Stimming, or self-stimulatory behavior, involves repetitive actions used to stimulate the senses, and is commonly seen in the autistic. It includes motor movements like hand-flapping, rocking, and spinning, tapping, pacing, applying pressure to parts of the body like squeezing or hugging oneself, verbal actions such as repeating sounds (echolalia), and sensory activities like flicking fingers or watching moving objects.
The autistic are sensitive to sensory information and prone to sensory information overload and anxiety. Stimming helps in sensory regulation, emotional management, and cognitive focus.
Masking or code-switching in autism involves the autistic concealing their natural traits to conform to societal norms, often mimicking normal behaviors and communication styles. This can include suppressing stimming, forcing eye contact, and monitoring body language.
I am autistic and bipolar, with about twenty percent of people with autism also being bipolar. My medical scientist colleague and friend says that, as with other autistic and bipolar people she knows, I’ve been trained to follow the social rules and norms but they do not come intuitively to me as I feel things differently. Bipolar people and schizophrenics can have impaired theory of mind, meaning having less of an ability to identify mental states in others and themselves. My friend says I rotely go through the motions of social norms but without intuitive feelings.
Masking is driven by the need for acceptance and to avoid bullying or discrimination, It often starting in childhood and continuing into adulthood. The autistic can be so adept at it, that it becomes unconscious and automatic.
While it can facilitate social interaction, it is emotionally taxing and can lead to anxiety, depression, suicidal feelings, and burnout. Effective masking can also complicate autism diagnosis, delaying access to appropriate support.
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Further reading:
Why the autistic avoid eye contact
Autism and the complexity of language
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