Is this stimming?

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The worst sound is metal scraping on metal or glass. When I hear this and it is sudden and bad, I put my fingers in and half nod, half rock slightly a few times while also trying to blot out the sound with my voice (speaking, making a groan kind of noise). This is momentary and I did this yesterday. It was automatic. Is this stimming?

The fingers in the ears and making noise is overdone, and probably autistic/AS, but it IS somewhat normal! The nodding and rocking IS a common stim.

What do you mean by it's overdone? As in it's a normal trait with loud noises, but not noises such as these?

Is it still a stim if it lasts only about two seconds?

All purposeful movement (regardless of length of time, or severity of the movement itself) that has the effect of causing your system to be soothed or comforted is a stim. Some higher functioning AS people can use a form of finger stimming for short periods of time to deal with situations that are otherwise uncomfortable.

What's finger stimming? I mean what sort of movements?

I think it can be anything involving your fingers/hands,

drumming on something like the edge of a table,
'wringing' your fingers..

I bend mine backwards one at a time, then wring my hands, and just sort of twizzle my fingers

I'm not sure if it's a stim or not, but when chalk is scrapped across a chalkboard I shut my eyes and shake me head everytime. It just feels painful!

YEP! HEY, I cover/plug my ears ALSO! Don't take it as an insult.

When I'm walking down a crowded street, I sometimes pull my left ring finger inwards and wiggle it about a bit out of nervousness/anxiety. Sometimes it's both ring fingers. It's n ot a tic, but I don't know if this is just a nervous reaction or a stim or what it is.

No, it's okay, I didn't take it as an insult, I just needed clarification

Liverbird said it.

I prefer the term, "repetitive motor mannerisms". My favorite is to repetitively go through with the motions of tactical/speed reloads of a "phantom" pistol (pistol shooting was an obsession of mine); this is probably more of an autistic disorder thingy, i.e., motor mannerisms in relation to an interest.

Anyone with AS do something similar with their interest, perhaps playing a "phantom" musical instrument or something?

Sometimes hold and play a coin like a go stone. But usually, I just play the game on an imaginary board inside my head.

Okay, while we are on the topic... I have no other autistic characteristics except, I hand flap. As a kid, I did it regularly when I was nervous or excited. Now, I hide it or only do it in private, unless it's really major then I can't control it. I remember learning to drive, my mom yelling "Put your hands on the wheel and stop flapping your hands!" Now that I'm a psychologist, I recognize that I'm stimming when I get over excited, but what does it mean?!

I play the piano on my leg or in the air, as well as the flute, sometimes the sax.

Hey, when I'm at a mall or in school or something (I'm agoraphobic, but it's not a freezing fear though) I make clicking noises, hum, make fists and release them really fast, or click my jaw- is that stimming?

My son finger stims. This involves taking his thumb and touching the tip of each finger in a quick concise pattern. It's very deliberate and he does it so quickly that most people prolly don't even notice that what he's doing is odd.

I stim by chewing on straws, tapping on things, and when really stressed typing. It satisfies my finger stimming.

I come from an educational background, so we prefer the term "purposeful movement". Purposeful movement sounds much more professional and also takes some of the stigma out of what they are, repetitive motor mannerisms (as Daniel said). It's helpful for children, because in a classroom or case conference, I find that purposeful movement makes non-autistic people cringe less. It also helps the student as they get older. Purposeful movement is much easier to explain to your peers than obsessive and repetitive motor movements. Other kids understand the need to move as a need, not as something that cannot be controlled.

All of my students that are on the spectrum now say that they have purposeful movement. Pretty cool, eh?

Now that you mention it, when I'm stressed out at work (under deadline pressure, for instance), I will tap my fingernails loudly on the edge of my desk as if playing an imaginary piano. I do this often without realizing it. One day I was extremely late for deadline and had people breathing down my neck to hurry up and for no reason I start tapping out the tune of this song that was stuck in my head. That's when the lady on the other side of my cubicle said, "You can knock off that racket anytime you want, now."