Alee Behavioral Healthcare

While it’s important to stress that no two people with autism experience the condition in the same way, some symptoms are more common than others. For example, many children with autism and related disorders find difficulty in social situations. What are ‘social situations’? The social situation is a term that can describe a broad range of events we encounter daily. For children, social situations include everything from going to school to spending time with their siblings. In short, it refers to any situation where others surround us. Why do children with autism and related disorders tend to struggle in social situations? Children with autism and related disorders may struggle in social situations because they tend to experience the world differently than their neurotypical peers. As such, they may not know how to accurately respond to specific social cues that other children seem to understand from an early age. Because of this, it is a common misconception that people with autism a

Emotional regulation is something that we all struggle with – even into adulthood. However, how we regulate our emotions varies on a case-by-case basis – and the same can be said for children with autism and related disorders. Many children with autism use ‘stimming’ as a form of emotional regulation, which is why you may already be familiar with the term. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what stimming is, and steps you can take to support your child. What Is Stimming? Stimming is short for self-stimulating and refers to repetitive behaviors/actions carried out by individuals as a form of emotional regulation or self-soothing. While seemingly ‘random’, they provide the individual with a sense of comfort, especially when they feel overwhelmed. According to Autism.org, Typically Stimming Behaviors Could Include: Arm flapping Finger-flicking Rocking Jumping Spinning Twirling Head-banging Complex body movements There are many different reasons why a person may ‘stim’. For example, i