Part 5 – B1: Repetitive Behaviors
The Autism Spectrum in the DSM-V
#neurodiversity #autism #dsmasd
What the DSM says
B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaus tive; see text): 1. Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., simple motor stereotypies, lining up toys or flipping objects, echolalia, idiosyncratic phrases).
What it can mean
Communication
- My way of speaking is often very “formal”
- I communicate by repeating words and phrases I have heard before, like on TV or in person
- I communicate by repeating what the other person said just before me
- Because it's difficult for me to come up with new ways of saying things, I often have “scripts” for everyday interactions (like what to say to the employee at the grocery store worker, or how to greet my neighbor)
- The language I use is so different from other people, that a lot of it can only be understood by those who know me well. I sometimes need people to “translate”
- when i'm tired/overwhelmed and withdrawing, i speak as if i were a child (”[my name] tired!“)
- I use nonsense/made-up words to communicate certain concepts that only people I know well can interpret
- I repeat the same inside jokes so frequently that they stop being funny (to everyone else in the group)
Stimming: How I stim
- I enjoy repeating the same word, phrase, or sound over and over again
- I stim by making sounds with my mouth, like tongue-clicking or humming
- Hand-flapping, rocking, jumping, clapping, hand-twisting, finger-flicking
- Spinning in circles
- tensing my body, then releasing the tension
- Moving my face a certain way, which can look like grimacing
- grinding my teeth
- Tapping against my ears really quickly. I like the sound.
- I always pick my skin. I've tried to stop, but I even do it when I'm half asleep
- I enjoy looking at things move quickly, for example waving a pen in front of my eyes
- When I was little, I never pretend-played with my toy cars. But I did enjoy spinning the wheels *Turning lights on and off
- this overlaps with my eczema, but i'm constantly scratching!
- dancing, pacing, swaying/rocking back and forth between feet while standing, playing with my hair, letting other people play with my hair
Stimming: Why I stim
- To express my emotions
- I stim when I'm anxious or angry because it calms me down. I stim when I'm happy because it makes me even happier
- It's fun
- I'm so full of energy sometimes, I need to move
- It's like I'm “releasing happy-energy”. It just... boosts my happiness in a way?
- It helps me concentrate
- it's grounding when i'm anxious or overwhelmed, not specifically calming me down but sometimes like, brings me back into myself and my body — the opposite of disorienting
- I just do it, automatically
Other
- Some of my co-workers have nicknamed me “ballerina” because I always walk on my toes
- I like to sit in positions that others consider uncomfortable or painful (this can also be a stim). “Normal” positions, on the other hand, are uncomfortable or painful to me
- “T-Rex arms” or “raptor hands” (like this)
Continue to Part 0 – Sources Part 1 – Introduction Part 2 – Social-emotional reciprocity Part 3 – Nonverbal communication Part 4 – Relationships Part 5 – Repetitive Behaviors