Is it a stim or a compulsion?

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Also see this thread which describes what was going on with the obsessive thoughts & behavior when it was bad.
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt135173.html

I have the same issue. Play therapy sometimes works better for me Years ago i used to play the violin or viola, or piano, and looking back that's how i delt with some of the hard feelings. Art and music might be an area to explore, it deals with different areas of the brain whereas asking somebody with Asperger's to talk about their feelings can be maddening sometimes.

My Autie has a lot of "rituals"....stepping on certain rocks and touching certain things on the way to and from school, rewinding certain video parts over and over, ect. She also has "stims".....clearing her throat, blinking her eyes, chewing, rocking, singing, spinning ect. All these things she does to help her to navigate her world. Her rituals make her feel safe and secure and her stims help her to alleviate stress and to make her feel more centered.
Most of what you describe sounds like rituals and stims. In my opinion the only times these become something to worry about are when they seriously interrupt the days activities, like getting to school ect or when they become self injuring behavior. My older Aspie used to pick holes in her arms and legs when she was around 14 we used therapy and some mild anxiety medication and helped her to find stims that were not harmful. So if they are not hurting themselves and the rituals are not taking over their life then I just let it be.....I have Asperger's so I understand that these things are important and I dont try to stop my kids unless, as I said, its dangerous then you need some redirection or some other type of help.