What are “stim behaviors” and why does the person with Asperger’s Disorder do them?
Stim behaviors refer to behaviors that tend to appear in response to an anxiety-provoking situation or experience, they are repetitive, and often times appear unusual or inappropriate socially. Children with Asperger’s often become obsessed with the need for sameness or routine. When changes occur in their environment that deviate from that sameness, anxiety is produced and repetitive, ritualistic behaviors restore some of the sense of “sameness” that was lost. These behaviors are the way the person with Asperger’s copes with change, unpredictability, and anxiety. Attempts by teachers, parents, or significant others to stop these behaviors may lead the person with Asperger’s to feel panic, anger, and/or extreme anxiety and can results in extreme behaviors (screaming, temper tantrums) that are often less desirable than the stim behavior. In these instances, it is often best to try to help the person with Asperger’s learn an alternative, more socially acceptable behavior to achieve this
