Stimming Is More Than Self-Regulation: What Autistic Adults Want Us to Understand

A review of the article: Morris, I. F., Sykes, J. R., Paulus, E. R., Dameh, A., Razzaque, A., Esch, L. V., Gruenig, J., & Zelazo, P. D. (2025). Beyond self-regulation: Autistic experiences and perceptions of stimming. Neurodiversity, 3, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330241311096

When people talk about stimming, it’s often described as something autistic people do to “calm down” or “cope.” While self-regulation is part of the story, new research shows that stimming is much more than that - and autistic adults are clear about why it matters.

A recent study, Beyond self-regulation: Autistic experiences and perceptions of stimming, interviewed autistic adults to explore what stimming means, why people do it, and what happens when it’s suppressed.

What was the aim of the study?

The researchers wanted to understand:

• How autistic adults experience stimming

• Whether stimming is experienced as positive or negative

• Why autistic people suppress (or “mask”) stimming

• Whether stimming plays a role in connection, communication, and relationships

Importantly, this research was participatory — autistic people were involved not just as participants, but in shaping the research itself.

How was the study done?

Two large surveys were completed by autistic adults:

• Study 1: 131 participants

• Study 2: 117 participants

Participants included people with formal autism diagnoses and people who self-identified as autistic. They were asked about:

• Their experiences of stimming

• Emotions linked to stimming

• Masking and suppression

• Social connection and relationships

This approach allowed researchers to look beyond clinical assumptions and focus on lived experience.

What did the study find?

1. Stimming is usually a positive experience

Most participants described stimming as helpful, enjoyable, or grounding. Only a small minority described it as generally negative — and when they did, it was because the stim was:

• Physically harmful, or

• Met with stigma, judgment, or punishment

In other words, stimming itself wasn’t the problem - how society responded to it was.

2. Stimming helps with emotions and communication

Participants reported stimming during:

• High-energy emotions (like excitement or anxiety)

• Low-energy states (like boredom)

Importantly, many autistic adults said they could read emotions in other autistic people’s stims, and that stimming helped them feel understood and connected.

This suggests stimming can act as a form of non-verbal communication, especially within the autistic community.

3. Masking is common — and driven by external pressure

Even though most participants found stimming helpful, the majority reported actively suppressing it.

Why?

• Fear of judgment

• Wanting to “fit in”

• Past experiences of being told to stop

Masking wasn’t done because stimming was harmful — it was done to avoid negative social consequences. Many participants described masking as exhausting, stressful, and emotionally costly.

4. Connection to the autistic community matters

One of the strongest findings was that people who felt more connected to the autistic community were more likely to:

• See stimming as meaningful

• Experience it as socially connecting

• Use it as a way to understand others

This challenges long-standing ideas that autistic people lack social awareness or empathy.

What does this mean for parents?

If your child stims:

• It may help them regulate, communicate, connect, or feel safe

• Stimming isn’t something that automatically needs to be stopped

• The distress often comes from how others react, not the stim itself

Rather than asking “How do we stop this?”, this research invites us to ask:

“What is this helping my child do?”

Supporting safe stimming and reducing stigma can protect emotional wellbeing and identity.

What does this mean for occupational therapists?

For OTs, this research reinforces key neuro-affirming principles:

• Stimming is an occupation with meaning, not a behaviour to eliminate by default

• Suppressing stimming can carry real emotional and mental health risks

• Intervention should focus on:

  • Safety and consent

  • Environmental fit

  • Emotional expression

  • Participation and connection

  
  

When stims are harmful, the goal isn’t extinction — it’s co-regulation, substitution, and support, while respecting autonomy of choice.

Most importantly, this study reminds us that autistic perspectives must be central to ethical, evidence-based practice.

Final takeaway

Stimming is not just about calming down.

It can be about expression, joy, identity, communication, and belonging.

When we listen to autistic voices, the message is clear:

Stimming doesn’t need fixing — stigma does.