How To Manage Stimming In The Classroom

Seeking ways to soothe a nervous or anxious body is not out of the ordinary. Many people develop habits such as tapping feet, twirling hair or strumming fingers. These habits are also common, but can be greatly exaggerated, in individuals with Asperger syndrome and autism. As anxiety grows and becomes overwhelming, a child with AS/autism might flap his arms, repeat a verbal noise over and over, rock, rub his eyes or arch his back.
These are methods that the child has learned over time to calm down, but they can unfortunately be very disruptive in a classroom. Also, stimming behavior can be viewed as odd, resulting in devastating social consequences for the student with Asperger’s. A teacher’s instinct may be to stop or yell at the child to stop the annoying behavior, but this will cause him to become even more anxious. How can a teacher help control stimming behavior in the classroom?
Why is Stimming Necessary?
Children on the autism spectrum will most likely have sensory processing (SPD) issues that cause them to become overloaded with external stimuli. A ticking clock may sound more to them like a power drill on pavement. A gentle touch may feel to them like sandpaper rubbing on their backs. It is also possible for the opposite to be true. Many kids with AS do not receive enough stimulation and need to compensate by creating their own.

It is easy for a student with autism in the classroom to become overstimulated by the many activities going on around him. When this happens, he will want to block out the stimulation by covering his ears or making his own noise. This is the only way the child knows how to calm down and get back to a place that is more comfortable for him.
If the student is understimulated, he may seek out others to bang up against or he may otherwise create a raucous. The student with Asperger’s does not do this to be annoying or irritating, but simply is trying to readjust to his surroundings. However, without really doing it on purpose, he is isolating himself socially and causing a huge disruption for the rest of the class and the teacher.
How to Manage Stimming in the Classroom
Stimming is a necessary way in which kids with Asperger syndrome and autism cope with upsetting, stressful or overwhelming situations. What can a teacher do to manage stimming behavior in the classroom? Try keeping a calm and organized classroom, and helping the child find other coping mechanisms that are not as disruptive or annoying to others.

First, it is best for students with autism to be in a structured and calm environment. A chaotic classroom is particularly stressful for these children, and probably for all other students too. Try to help the child with AS cope by placing him in a quieter area next to kids who are calm. The teacher will also need to keep her own emotions in check. An effective classroom design will be important for managing stimming.
Helping a student find a replacement for loud or disruptive stimming behavior is not easy, but can be effective as well. For example, if a child with Asperger syndrome orally stimulates herself with clicking noises, she may find a more acceptable soothing technique is to chew on something like fruit gummies or crunchy carrots.
Kids with autism who are nervous in unstructured times such as recess, may run in circles or talk to themselves on the playground to calm down. These bothersome behaviors could be replaced with swinging or digging. A teacher may also be able to discuss the stimming behavior with the child when he is calmer, express understanding, and suggest that he try a different coping mechanism.
Stimming is a soothing but often disruptive behavior that develops in children with Asperger syndrome and autism when they are upset or anxious. Teachers can help these students cope with their overwhelming feelings by providing a safe, structured and understanding classroom environment, as well as offering ways of replacing the disruptive behaviors with more socially acceptable ones.