Tracker wrote:
It is somewhat difficult to say if something is a stim because the word stim is fairly poorly defined. In the broadest sense of the word, stimming is the name given to any apparently non-functional, repetitive action.
‘Stims’ may include things like rocking back and forth, twirling or pulling at hair, swaying from side to side, spinning in circles, pacing back and forth, flapping arms, or picking at skin. Conversely, breathing and blinking your eyes are both repetitive, but they serve a definite purpose and thus are not considered stims. Stimming can also be used to describe more OCD type behaviors like lining things up in strait lines.
So, would making sounds be considered a stim? I don't really know. It is both repetitive and non functional, but it isn't what people would normally would think of when they hear the word stimming. So.. I don't know, maybe?
To be honest, does it matter whether or not it qualifies as a stim?
You mentioned picking at the skin. My daughter who is about to turn 18 and was recently diagnosed was doing serious damage to her arms and legs when she was about 13. She was not diagnosed with AS then but the pediatrician put her on celexa and it stopped for awhile....I have noticed that she is doing it again but not to the extent that she was. She says she does it because she is bored, but not sure if that is the real reason. Im thinking its like a stim and she also says it does not hurt when she does it. She, like me, has a high pain tolerance so she can really make serious holes in her skin and it seems she does the most damage when she is under a lot of stress. Our Psychiatrist has put her back on celexa since her DX but it is not working as it did. She already has terrible scars that she is very self conscious of to the point where she rarely wears short sleeves or shorts (only around her family or boyfriend). I got her some cream from the dermatologist that have faded some of the more shallow scars but now that she is doing it again she is getting more.
Have you heard of or do you know of any help for this type of thing?
My youngest son picks at the skin on his face. His OT told us that he has sensory issues and it was not stimming. He does not pick sores in it though so I am not sure what to do about that.
26 May 2010, 10:29 pm
