became part of his learning process — not something to suppress.

How AutiVerse Academy Uses Stimming in Learning

We view stimming as a tool.

If a child concentrates better while rocking, we let them rock.
If tapping helps during math, we build tapping into the rhythm of counting.
If fidgeting helps focus, we provide fidget tools that regulate instead of distract.

Example:
One student who constantly tore paper strips during lessons improved dramatically when we swapped the paper for a soft fidget rope. He stayed focused longer, communicated more, and felt calmer.

Our goal is to support regulation, not eliminate natural behaviors.

Why This Matters

Forcing a child to stop stimming teaches them one thing: “My needs are not acceptable.”

But when adults acknowledge and respect stimming, children learn:

“My body matters.”
“My feelings matter.”
“I can trust the people teaching me.”

Stimming is not the opposite of learning — it is often the gateway to it.