People with ASDs are often seen flapping their hands, rocking, flicking their fingers, and more. People think we are weird. But we are just expressing ourselves. When I am excited I clap my hands or jump. When I am nervous I rub my hands or flap them. When I am thinking I rub or tug on my lips or chin. When I am upset I push on my temples or repeat a phrase over and over or both. When I am perfectly content even, I may rock gently. I took the PSAT test and during it (thankfully it was run by my school counselor I meet with) I flicked my fingers just because I was half nervous and deep in thought.
Moving like that is called stimming and we do it to try and have control over something when it feels like we have none. Predictability is very important to us and when we feel like the world is spinning or we are out of control, we try and stop that and stimming is what we do.
It helps us relax, but so does being hugged (depending on the person) or talked to and asked questions we definitely know the answer to or being asked about what we were doing before we had a meltdown. Emotions are hard and the world is confusing. Be patient and accepting and we will do fine.
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Dealing With An Aspie/Autie
Non-Fictionalmost everybody encounters us regularly. most get annoyed or ignore us. this is how to deal with us in a way that is conducive to a healthy relationship we would otherwise miss out on.
