Stimming

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What exactly classifies as autistic stimming and what differentiates it from NT stimming?

Are the following things classed as a kind of stimming and which are likely to be NT or not:

Rubbing on a piece of material repeatedly
Dancing in a certain motion (swaying or spinning)
Clapping when excited
Listening to the same song over and over again
Talking to yourself
When lying in bed, pushing your whole body into the mattress and wriggling as the pressure sensation is soothing.

Are some of them just odd habits?

And last but not least, does anyone have any really usual stims?

That's stimming.

Everyone does it. I think people with autism just like to do it more, and usually don't care about "over" doing it.

I don't know if what I do is odd, because it's not odd to me. But one time I was asked why I spin my mouse on my desk. And another time my brother asked me why I wrote "Heart # 6" all over my bedroom door. I said I don't know because I KNEW he was referring to something I did and he thought it was odd... but really I had this Heart CD and liked a certain track on it.. so I decided to draw big hearts with the track number all over my bedroom door lol. I do other stuff with my hands and flip things but no one ever says anything to me about it.

I think everything you listed could be taken as stimming except maybe talking to oneself. A lot of people (including myself) do that to help organize their thoughts, and to remember something, like a short grocery list, when they go to the store. There is nothing wrong with that kind of talking to oneself. Delusional conversations are a mental health issue.

The most 'unusual' one for me (unusual because it's not one I've seen or that has been mentioned here) is holding one or both of my arms above my head. It's not something I think about doing, and if I do it on purpose, it doesn't feel right. When I notice that I'm doing it, I try to pinpoint the sensation or whatever it is that might make me do it...I think it's that my arms feel heavy when I'm holding them up above my head, and I like weight or pressure on my body.

I don't talk to imaginary voices or have hallucinations...never had either of those lol. I mostly rehearse conversations or how I think upcoming conversations might go, natter on at myself about something I am interested in or think aloud. For example, if plotting a graph for my course I will sit there and tell myself the data I need to plot as I am plotting it (Ie 5.2 needs to go there, and 6.4 needs to go there, and if I put that there and oops, no move that over a bit, the line of best fit belongs here, no there, hm that's not right, um no over, down, up, yes and..."). I just can't do it quietly it seems, even when out in public lololololol. Had to stop myself recently as I was sat doing my work in a cafe and was muttering to myself about everything I was doing whilst I was doing it lol.

What about these:

- Rubbing hands together
- Rubbing feet together or rock them from side to side (this is the most involuntary one)
- Rocking back and forth (this is quite voluntary but it still feels good so I do it sometimes)
- Pacing
- Fidgeting with things

Can they be classified as stimming?

Ha I do that! Like when I'm on the couch, watching a movie, or if I'm on my back in bed, reading a book I'll do this, just hold my arm straight up. I don't really do it on purpose but this is not something I would do in public either.

I have to manipulate string/or rubber bands with my hands. I used to run around with string or fabric when I was a kid. And you can read about what that caused to happen on "This Sounds a bit cruel" Thread. Or a few others. But I never stopped, even after being punished.
It is just something I do. It helps me focus. And in the past, I use to get up into my head, my "Inner World" through my stims. Which is still partly true. I stim when I daydream..

Sincerely,
Matthew

That's generally when I do it, too! I've never done it while standing...only while sitting, like you said, while reading or watching a movie, or something similar. I don't think I've ever done it in public, but I never notice right away that I'm doing it...it's almost like I glance over and see my arm lifted straight up, and it's like I'm 'discovering' my arm for the first time. haha.

I rub my hands together really fast. Feels great.

I especially do this when I'm excited.

Rocking side to side is another one I do.

Another big one: walking on toes.

I can't keep my feet on the floor if I'm sitting down. I have to pull them up onto the chair or couch with me. I also listen to songs repeatedly. I had a lot of sound-based habits when I was younger - very annoying ones to others. I eventually reigned them in to singing - but I do this only when nobody else is around. I've made a lot of adaptations ofer the years because I was annoying other people.

Walking in circles. I do it since I was a child; I do it when I study, when I have a lot of anxiety and when I explain something that worries me to my mother.

I can only have one foot touching the floor at a time when I'm sitting. The other one is usually curled up under me. If possible, I sit indian style (couldn't do this in school chairs, which is why I fidgeted mostly in school...switching which leg was curled up under me).

I bite my lip. It's a comfort thing.

So what do you calll it when on's hand waves violently in the air? I thought that was stimming but I don't get anything from it so I guess not.

Yes, except for talking to yourself, they are stims.

I've read somewhere that dribbling sand through the fingers is a stim. I wonder if crumbling dry lumps of soil away in your hand in a similar way is also a stim, I did that sometimes, it's soothing.

Some usual stims... Perhaps rubbing the skin / hair, biting the lower lip, rubbing the eyes / eyebrows and ears... There are plenty of ways of stimming, including visual, olfactory.