‘People should be allowed to do what they like’: Autistic adults’ views and experiences of stimming

'Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements' are characterised as core features in the diagnosis of autism, yet many autistic adults (and the neurodiversity movement) have reclaimed them as 'stimming'. Supported by a growing body of scientific research, autistic adults argue that these behaviours may serve as useful coping mechanisms, yet little research has examined stimming from the perspective of autistic adults. Through interviews and focus groups, we asked 32 autistic adults to share their perceptions and experiences of stimming, including the reasons they stim, any value doing so may hold for them and their perceptions of others' reactions to stimming. Using thematic analysis, we identified two themes:…

• W
  Wellcome

  Award: 108676/Z/15/Z
• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Awards: /Z/15/Z, 108676/Z/15/Z
• LT
  Leverhulme Trust
• SR
  Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences