We all engage in self-stimulatory behaviours from time to time. You may shake your leg or doodle during a meeting. A common assumption about these types of behaviours is that the people engaging in them are distracted or not paying attention and therefore these tendencies should be suppressed or hidden. However, for many people including autistic individuals, these behaviours play an important role in increasing focus and concentration.
Self-stimulatory behaviours vary greatly from person to person and not all autistic individuals engage in the same types of behaviours. They may be subtle (e.g., twirling a strand of hair or chewing on the end of a pen) or more intense (e.g., rocking one’s body back and forth).
Some autistic people refer to their self-stimulatory behaviours as “stimming” – meaning that they act to stimulate their sensory systems. Stimming behaviours often play an important role for the person and should not be suppressed. These behaviours can help individuals to concentrate, deal with stress, anxiety, or uncertainty, or simply to relax.
It may be disruptive to have an employee who paces constantly or taps his pencil on the table during a board meeting but there are acceptable ways to self-regulate at work. See tips below for suggestions
[box] DID YOU KNOW? Even people who do not have an autism diagnosis use self-stimulatory behaviours to regulate[/box]
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TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS
Supporting Effective Self-Regulation
Be aware of sensory stimuli in the workplace
Fluorescent lighting, the background buzzing of the photocopier, the ticking of the clock, and the scents coming from the lunchroom are all stimuli that most employees could easily filter but may be very difficult for an autistic person to manage. As an employer, your ability to be prepared with adjustment strategies for sensory stimuli in the work environment may have a huge impact on your ability to retain neurodiverse talent.
- Reduce background noise
- Allow the use of headphones, ear plugs or white noise machines to reduce background noise.
- Allow fidget items
- Spinners, stress balls, or jewelry are inconspicuous stimming tools. You may even consider providing fidget items
- Adjustments to breaks
- Allow for more frequent shorter breaks
- Provide a quiet space that can be accessed during times of stress
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