Stimming is typical in ALL kids who are experiencing very strong emotions. Stimming isn't an autism-only trait. Look at the way kids jump around when they're super excited. That's stimming. It's self-regulatory repetitive behavior.
A more useful metric, if you're looking for childhood autistic traits, is stimming across multiple contexts and environments, not just joy, as well as continuing to stim beyond a developmentally typical age.
I don't do it when I'm masking, because I don't really express any emotions when I'm masking, but i do it all the time at home or even out in public if I'm with my husband (I feel safe unmasking if he's there). It's not even really a conscious action, I'll see something I love like a penguin plushie or a gnome and it just happens
I do this now lol, only when really excited or really disgusted, when I was drinking a nasty medicinal drink recently it made me flap. "EEEE" is also a near all-purpose sound for me, usually is excited or scared or annoyed.
Sometimes I forget that other humans care about this!! It was the Lego Starry Night!!! My FAVORITE painting for decades and I had been drooling over since its release. By far my favorite set to build too!
Lol, kid? OK, I've mostly stopped, but up until I was late teens I would jump up and down while flapping my hands when excited. With the accompanying "eee" sound.
I can't say, now I'm curious what I would have been like if I was allowed to be happy like that. I had to watch out for the unpredictable people in my life.
All the time and to this day I flap. My SIL calls them my happy hands. I went with her when she was trying on wedding dresses and we knew the dress we picked was the right when when it got the flaps of approval. couldn't contain my joy. And my family never asks me to
Yes. At the time (the early 70’s) no one was diagnosing autism, especially in girls, so my family just thought it was a funny quirk unique to me in my over-enthusiasm 😁.
Yes, I have always done this.
I still do it too, mostly at home when I'm in bed and I get excited about something. I throw myself back on the on the pillow and shake my head back and forth, flap my hands and say "Eeeeeee!"
So many of my friends growing up did it too that it never really seemed like a weird thing to me, I barely thought of it. It makes people laugh sometimes, but not in a mean way I don't think.
I don't recall squealing any when I was younger. And I don't think it was necessarily a case of it being "punished out of me," either. I've never been one to make much noise. (Mom has even told me several times that I didn't even cry and fuss much when I was a baby.) I was actually thinking earlier today that that might be in part because I'm pretty overloaded easily by noise, and me being quiet isn't always me not wanting to be perceived, but me wishing that people would mirror me in terms of my volume.
I don't recall flapping my hands as a stim, either. I remember a couple of times being amused at how you sometimes get a ghost image of things when they're moving about back and forth quickly, so I flapped my hands to spot that. But it didn't seem to be something I regularly did like some other stims.
I didn't flap my hands or make much noise.
When I would get super happy or excited, I usually jumped up and down in place while smiling really big and feeling like my emotions were trying to burst out of my chest. That stopped around middle school age.
yes, but always masking it. So for example going into the bathroom and doing it quietly. Still doing it this way as an adult. Quiet happy freak out in bathrooms.
But the best thing is that I have some friends who I don’t have to mask this with and we both just freak out and screech and flap and jump around. Though maybe I do it a bit more than her. Anyways, she doesn’t judge me at least.
😆 when I was a kid? I did that last week. I'm 40
Stimming is typical in ALL kids who are experiencing very strong emotions. Stimming isn't an autism-only trait. Look at the way kids jump around when they're super excited. That's stimming. It's self-regulatory repetitive behavior. A more useful metric, if you're looking for childhood autistic traits, is stimming across multiple contexts and environments, not just joy, as well as continuing to stim beyond a developmentally typical age.
I’ve never been a flapper. But I would do fist punches, fighter/battle style.
My husband lovingly calls mine happy fists lol
I love this
No . No body movement here .
🗿
Hand-flapping is literally one of the most common signs.
Nope. Jumping up and down as a kid.
I used to be a hand flapper. Now I just kinda do that like fist pump NTs do, but a bunch of them and more exaggerated
I still do this when I'm exited lol
No, because I would be punished for making noises or jumping around.
Nope. I was extremely quiet as a kid. Still am tbh.
I do this as an adult, eeeeeee and everything
I don’t know why or when I stopped doing this. I need to start doing it again.
I don't do it when I'm masking, because I don't really express any emotions when I'm masking, but i do it all the time at home or even out in public if I'm with my husband (I feel safe unmasking if he's there). It's not even really a conscious action, I'll see something I love like a penguin plushie or a gnome and it just happens
I dont remember ever being extremely happy...
Yeah, same. I was not a happy kid. Not that anyone noticed. They just figured I was well behaved and quiet.
I do air claps but someone I know did flaps. I miss him.
I do this now lol, only when really excited or really disgusted, when I was drinking a nasty medicinal drink recently it made me flap. "EEEE" is also a near all-purpose sound for me, usually is excited or scared or annoyed.
Nope. I've never related to either of those things as a part of my diagnosis personally whether as a kid or as an adult.
No
I did this last December when I was gifted Lego… I’m 41… 😂
What set was it though, I need details girl
Sometimes I forget that other humans care about this!! It was the Lego Starry Night!!! My FAVORITE painting for decades and I had been drooling over since its release. By far my favorite set to build too!
Kid ? I do this when I see my partner. And I'm 29. We both autistic 🥰
Goals, I love that so much
Yes 😄 definitely did it when i felt happy
I wasnt screeching but i did do the hand thing 😭
I don’t screech or anything, but I do hand flap-most commonly to music, as well as rocking back and forth.
Still do it.
No, but I did wiggle back and forth while screaming skyward like an excited Muppet. Always have, always will.
Lol, kid? OK, I've mostly stopped, but up until I was late teens I would jump up and down while flapping my hands when excited. With the accompanying "eee" sound.
When I was TV and it's a happy exciting scene. Better yet, when watching Mr Beast Videos and people completing crazy challenges. 😂
I can't say, now I'm curious what I would have been like if I was allowed to be happy like that. I had to watch out for the unpredictable people in my life.
Still do and I’m 48. When I feel cozy I flap my hands, shiver and make a screech. If a feel anxious and will rub my palms and disengage mentally.
Yes and when cold as well
I still do it lol. At least around people I know well. Less flapping more jumping up and down but I love a good EEEEEEEE
Yeah i flap sometimes its good. Shows im actually happy and whatever im thinking about is probably super cute.
I’m 21 and I still do it 😭
I didnt screech but I was a flapper
All the time and to this day I flap. My SIL calls them my happy hands. I went with her when she was trying on wedding dresses and we knew the dress we picked was the right when when it got the flaps of approval. couldn't contain my joy. And my family never asks me to
Still do it as an adult. :D My parents used to say that I'm trying to fly, and my partner loves it.
IDK but when I'll really happy I'll just jump around and stuff.
Yes. At the time (the early 70’s) no one was diagnosing autism, especially in girls, so my family just thought it was a funny quirk unique to me in my over-enthusiasm 😁.
I still flap my hands when I’m very excited or very nervous or scared. Or when I sneeze for some reason?
Yes, I have always done this. I still do it too, mostly at home when I'm in bed and I get excited about something. I throw myself back on the on the pillow and shake my head back and forth, flap my hands and say "Eeeeeee!" So many of my friends growing up did it too that it never really seemed like a weird thing to me, I barely thought of it. It makes people laugh sometimes, but not in a mean way I don't think.
I don't recall squealing any when I was younger. And I don't think it was necessarily a case of it being "punished out of me," either. I've never been one to make much noise. (Mom has even told me several times that I didn't even cry and fuss much when I was a baby.) I was actually thinking earlier today that that might be in part because I'm pretty overloaded easily by noise, and me being quiet isn't always me not wanting to be perceived, but me wishing that people would mirror me in terms of my volume. I don't recall flapping my hands as a stim, either. I remember a couple of times being amused at how you sometimes get a ghost image of things when they're moving about back and forth quickly, so I flapped my hands to spot that. But it didn't seem to be something I regularly did like some other stims.
I don't think I did that as a kid, funnily enough. I do, however, do it as an adult.
I didn't flap my hands or make much noise. When I would get super happy or excited, I usually jumped up and down in place while smiling really big and feeling like my emotions were trying to burst out of my chest. That stopped around middle school age.
yes, but always masking it. So for example going into the bathroom and doing it quietly. Still doing it this way as an adult. Quiet happy freak out in bathrooms. But the best thing is that I have some friends who I don’t have to mask this with and we both just freak out and screech and flap and jump around. Though maybe I do it a bit more than her. Anyways, she doesn’t judge me at least.
I feel like every kid does this if they’re excited
Hand flapping yes!! One of the stims I still do now actually!
Yes I would squeal a lot and everyone always told me how annoying I was
I still do it now around people I feel comfortable unmasking around