Stimming

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How do I stim in public without drawing attention to myself?!

I'm not really sure. Maybe progressively try to get them smaller? Is that possible?

What do you do at the moment?

Probably sounds weird as I am 17. I shake my head very quickly from side to side. Sometimes I spin. And I hand flap a lot!! As you can probably guess this draws a lot of attention to me in public places but I just can't seem to feel right or calm without doing these things.

No, it's not weird, don't worry about it.

Maybe try more subtle things if you're aware you're doing it. For example since hand flapping is the main one try flapping them but only where people won't see - under a table, I don't know, I'm really not sure. Or just the fingers rather than at the wrist.

Most people do "fidget" and so if stimming can look like fidgeting then it'll probably get less attention. That's all I can really say, sorry.

No that's really helpful thanks! Are you on the spectrum?

I don't know yet.

Oh are you getting assessed? The assessment process I went through took 6 months! But I've finally been diagnosed about a month ago. It was such a relief getting the diagnosis, it explained a lot! Just wish I had had it when going through primary and secondary school.

Yeah, I am being assessed. Unfortunately I'm an adult now so it'll take longer. I've been on the waiting list since march.

And yeah, I wish I got it earlier as well... as a toddler would have been ideal.

I think you have a great amount of intelligence, Iliketrees.

Do you think you might want to be an autism researcher some day?

Thank you so much.

I don't know, I become really interested in things for a while but eventually lose interest and become interested in something else. I don't seem to have a lifetime one but I could be wrong.

Just at the moment it definitely is my interest because I might have it so for whatever reason I want to know anything I can. No idea why.

Ahh good luck! I wish there was some screening process for babies as I think there is a strong genetic factor as almost everyone on my dad's side has very strong asd traits.
Which traits do you think you think you have?

I believe this does exist but not on a large scale - I don't have a source on me, but they place a baby in front of a screen with a woman on it. I think she's singing or something, I'm not too sure. Regular babies look at the eyes for most the time, or at least near them. The ones at risk for autism don't look at the eyes - maybe glance at the mouth and nose, but their eyes just dart everywhere. Those babies are then watched as toddlers for signs of autism. It doesn't diagnose but it identifies the ones at risk. Be pretty cool if it could be scaled up.

And that's weird. All my cousins have autism (diagnosed) on my dad's side and the traits do run in the family even for those without autism.

Quite a lot, actually. This all started when I was in hospital and it got picked up by the mental health team.

Oh I didn't realise there was a small screening process already! I got picked up on when I was in hospital as well. It's a shame it has to come to that though. I think people should be more knowledgable on the subject. Since my diagnosis I have done a load of reading on the subject and I find it fascinating. Do you stim?

It's not an official thing just something that's being researched.

Oh, care to share? Are you me? I'm just finding it weird, sorry.

And yeah, seems I do, except I'm not aware I'm doing it. And it really is fascinating, yeah.

I think your pursuit of autism research, and your conception ethics pertaining to what's "official" or not, would be a very useful pursuit, indeed.

How far have you gone in your A-levels?

Yes it does seem we are very similar! I was in a psych ward in oxford for a month just before Christmas last year and they picked up upon my asd traits there and that started the whole assessment process off. Were you in a general hospital or a psych ward?
Sometimes I'm not aware I'm doing it, which is mostly when I'm anxious and trying to calm down, but when I feel 'not quite right' as I put it on the inside then I stim purposefully which seems to return me back to 'normal' for want of a better word