Understanding Stimming

Understanding Stimming: Why Autistic Children Need to Stim

By: Popple Kids

Have you ever noticed a child flapping their hands, rocking back and forth, or repeating a phrase over and over? These movements might seem unusual at first, but for many autistic children, they’re an essential and meaningful part of life. This behavior is called stimming—short for self-stimulatory behavior—and it’s a natural, often necessary part of how autistic people interact with the world.

Unfortunately, stimming is often misunderstood or discouraged, even by well-meaning adults. But once we understand what stimming really is, we can see it not as something to “fix,” but as something to respect, support, and even celebrate.

What Is Stimming?

Stimming refers to repetitive movements or sounds that a person does to regulate their sensory experience or emotions. Common examples include:

Hand-flapping
Rocking
Spinning objects
Repeating words or phrases (echolalia)
Tapping, humming, or pacing

While everyone stims to some degree—think about how you might tap your foot when anxious or twirl your hair when bored—autistic individuals often stim more noticeably and frequently, because it serves a more essential role in helping them cope and thrive.

Why Do Autistic Children Stim?

Stimming isn’t random—it’s a purposeful response to internal or external experiences. Here’s why autistic children may need to stim:

1. To Self-Regulate Sensory Input

Autistic children often experience the world differently. A room that feels “normal” to you might feel overwhelmingly loud, bright, or chaotic to them. Stimming helps regulate sensory overload or increase sensory input if the environment feels too dull.

For example, rocking or humming can be calming when a child is overstimulated, while spinning or bouncing might help a child who is under-stimulated feel more grounded and alert.

2. To Cope With Emotions

Stimming can help a child manage strong emotions like anxiety, excitement, frustration, or joy. It provides a reliable, soothing outlet that helps prevent emotional overload or meltdowns.

3. To Communicate

Some children use stimming as a form of communication. If a child is non-speaking or has limited language, stimming can express how they feel—whether it’s happiness, discomfort, or the need for space.

4. Because It Brings Joy

Yes, stimming can be fun! For many autistic children, stimming brings comfort, satisfaction, and happiness. It’s a way of connecting with themselves and their environment on their own terms.

Why Suppressing Stimming Can Be Harmful

In the past, stimming was often discouraged, with the goal of helping autistic kids “blend in” or appear more “normal” but research and lived experience show that trying to suppress stimming can actually cause stress and anxiety to autistic individuals.

Imagine someone telling you to stop bouncing your leg when you’re nervous or to quit tapping your fingers when you’re thinking. It wouldn’t feel good—and it might make it harder to cope. The same goes for autistic children.

Instead of trying to stop stimming, we should be asking:

Is the stim harmful to the child or others?
If not, why does it need to be changed?

In most cases, it doesn’t.

How to Support Healthy Stimming

As caregivers, educators, or community members, we can support autistic children by:

Creating safe, accepting spaces where stimming isn’t judged
Learning a child’s stimming patterns to understand what they might need
Offering alternatives only if a stim is unsafe, not just because it looks different
Using sensory-friendly toys and environments that help regulate input

When we let autistic children stim freely and safely, we support their well-being, self-expression, and identity.

The Bottom Line: Stimming Is Not the Problem

Stimming isn’t a symptom to eliminate—it’s a tool that helps autistic children feel safe, calm, and in control. It’s how many of them communicate, self-soothe, and connect with the world. And like any form of self-expression, it deserves understanding—not correction.

Instead of asking “How can we stop this behavior?” let’s ask, “What is this child telling us?” Because sometimes, a flap or a hum is worth a thousand words. At Popple Kids we understand the need and want to stim and strive to offer a wide range of sensory products to help all children explore their world and express their emotions ands words just waiting to get out.