Archived Webinar - Repetitive Behaviors and Autism

Repetitive behaviors are one of autism’s core features and can be sensory or motor based, such as hand-flapping, or more cognitive in nature, such as intensely focused interests. Autistic people may engage in repetitive behaviors as a way to relieve anxiety or for fun — and for this reason, such behaviors deserve careful management.

View the webinar here at Spectrum. 

Rethinking repetitive behaviors in autism

Autistic people have long maintained that repetitive behaviors are beneficial. Emerging evidence in support of this idea is shaping new therapies.

Read more here at Spectrum. 

Quiet Hands

Quiet Hands

Archived Webinar on Repetitive Behaviors in Autism

View the webinar here at Spectrum. 

Stimming, therapeutic for autistic people, deserves acceptance

Rhythmic, repetitive behaviors are a hallmark of autism. Hand-flapping, spinning in circles, body rocking, vocalizations such as grunting and muttering, and other habits can be disquieting to people unfamiliar with them. Scientists and clinicians have long puzzled over what these behaviors mean — and how to respond to them.

But growing evidence suggests that repetitive behaviors have been misunderstood — and that they may in fact be incredibly useful. My colleagues and I have found that the behaviors give autistic people a sense of control, helping them cope with overwhelming external stimuli, and a way to calm and communicate their moods. On the other hand, many autistic people say that engaging in repetitive behaviors makes them feel like social outcasts.

Read more here at Spectrum. 

Archived Webinar: Suma Jacob, Christine Conelea discuss repetitive behaviors in autism

View the webinar here at Spectrum. 

Archived Webinars from the National Autism Association

WebiNAAr Recordings
NAA’s WebiNAArs are recorded and archived on our website.
For free access to all recorded webiNAArs, please register here.

Recorded WebiNAArs:

Vision Therapy’s Role in Attention, Stimming, Toe-Walking and other Visual-Motor AbilitiesPresented by:  Larah Alami, OD FAAO & Barbara Kotsamanidis-Burg

Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and Neuro-Modulation: The Potential of Cannabinoids in Treating AutismPresented by: Dr. Ronald Aung-Din

Wandering: How Affordable Smart-Home Technology Can Help Keep Our Kids SafePresented by: Holly Mero-Bench & Kevin Meacham of Vivint Gives Back

The Many and Varied Uses of SymbolsPresented by:  Anne Johnson-Oliss, M. Ed

Solutions to Help Children Self-Regulate: The Science Behind Deep Pressure Therapy
Presented by:  Lisa Fraser, CEO of Snug Vest

Bridging The Gap: A Guide for Autism Families to Establish Relationships with their Police Department
Presented by: Jerry Turning, Police Captain and Autism Dad

At Home with Autism:  Your Blueprint to a More Peaceful Home
Presented by:  Janeen Herskovitz

Haircuts, and Doctors, and Dentists, OH MY!
Presented by:  Colleen Spano, Founder & President of Sunshine Behavior Consulting

Ready, Set, Potty!Presented by:  Brenda Batts, Ph.D., Director of Focus on the Future Training Center

I Want to be Treated Like a Girlfriend Again . . and Other Thoughts of Long Ago
Presented by:  Mary Romaniec, Author, Advocate, Mom

Learn to Thrive, Not Just Survive:  Stress Reduction for Special Parents
Presented by:  Siobhán Wilcox, Stress Management Consultant, Author

A Street-Wise Approach to the IEP Process:  You are your child’s CEO
Presented by:  Mary Romaniec, Author, Advocate, Mom

Preventing Restraint and Seclusion in Schools – What Can Parents and Advocates Do?
Presented by: Barb Trader

Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum – the Basics
Presented by: Chantal Sicile-Kira

The Role of Enzymes in Autism, Gut Health and Food IntolerancesPresented by: Dr. Devin Houston

Autism & Wandering for First RespondersPresented by:  Lori McIlwain

Sexual Education for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
Presented by:  Brodie Simmons

Natural nutritional immunotherapy: An integrated protocol for the treatment of autism spectrum disordersPresented by: Marco Ruggiero, M.D., Ph.D

Income Tax Planning for Families with Children with Special NeedsPresented by: Michael Beloff, CFP®

Oxalates: An Important Etiological Factor in the Diagnosis and Treatment of AutismPresented by: William Shaw, Ph.D.

How Hyperbaric Therapies Can Help Improve Inflammatory and Autistic ConditionsPresented by: David Dornfeld, DO

Seizures in Autism Spectrum DisorderPresented by: Richard E. Frye, M.D., Ph.D

PANDAS/PANS in AutismPresented by: Scott Smith, P.A.

Using Diet & Nutrition to Help Your Child
Presented by: Julie Matthews, Certified Nutrition Consultant

Autism-Related Wandering: Keeping Our Kids Safe
Presented by: Wendy Fournier, NAA President

Stimtastic - Jewelry and Toys

See them here. 

11 People With Autism Explain What Stimming Feels Like

Stimming, or self-stimulatory behaviors, are behaviors people with autism may exhibit to counteract an overwhelming sensory environment or alleviate the high levels of internal anxiety, according to Temple Grandin’s post in Autism Digest. Some examples of stimming are rocking, spinning, pacing, repeating words or flapping of arms or hands.

Autistic people aren’t the only ones who stim, although occasionally people on the spectrum stim in more obvious ways and may attract attention. Many people have a hard time grasping why someone would stim.

We asked our readers with autism how they explain what stimming is like.

This is what they had to say: 

1. “It helps my body regulate the sensory information of the world.” — Laura Ivanova Smith

Read more here. 

Autism and snorting: Parents seek help with new ‘stim’ behavior

We’re having difficulties with a new stim [sensory stimulating behavior] that our seven-year-old has developed. He’s snorting. It’s deep and from the back of his throat. It started when he had some sinus drainage. That’s gone, but he still snorts constantly both at home and at school. I suspect he enjoys the vibration it makes. But it sounds terrible, and we’re getting complaints. We have no idea how to curtail or replace this behavior.

The kind of snorting you describe is both common and particularly challenging to manage. So while I hope my tips are helpful, I want to make clear that they’re no substitute for a personalized therapy program with your son working one-on-one with an occupational, speech or behavioral therapist.

 

Also please keep in mind that sensory-stimulating behaviors serve an important purpose. From your question, I see you understand the need to find a replacement behavior to meet your son’s sensory needs.

 

Here are some strategies that may help reduce the frequency and intensity of the snorting:

Read more here. 

Repetitive behaviors augur developmental delays in autism

Preschool-age children with autism who have severe repetitive behaviors and intensely restricted interests tend to lag intellectually and struggle with daily living skills later on1.

The findings support the notion that repetitive behaviors pave the way for other autism-related symptoms, perhaps by shifting a child’s focus away from important learning experiences.

“These children can’t disengage their attention from these internal monologues or visual images and get their attention focused on the outside world,” says lead researcher Deborah Fein, professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

The researchers found that preschool-age children who showed intense fascination with parts of objects, such as the wheels on a toy car, and had restricted sensory interests, such as sniffing objects, had lower scores on cognitive tests at ages 8 to 10 than did those with mild repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. This trend affects both verbal and nonverbal reasoning, the researchers reported 16 December in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

The researchers found that preschool-age children who showed intense fascination with parts of objects, such as the wheels on a toy car, and had restricted sensory interests, such as sniffing objects, had lower scores on cognitive tests at ages 8 to 10 than did those with mild repetitive behaviors or restricted interests. This trend affects both verbal and nonverbal reasoning, the researchers reported 16 December in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Read more here. 

Changing Attitudes Towards Repetitive Behaviors

Repetitive behaviors in those with autism have long been viewed as something to be eradicated. My own son’s problems in school began with his teacher’s intolerance for his incessant rocking and pencil tapping in class. These compulsions got him habitually thrown into the hall, and eventually out of school. But times are changing and so are attitude towards self stimulating or “stimming” activities.

 Click here for full article.

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