One thought on “Autism and Late Diagnosis – I Wish I’d Known – the Importance of Movement and Stimming”
Wow thank you for sharing your experience with stimming. I did not realize we adults do it. (Yes, even actual autistics can be influenced by media messages about us.)
While watching your video I thought of some stims I do. When I see a movie I like to use two seats, put up the armrest in between, take off my shoes and change my position constantly.
I’m so grateful to have figured out the magic of earplugs. Even in a “silent” environment they immediately make me feel calmer. Conversely if I’m in a meeting or movie and there are side conversations, I’ll put my earplugs in and adjust them so I can hear what I want to concentrate on.
I thought of one “internal” stim I do: if I can’t get to my earplugs, I’ll “sing” a sing inside my head, nodding or tapping to the beat. Sometimes I’ll play with it, like have another artist sing the original artist’s song.
The only answer to the question “what do I wish I’d known?” is the earplugs. Everything else I’m just bouncing off you to test whether it is autism or insanity. Thank you for your work!
Lyric Rivera, an Autistic self-advocate from Texas, runs the the internationally recognized neurodiversity lifestyle blog Neurodivergent Rebel.
Neurodivergent Rebel was opened in 2016, as a way to introduce people unfamiliar with autism to neurodiversity. The blog, which is sometimes released in written format and also via YouTube video, explores the ideology of neurodiversity and the creative expressions of autistic people. Riveras’ blog pushes for acceptance of neurological differences and respect for the autonomy of neurodivergent people.
Lyric is also known as the pioneer of the #AskingAutistics hashtag, which is often accompanied by a short question about everyday autistic experiences. This simple hashtag connects neurodiverse people who would not otherwise have a reason to engage with each other to foster understanding of the autistic experience.
View all posts by Lyric Holmans
Wow thank you for sharing your experience with stimming. I did not realize we adults do it. (Yes, even actual autistics can be influenced by media messages about us.)
While watching your video I thought of some stims I do. When I see a movie I like to use two seats, put up the armrest in between, take off my shoes and change my position constantly.
I’m so grateful to have figured out the magic of earplugs. Even in a “silent” environment they immediately make me feel calmer. Conversely if I’m in a meeting or movie and there are side conversations, I’ll put my earplugs in and adjust them so I can hear what I want to concentrate on.
I thought of one “internal” stim I do: if I can’t get to my earplugs, I’ll “sing” a sing inside my head, nodding or tapping to the beat. Sometimes I’ll play with it, like have another artist sing the original artist’s song.
The only answer to the question “what do I wish I’d known?” is the earplugs. Everything else I’m just bouncing off you to test whether it is autism or insanity. Thank you for your work!