I have 4 aunts, 3 of which are teachers (one retired). At least one of them has asked if I have any suggestions for classroom related stimming.

First of all, if someone is not harming themselves, others, or property, then there is no need to stop them stimming.

Try to see this from the child’s perspective.

We take in too much information throughout the day and often need a bit longer to process it and respond:

Stimming can help us cope with this excess of information. If I’m having a stressful day, then adding more stress in the form of a classroom is going to be anxiety-inducing. But I deal with it, because I don’t really have a choice. One method of dealing is stimming.

The next video shows the sensory overload of a supermarket. A classroom is rife with similar overwhelming sensory inputs. The overly bright fluorescent lights, the clock ticking in the corner, the ‘naughty’ kids chatting away, the ‘class clown’ making people laugh until your head throbs, the fake fruity smell of deodorant or perfume, the noises of kids in other classrooms or the hallways, the birdsong from outside…

School is sensory hell.

Imagine being in the sensory hell of the above video. Then imagine being there for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, with one hour for lunch (which is even worse!). Then try doing work on top of that. Frankly, you would struggle.

This is everyday life for many people. And the ways they use to cope can lead to intense bullying (most autistic people have been bullied) and severe mental health problems (autistic kids are 28x as likely to experience suicidal ideation, and anxiety and depression is common amongst autistic people).

Honestly, rather than trying to encourage the child to stim in ‘less annoying’ ways, I would suggest finding ways to reduce their sensory overload. Fight bullying, don’t tell the kids the same things they’ve heard from mean kids already (that they are acting ‘weird’ and should stop, that they are ‘stupid’ or worse words, or that they are ‘annoying’ others). Trust me, we have heard it already. And we see it every time autism is in the media. Teachers can make an enormous difference to a confused, isolated kid. Don’t encourage them to mask (it can lead to intense anxiety, even depression). Don’t tell them off for stimming.

I get that stimming can be ‘disruptive’. But all of the non-autistic kids are fidgeting in ways that are annoying me, and aren’t getting told off. Yet when I do it, I have to stop because they are ‘struggling to focus’.

Figure out why a kid is stimming in a disruptive manner.

Are they humming loudly? Maybe the room is too loud and they need to block out the background noise.

Are they tapping the table? Maybe those kids chatting in the back are saying cruel things that they want to ignore.

Are they chewing on their clothes? Maybe they are experiencing high levels of anxiety because they are perfectionists, and the chewing comforts them.

Before you try to change the child, try changing the environment.

Look at the environment from an autistic perspective. Or bring an autistic person in to evaluate your classroom.

Maybe your clock ticks. I would suggest replacing it, but due to the non-existent budget for teachers it may be better to simply remove in and ensure you have a digital time display available like the laptop. If a child asks for the time, tell them (not knowing is very anxiety inducing in my experience).

Maybe you leave your windows open. Maybe you have radiators on. An autistic person may struggle with the fluctuating temperature, so allow them to pick a spot away from either of these things, and try to avoid using these methods unless necessary.

School clothes are incredibly uncomfortable! I would want to rip mine off by the end of the day, because the jumper was loose and kept brushing against my skin lightly, which was physically painful for me. Try bringing this up with the head teacher so they can consider this the next time they change a school uniform. Maybe children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis could be allowed more lax uniform rules (for example, just ensuring they have a white top rather than a white polo). Maybe they could wear something comfortable underneath, and just wear a school jacket or jumper over the top. Also, it’s really annoying when you have to wear a dress and have no choice. School dresses hurt because they kept brushing against me. Encourage your head teacher to have gender neutral clothing!

Let the kid go somewhere quiet, like the bathroom or an empty room. If they are older or more responsible, let them have headphones in class. If they aren’t, make sure they have access to ear defenders.

Give kids somewhere other than the canteen to go for lunch. It’s really loud! People sometimes throw food. The floor has messy, slippery bits. It’s a social nightmare if you don’t have friends.

TALK TO THE INDIVIDUAL. Maybe send the child’s parents an email asking how to make your classroom more autism friendly. Maybe talk to the child after class is over (make it clear they are not in trouble though!). Also, instead of expecting answers the first time you ask, encourage them to write down things during class if they annoy, frustrate, or overwhelm them, and give them to you at the end of class. Asking them once with no time to think back on it means you will miss a lot of stuff.

Once you’re completely sure you’ve done everything you reasonably can to help the child, then MAYBE consider working with them (with their consent!) on replacing ‘disruptive’ stims (whilst always allowing them to say ‘no’ and reject your ideas and just leave this extra work). If they are verbally stimming, try asking them why. If you can’t figure it out, you could buy a cheap karaoke set, or just get them to go into a separate room for 10 minutes in the middle of a lesson when they get restless, to sing and hum to their hearts content. If they are stimming with their body or seeking tactile input (EG tapping, clicking, etc), try finding silent, tactile stim toys for them to use instead. Maybe something to do with a special interest. Work with the child, not in opposition to them.

Also, don’t stop kids from rocking. It doesn’t affect anyone. It doesn’t make noise, it doesn’t involve destruction, it doesn’t affect anyone else in any way other than making them feel ‘uncomfortable’ with the ‘weird’ behaviour. It is very good for decreasing stress and coping with the sensory environment.

Depending upon the age and maturity of the kids, they could be taught about autism and about stimming. I’ve heard kids nowadays may be kinder towards kids with disorders, disabilities, and special needs (obviously not all kids, there is more than enough evidence that many kids are still cruel). So maybe explaining why a child is stimming would help them not get annoyed by it. Because people seem to get annoyed by things they don’t understand even if it doesn’t affect them (such as rocking). This won’t help with ‘disruptive’ stims but it may help increase understanding and acceptance, which is vital.