Pacing - a rare form of stimming?

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I was VERY bad at this, driving everyone in the family to distraction. Usually it was in a combo with other stims of mine, like flapping/waving/shaking strings or socks.
It was one of the reasons my parents more than once said they contemplated having me sent to one of those "disability" schools which were just warehouses back in the day..

Sincerely,
Matthew

I do this, walking in patterns round the floor tiles in the kitchen for instance. I have read this in many descriptions of autism and aspergers. It's a pretty common repetitive behaviour.

Jason

I walked up on my toes and had a lot of stress. My parents weren't tolerant.

I pace when doing my teeth. I do it without realising it. Is that stimming?

Looks like it's not so rare. I do it daily, many times per day. It happens when I'm on the phone or when I'm deep in thought. Pacing is also associated with ADD but with around 80% (iirc) of ASD people showing traits of ADD it would make sense that we are pacers. I should be the mascot for the Indiana Pacers basketball team.

Pacing is probably what I do the most. Walking circles while my mind is far away from reality. I've been pacing for as long as I remember. I don't think there is anything rare about it.

I do it as well.

I go back and forth quickly within a small space before I realize I'm doing it and stop. If the stress is too great I stop and end up going back to the pacing without realizing. I don't like to admit it because it sounds "odd". Other times if I'm just waiting for water to boil. It's usually stress related for me. I still have echolalia too, but is silent just as it was when I was a child.

I love pacing, I do it all the time because it calms me down.

I do it as well, especially when I have to be at the station to wait for the train, what I have to do once a week to go to the autism-center. Circles or 10 steps, turning, 10 steps, turning. But before I did ballet-exercises (former SI) waiting for the train, so I guess what I do now is considered to be "more normal".

It isn't rare at all. All three of my Autistic kids do it. I did when I was a kid. Not so much anymore.

Google "pacing stimming" and you'll see it's pretty common.

My AS/ADHD daughter and ADHD son both do it a lot. I used to when I was a kid, but not a lot now.

~Kate

I usually pace in circles around a room by default. I've got way too much energy I need to burn off. And if I ever have to sit down I always fidget crazy.

I don't do any pacing in public. I'm afraid of the psych ward.

I'll actually pace, and pace, and pace... while I think or am on the phone.

I even would get in trouble for doing loops around my old works kitchen area but not actually performing any work (I guess the manager saw me, lol). I didn't really remember doing the loops but I suppose I could have. It makes sense.

I've often wondered how happy I'd be in a small jail cell in solitary (like a 6 foot wide room or something). Would I just pace all day super happy like a hamster on a wheel? But my family knows I do this, and while they are sitting on the couch I'll be doing loops around the kitchen. In my current home I have no where to pace except in a straight line and then come back.