As an autistic person in the low level spectrum, i thank you a lot for people like you share the information of how it is to be autistic. I feel like i should try to know myself more...
hi, just to let y'all know: "high functioning" and "low functioning" are outdated and inaccurate terms. it's now "high support needs" and "low support needs." it was changed to due the misunderstanding that autism is based on intelligence and ability. instead it's actually just based on how much support one needs. (ex: some may need a text to speech device while others may not.)
I remember when I would use to twitch when I was in middle school as a way of “stimming.” Probably wasn’t the best way to cope with stimming back then. Overtime it would be different methods of stimming to cope with my autism. Although I never really needed to rely on stim toys, I would fidget with my pen or hands a lot. You’ve done an amazing job covering this Cy. ❤
I know how you feel and I'm glad to hear about your experience. I've recently became president of a student organization called Advocates For Autism at my college and we aim to spread awareness about ASD in the community. Hearing these stories reminds of why I became president to begin with. I love the video and I can't wait to see more!
Hi! I was wondering, do you have any tips for organizing like a chapter of Advocates for Autism or something of a similar nature? My school's disability services have been exceptionally helpful whenever I've reached out, and are basically the reason school has been practical for me at all just because of where I am at my general level of functionality, but there isn't like an organized presence of autistics for advocacy and support at my school. I helped organize a 2D animation club (it's a film school), and I ended up being elected its student officer; so I have some experience with student organizing already, I think it might be just a little bit more difficult at the initial stage because of how a lot of people don't like disclosing that they're autistic to people they don't know very well and that sort of thing. I'm in whatever category there is for autistics who aren't able to pass for neurotypical anyway, so I'm really open about it, but it's taken me a little bit to realize how that aspect of your identity is more personal for people who are able to mask their characteristics, and I want to be respectful of other autistics' experiences. I'd really love to have a support network at school that's more specific to autistic students like me:l& and I think that, once you started one, people who are more shy of the stigma associated with autism would feel safer about people knowing and banding together to advocate for and encourage each other. In your experience, what's been the best way to approach forming a student organization for autistics when it's considered rude to ask others if they're also autistic?
absolutely adore having someone on youtube talk about these things so openly and, for lack of better phrasing, 'real' compared to my own experiences. i fidget a lot and would've got bullied for it as a kid, tried stopping when i got diagnosed with autism as an adult, and then went right back to it after experiencing a few meltdowns due to not having the buffer that stimming provides. it's really reassuring to hear i'm not alone in that! and i ADORE my tangle jr, fidget cube and metal scroll rings (idk their name, the little rings u scroll up n down ur fingers) but also I use my airpods case as a fidget toy a lot too ! the snap from the magnets is *really* satisfying
I hate it when NTs get judgmental. Everytime that they were concentrated and/or disgusted by her fidgeting, they were judging her, again and again and again, and were *free* to not do so. And if they didn't, they *wouldn't* overload, or lose focus or be otherwise uncomfy. It's just something that they *decide* to do 😞
As someone who was diagnosed with autism at a young age, and STILL got looked at and treated funny as a result of it, I want to tell you good job for being yourself despite the stigma. I know it's a hard thing to do. Also, thanks for posting it out there so that other autistic people like myself could point to it as an explanation of our behavior
I get stared at so much cause my leg moves up and down at basically the speed of light, yelled at by my teachers for making so much noise with my bead bracelet and bullied of carrying around a small turtle squishy. I can't catch a break I feel you
As an autistic person I can remember the harm that trying to pretend I wasnt autistic did to me. I had to focus so much energy into masking and not appearing autistic. Im so relieved nowadays being my natural self but I feel so bad for autistics that are still being punished for the way they exist.
Didn’t realize I was bouncing my legs watching this the whole time Regardless, another great video! You’re one of the most relatable animators on the platform, so it’s always nice to see you upload. Hope you keep up the good work!
I recently got diagnosed with ASD, and it explains why I've always been fidgeting. Leg-bouncing, skin-picking, nail-biting, pen-clicking, rocking, pacing, and even scripting have been with me forever. These sometimes got on people's nerves, but I never really tried to stop either, so I don't have any memories of meltdowns (not outside of a movie theater anyway). After watching this video though, I decided to dig out an old toy my aunt got me. I used it as a stim toy during a work call, and I feel like it helped me pay attention. Thank you for talking about this.
This is a super informative video! I'll have to send this to my mom :) She's very understanding of my autism after my diagnosis, but still, this genuinely could put someone in my shoes.
I don't get why people can't just be understanding even without a diagnosis. Some people are just different and that's fine, treat everyone the way they want to be treated (within reason, of course; if someone demands to be worshipped or otherwise get unfairly favourable treatment then obviously that's no good).
@@theuncalledfor I mean, without the diagnosis, and with me being the first child, she often believed I was just misbehaving and didn't understand that a lot of the behaviors I was exhibiting were things I could not control. Though she suspected it was neurological quite a while before the diagnosis took place.
Stopping myself stimming was really bad or me for so long, i'm so glad more people are more aware of this now an stim toys are the best, love the ring one an will definitely be looking up that brush. Great video.
2:06 I was diagnosed as an autistic person recently. It feels so good to know that I'm not the only one that feel like this, I was always a annoying kid who couldn't stop bragging about my hyperfixations and I was a lot more creative than the other kids, sometimes I would even invent words. Everyone saw me as the weird kid, but I felt normal. Now everything makes sense. Thank you.
Ok I don't even know what to say about that segment that led to the meltdown but it was PERFECT. Everything tiching and the walls buzzing and the lights getting too loud/bright was painful. But the PLATE DROPPING at that volume HURT. That was an amazing representation of what leads to a meltdown thank uuuuuu
I may be autistic(waiting for a diagnosis to say for sure) and tried to stop fidgeting(calling it fidgeting and not stimming because I may not be autistic) when you mentioned the electricity buzzing to the end of the video. The urge to fidget was pretty strong and I actually started picking at my lip a little without realizing it was a fidget at first, I didn't notice many changes then other than it being a little harder to focus due to the urge but looking back I think your voice got a little deeper towards the end.
Hey! Just saying you are absolutely free and aloud to call your fighting stimming even if you aren't autistic as everyone stims not just autistic people other ND or even NT people stim all the time often without realizing it. So even if you not autistic (if you find out you aren't) you can still say you stim stimming isn't an autistic only term everyone does it and everyone can say it
Your videos are so relatable! Not only is your animation great, but you use examples to explain the behavior in a way that’s so easy to understand. Highly recommend!!
Surprisingly, as an autistic person myself, stemming has only been a big issue in elementary school. I remember my mom providing for me some of those fidgeting toys that are in the end of this video. When I got into middle school, drawing and folding paper airplanes were my ways of stimming and it bothered some of my teachers. My mom would correct them on why I did what I did and they were somewhat more tolerant of my behaviors. My mom was a serious fighter and advocate for my rights as a student with special needs.
Hello, not to be rude, but special needs is an offensive term to disabled people for various reasons for example it can be counterproductive or make it seem like they need special treatment when they just need human accommodations/adjustments. Heck some disabled people do not like the term.
For me, it always feels like my hands need to be doing something, and when they're not it's really uncomfortable. I've noticed just having a game controller in my hands can often make me feel at ease, even if I'm not playing anything.
I personally have huge problems stemming as well being autistic. I tried dealing with it without stim toys and it has caused a lot of health issues. So I love you reminding people to get these things and to not just willpower it. Because honestly the panics from it are terrible for sure.
Your animations about your autism experience are so helpful because they show your experience that I personally resonate with in such a tangible way ! I often screen record clips of your videos and send them to my friends so they can better understand me and my behaviours. Thanks so much for being brave enough to share your experience on the internet ❤
Thank you for sharing the specific fidgets you like and the situations you would use them in! Going back to school has made me a lot more aware of my ADD and my own fidgeting and warning signs of overwhelm.
Thanks for making this video. I was diagnosed with autism at age 13, so it makes me happy that I'm not the only one that fidgets. I usually chew on something or flap my free hand to focus, but I try not to do this in public and I get even more anxious because of it. The few people that I am close to ask me why I fidget so often even though they know I am autistic, and I say "it helps me focus and it stops me from feeling bad." They usually look at me like i got a third eye on my forehead, or say nothing.
While I'm not officially diagnosed with autism yet (gotta put myself on the waitlist in the near future), this video does resonate with me, though in my case, it is often leg movement. Walking movement while standing, twitching feet while sitting and banging my knees together while lying. Though even with my hands, I will often drum, spin a pen or eraser, open my pen repeatedly, or give myself a hand massage. Always assumed it was pure nervousness. Great video! 👍
Thanks for sharing! Just want to clarify that non autistic people can fidgeting and a lot of people in my school shake their legs but I don’t and I’m autistic just wanted to tell you in case you tought you were autistic because of this video
@Creamcake Coffee Thanks for the reply and your concern. But don't worry, this video is definitely not the reason for my thinking that I'm probably autistic, I know that fidgeting can be the case for everyone. Got plenty of reasons: my fascination with numbers, my thought process, where most people around me won't understand my associations. I have an obsession with keeping things orderly. Like in games, for example, where I equip skills by type, even though it doesn't matter. I become overly anxious when things don't go after plan or don't fit into my routine. As a bonus, I'm generally perceived as "weird" by people I'm not close to while my friends just go, "Yeah, you're probably autistic." Plus, everyone in my family is a bit odd, such as my sister pulling 10 times on doors to make sure they're closed. But getting diagnosed properly is probably gonna take like 2 years since there are maybe 3 people qualified for the diagnosis in my entire country.
I work a waitress job. most of the time im fine, but ive had moments where I felt overwhelmed by all the stimuli on a busy night, or I felt debilitatingly anxious after dropping or breaking something. I had a stress ball at this one station all the wait staff use that I could squeeze, but I could only access it sparingly. recently I bought a tiny pop it from a store that attached to my uniform like a keychain. it hid underneath my apron, and I could give it a squeeze or pop some of those lil bubble things whenever I wanted, and its been working great so far. I sometimes show it to other autistic kids when I see em, mostly just to normalize and bond over that common experience
I've been a lifelong fidgeter as a guy on the spectrum, and I remember from my childhood how much fun bubble wrap in particular was to play with - I'd spend a good while popping it if we got it from new packages or things like that. I'm sure even non-autists can get a good time out of it as well. But that head scratcher at 5:09 reminds me of when my Dad got one and used it on me for the first time - MAN, what a pleasant tingly feeling I got from it. Great video, hope to see more!
I never really noticed my fidgeting behaviors, especially since I’m High Functioning. I was often more focused on my inability to pay attention, which was infuriating. I usually have something to distract me from my fidgeting, such as my phone or games but when it comes to actually paying attention (like all the training vids I had to watch while at my previous job) it was a struggle. Now that I think about it, the whole “pain sensation” toys you showed off actually makes a lot of sense since I made a bracelet out of paper clips and rubber bands to poke me during one of the training vids I had to watch. Maybe I should get one of those…
Honestly i cried when you said you were hearing with your hands I FELT IT I absolutely adore your content and it’s always great seeing content this genuine (trying to watch all of your videos)
I get like this all the time, that’s why I pick my skin and I’m trying to use other ways instead to not do that. I went in for an autism diagnosis awhile ago, very afraid and uncertain how id take possibly having a new label, but they told me I only met 2 of 3 sections of criteria. Which today has me even more confused. But the visual when you stop and everything went fuzzy is the most accurate thing I’ve ever seen
I do something similar. I HAVE to be listening to something to focus. Wither it’s the sound of a fan, a podcast, music, or a UA-cam video. Especially at work, or when I’m drawing. I physically can’t focus otherwise. ( now that I’m thinking about it, that’s probably why I had such trouble focusing on tests in school, and needed to go to another room to do them. Lucky my special ed teacher always has some music playing which always helped me).
Thank you so much! I've been questioning getting an autism diagnosis for quite some time but I realized that I have all the symptoms except getting overwhelmed and having a meltdowns (well... with some exceptions). I thought I was fidgeting because I was restless. Now I know that that is because I am constantly stimming (even right know lol). Anyways, thanks for the video! :D
Okay so I watched this video just to get my mind off things but the entire time just went "haha I do that" and decided to break out my old stress toy collection to fidget with instead of more destructive methods, and it works like a charm which I totally forgot about. So thank you for making this video and relieving some of my stress ❤
I had the same problem but in highschool. my teacher always shouted at me because i fidgeted with my pen and she didnt like it, i didnt know how to explain to her that i had to do it because i would get really anxious if i didnt. After some years i got diagnosted with ocd so now i understand why that happened to me.
I'm autistic and I fidget all the time! When I was diagnosed I was told I do this because my hands are hyposensitive, meaning that I don't feel things as easily with my hands, so I'm constantly looking for stimulation. It also helps with overstimulation and emotion regulation. I sometimes do it subconsciously. I have also adhd primarily inattentive type and I listen with my hands too! You explained it so well. Unlike you (or at least what I understood from this), for me sensory sensitivity wasn't what made it hard for me to focus at school. I would always draw or fidget something, and luckily teachers always understood and nobody noticed (or if they did, they didn't comment on it. If they started, I didn't notice) If I hadn't done this, I would've automatically started thinking about other things and not been able to listen. Later when we started writing notes, I always did that instead and it helped me listen
I am diagnosed with anxiety disorder and ADHD, as well as depression. I might have autism, but my doctor said it would be a waste of my time and money to get tested since my current diagnosis and an autism diagnosis, completely overlap in symptoms, treatment, and any aid i would receive in school, work environment, or government help. Since I hit the neurodivergence spectrum in multiple places it was difficult for them to diagnos me initially. The ability to fidget freely is so important. And I wish Catholic school had been understanding of it. No one should ever be put in time out for tapping a pencil, or be forced to sit out of recess because they had a nervous breakdown and had to gonstand in the hall to calm down because they were crying and hyperventilating. And "gifted kids" with sensory issues, shouldn't be forced to take a lower level class just because they tend to read ahead instead of participating in conversation between chapters. Just because a kid forgets things they don't write down or takes longer on projects because they focus on detail, doesn't mean they are "too slow" to be in the class with the other "advanced kids".
im autistic as well and now in my 30s, your description of how not fidgeting makes you notice things like the sound of the fridge is so true like idk most of the times i dont notice it but if i dont stim as much it just takes center focus. love your videos and art style its cute.
Now I know fidgetings weird. I'm 15 years old and just learning this. Maybe that helped my mom figure out I'm autistic. +very entertaining video so thats nice too
I use to fidget abit with my fruit snacks in high school and just squish them into a single mass and roll them up, flatten them out, tear little pieces off to eat over time. honestly probably "playing with my food" is probably one of my biggest stims, well that and gnawing/chewing which is pretty convenient because if I don't have an object to reasonably chew on I have been known to gnaw on my own hand/fingers. alternatively I tear things apart(things im allowed to of course), heck my destructive fidgeting once tore a soda can in half
I don't know why, but my fidgeting and being a PC gamer complement each other *_deceptively well;_* on the one hand, constantly manipulating a mouse and keyboard keeps my hands busy where they should be, and on the other hand, constantly moving my feet and legs keeps the blood flowing through them even when I'm sitting down for hours. It's pretty crazy how it all comes together that way. Even more weird, I also enjoy listening to music at a reasonably drowning volume while walking outside even though I'm not sensitive to environmental sounds, and the few meltdowns I had were only due to high-stress social moments. FeelsAspergersMan I guess.
i think my first ever form of stimming was wrapping and twirling my finger in the bottom part of my shirt and then when it gets too big, i’d pull my finger out and start the process again. i actually forgot i used to do that but i was reminded when i saw an old picture of me doing that with a spongebob shirt. nowadays i use gum, a marble fidget toy i have and a couple of repetitive movements, namely bouncing my foot/leg, rocking from side to side or back and forth, and spinning in my chair. i’m probably gonna get myself a pop-it toy at one point, though!
I love your youtube channel so much and I already subscribed after like 10 minutes and that literally never happens. I ALSO LOVE YOUR PERSONA SO MUCH IT'S SO SO CUTE.
I shared this video with some people who I know for a fact could relate to this. thanks for sharing your experiences. We're not the weird ones. they are!
I just found your channel thru the homepage and watched a few vids of yours from old to here, your vid making skills + animation have improved! Camera presence aswell as someone whose new to the whole vid making thing, hope to see more!
Something sort of related is that a boy sitting diagonal from me in exams would bring fidgets to exams - for himself - and give them to anyone who asked but I never got the courage to ask so I ended up leaning back in my chair a lot and getting in trouble cause the invigilators thought I was cheating. He was a classmate of mine but we sat on opposite sides of the classroom so i'm not sure if he used the fidgets outside of exams or why, he was rather nice though and I might ask him if I see him again next school year. Edit: he's in my class again. He's neurospicy and turns out someone else I know is also neurospicy, I know a lot of neurospicy people
This feels true to me I always keep fidgetting regardless of where I am. I can't really control my stimming it helps me calm down when I feel nervous or when I try to focus. Thanks for being open about fidgetting. I really like the fidget toys those will be a big yes for me
These animations are super informative and amazing. Great job! I don't really have the same ,,problems" as people with a ,,stronger" spectrum, i do not have to fidget at all. These animations really help me to understand how it is from the perspective of those people.
I actually hadn't realized the connection between stimming and managing over sensitization until you pointed it out! I've been having a lot more meltdowns or near meltdowns recently, but I've also stopped stimming at work subconsciously to fit in!
As a child, I was always scolded for this sort of behavior. People said I was just trying to seek attention. Though, I couldn’t explain why I did it at the time, I knew it wasn’t an attention seeking thing. No one believed me. On a side note, Mameshiba! I love those guys!
This is something I do too! I usually will move my arms around, and also usually chew my fingers, wich kinda hurts me so Im trying to stop that one. And also, great video as always! c:
I am always bouncing my leg, playing with my ear, etc. I do it more when freaking out, like going to a place and have more and more people start to show up and sitting/standing to close to me. I've bought a handful of fidget toys lately and also just got some spinner rings to help.
I fidget a lot, for example play with my hand (or even more concerning eat the skin), your content is very underrated and good, I hope you have a good day and doing well!❤❤
i love that i found your channel i am autistic myself i found out at the age of ten that i was on the autism spectrum i grew up with asd during the early 2000s a time were not much was known about autism by the general public i personally didn’t know anything about my autism or why i was different from other kids growing up later on i would learn about autism and i began to understand my autism now i love sharing information about autism
"oh i hear using my hands" is such a kid thing to think haha for me i doodle in class, it just... helps me fall asleep, even if i know some teachers dont like it
Young Greg!!! Also yes very much mood, I used to chew my hair, and bounce my leg, and twiddling with my hands, and the side effects of not doing them were exactly as nightmarish as you describe
I fidget a lot, like bouncing my legs, or chewing my nails, itching my arms/legs. Etc. and i also realize a lot of stuff when I stop. But i have not been diagnosed with anything like that
To cope with autism I wouldn’t vidget instead for me I would chew a lot so it’s really nice to see people making videos like these and I can’t wait for more to come out
I pace back and forth.... all the time in therapy in school when I was there and even in my own house I think that may be stiming I'm not sure but it's always brought me comfort.
I got lucky: as a kid, most of my stimming was “socially acceptable”, so I didn’t really get weird looks. I mostly just bounced/shook my leg, and popped my fingers. Lately I’ve been using fidget toys though, to help move away from some of those not-great-for-me stims. My favorite right now is a Tangle that’s covered in some kind of felt, it’s so soft and makes this really satisfying clicking sound when I use it.
I kinda think I’m on the spectrum because I fidget a lot. Every time I’m at a doctor appointment or at church my mom always has to tell me to stop moving, also my leg is always shaking fast which I always thought was just a genetic trait from my dad or something.
I also scratch myself as stimming I guess? or when I’m nervous, I haven’t found a way to cope a different way yet I should probably do that though, but I generally thought fidgeting with things or stimming was a thing every one did until my first day in high school and people were pointing it out. I do still need to get tested for autism though and I’ll have to wait a while yet, but I’m glad I’m not alone. It’s something I’m still getting used to but thank you sharing your experiences! It’s helping me understand a bit more and I’m glad someone’s talking about it. Hope you have a great day!!
The way we need oxygen to breathe is almost equivalent to how important stimming is to us. It helps us to regulate our nervous system and it gives us the dopamine we crave so much not to mention that it's also how we communicate and express ourselves but because we are robbed of self expression from an early age, we're taught to mask our natural behaviors. While masking can help us to thrive in certain areas, it can also cause anxiety, stress, depression, burnout and mental health problems. I'm currently on a journey of learning to unmask embrace my autistic traits because I can't keep doing this to my self esteem and mental health anymore.
As an autistic person in the low level spectrum, i thank you a lot for people like you share the information of how it is to be autistic. I feel like i should try to know myself more...
It's a journey that never ends ✨ I'm sending hugs from where I am (bc I'm also in that journey)❤️❤️❤️
Yeah I'm in the same boat, I too have high-functioning Autism. Sometimes it's hard to figure out wither what I do is from Autism, or if it's normal.
hi, just to let y'all know: "high functioning" and "low functioning" are outdated and inaccurate terms. it's now "high support needs" and "low support needs." it was changed to due the misunderstanding that autism is based on intelligence and ability. instead it's actually just based on how much support one needs. (ex: some may need a text to speech device while others may not.)
@@zombii_gal yeah, i got it... Thanks
Thank you all for answering, it's good to remind me that i'm not the only one in this small world...
I remember when I would use to twitch when I was in middle school as a way of “stimming.” Probably wasn’t the best way to cope with stimming back then. Overtime it would be different methods of stimming to cope with my autism. Although I never really needed to rely on stim toys, I would fidget with my pen or hands a lot. You’ve done an amazing job covering this Cy. ❤
i’m glad it’s relatable ! thanks!!
I know how you feel and I'm glad to hear about your experience. I've recently became president of a student organization called Advocates For Autism at my college and we aim to spread awareness about ASD in the community. Hearing these stories reminds of why I became president to begin with. I love the video and I can't wait to see more!
If you need more content to show folks, I've got a playlist of over 200 videos about autistic topics by autistic creators, including Cypopps.
@@AutisticRebbetzen That would be lovely! Also who better to be president for the organization than a guy with ASD himself
Oh shoot the president of autism is here we have to make a funny meme
Hi! I was wondering, do you have any tips for organizing like a chapter of Advocates for Autism or something of a similar nature? My school's disability services have been exceptionally helpful whenever I've reached out, and are basically the reason school has been practical for me at all just because of where I am at my general level of functionality, but there isn't like an organized presence of autistics for advocacy and support at my school. I helped organize a 2D animation club (it's a film school), and I ended up being elected its student officer; so I have some experience with student organizing already, I think it might be just a little bit more difficult at the initial stage because of how a lot of people don't like disclosing that they're autistic to people they don't know very well and that sort of thing. I'm in whatever category there is for autistics who aren't able to pass for neurotypical anyway, so I'm really open about it, but it's taken me a little bit to realize how that aspect of your identity is more personal for people who are able to mask their characteristics, and I want to be respectful of other autistics' experiences. I'd really love to have a support network at school that's more specific to autistic students like me:l& and I think that, once you started one, people who are more shy of the stigma associated with autism would feel safer about people knowing and banding together to advocate for and encourage each other. In your experience, what's been the best way to approach forming a student organization for autistics when it's considered rude to ask others if they're also autistic?
How about spreading acceptance?
absolutely adore having someone on youtube talk about these things so openly and, for lack of better phrasing, 'real' compared to my own experiences. i fidget a lot and would've got bullied for it as a kid, tried stopping when i got diagnosed with autism as an adult, and then went right back to it after experiencing a few meltdowns due to not having the buffer that stimming provides. it's really reassuring to hear i'm not alone in that! and i ADORE my tangle jr, fidget cube and metal scroll rings (idk their name, the little rings u scroll up n down ur fingers) but also I use my airpods case as a fidget toy a lot too ! the snap from the magnets is *really* satisfying
Oh wow that's almost the same story as mine!! Thanks for sharing! :D
I hate it when NTs get judgmental. Everytime that they were concentrated and/or disgusted by her fidgeting, they were judging her, again and again and again, and were *free* to not do so. And if they didn't, they *wouldn't* overload, or lose focus or be otherwise uncomfy. It's just something that they *decide* to do 😞
As someone who was diagnosed with autism at a young age, and STILL got looked at and treated funny as a result of it, I want to tell you good job for being yourself despite the stigma. I know it's a hard thing to do. Also, thanks for posting it out there so that other autistic people like myself could point to it as an explanation of our behavior
I have adhd and I feel the same way. Fidgeting helps me focus! and a lot of people judge me because i can’t stay still, so gum is definitely my go-to
Same!
I get stared at so much cause my leg moves up and down at basically the speed of light, yelled at by my teachers for making so much noise with my bead bracelet and bullied of carrying around a small turtle squishy.
I can't catch a break
I feel you
Even though I was diagnosed with autism at a young age I know very little about it so it’s interesting to hear how universal these experiences are!
As an autistic person I can remember the harm that trying to pretend I wasnt autistic did to me. I had to focus so much energy into masking and not appearing autistic. Im so relieved nowadays being my natural self but I feel so bad for autistics that are still being punished for the way they exist.
I'm autistic, and I stim so often that I catch myself stimming and feel kind of proud of myself for allowing it to happen
Didn’t realize I was bouncing my legs watching this the whole time
Regardless, another great video! You’re one of the most relatable animators on the platform, so it’s always nice to see you upload. Hope you keep up the good work!
Thank you so much, you're so kind!!
LMAO WHEN SHE MENTIONED THE LEG BOUNCE I GOT MAD FLASHBACKS
I recently got diagnosed with ASD, and it explains why I've always been fidgeting. Leg-bouncing, skin-picking, nail-biting, pen-clicking, rocking, pacing, and even scripting have been with me forever. These sometimes got on people's nerves, but I never really tried to stop either, so I don't have any memories of meltdowns (not outside of a movie theater anyway). After watching this video though, I decided to dig out an old toy my aunt got me. I used it as a stim toy during a work call, and I feel like it helped me pay attention. Thank you for talking about this.
This is a super informative video! I'll have to send this to my mom :)
She's very understanding of my autism after my diagnosis, but still, this genuinely could put someone in my shoes.
I don't get why people can't just be understanding even without a diagnosis. Some people are just different and that's fine, treat everyone the way they want to be treated (within reason, of course; if someone demands to be worshipped or otherwise get unfairly favourable treatment then obviously that's no good).
@@theuncalledfor I mean, without the diagnosis, and with me being the first child, she often believed I was just misbehaving and didn't understand that a lot of the behaviors I was exhibiting were things I could not control. Though she suspected it was neurological quite a while before the diagnosis took place.
Stopping myself stimming was really bad or me for so long, i'm so glad more people are more aware of this now an stim toys are the best, love the ring one an will definitely be looking up that brush. Great video.
Thanks so much for watching! I'm glad more people are becoming aware too! :D
I love fidgeting. For some reason
2:06 I was diagnosed as an autistic person recently. It feels so good to know that I'm not the only one that feel like this, I was always a annoying kid who couldn't stop bragging about my hyperfixations and I was a lot more creative than the other kids, sometimes I would even invent words. Everyone saw me as the weird kid, but I felt normal. Now everything makes sense. Thank you.
Ok I don't even know what to say about that segment that led to the meltdown but it was PERFECT. Everything tiching and the walls buzzing and the lights getting too loud/bright was painful. But the PLATE DROPPING at that volume HURT. That was an amazing representation of what leads to a meltdown thank uuuuuu
I may be autistic(waiting for a diagnosis to say for sure) and tried to stop fidgeting(calling it fidgeting and not stimming because I may not be autistic) when you mentioned the electricity buzzing to the end of the video. The urge to fidget was pretty strong and I actually started picking at my lip a little without realizing it was a fidget at first, I didn't notice many changes then other than it being a little harder to focus due to the urge but looking back I think your voice got a little deeper towards the end.
Hey! Just saying you are absolutely free and aloud to call your fighting stimming even if you aren't autistic as everyone stims not just autistic people other ND or even NT people stim all the time often without realizing it. So even if you not autistic (if you find out you aren't) you can still say you stim stimming isn't an autistic only term everyone does it and everyone can say it
I went to see a movie yesterday and I let myself stim when I needed to. I was able to stay fully immersed and I really enjoyed it.
Your videos are so relatable! Not only is your animation great, but you use examples to explain the behavior in a way that’s so easy to understand. Highly recommend!!
Surprisingly, as an autistic person myself, stemming has only been a big issue in elementary school. I remember my mom providing for me some of those fidgeting toys that are in the end of this video. When I got into middle school, drawing and folding paper airplanes were my ways of stimming and it bothered some of my teachers. My mom would correct them on why I did what I did and they were somewhat more tolerant of my behaviors. My mom was a serious fighter and advocate for my rights as a student with special needs.
Hello, not to be rude, but special needs is an offensive term to disabled people for various reasons for example it can be counterproductive or make it seem like they need special treatment when they just need human accommodations/adjustments. Heck some disabled people do not like the term.
@@daisyteto877
Oh, I did not know that. So I basically degraded myself by accident.😂
@@ultimatelugia2915 No, no you’re fine. At least you are willing to stop using the aforementioned term.
For me, it always feels like my hands need to be doing something, and when they're not it's really uncomfortable. I've noticed just having a game controller in my hands can often make me feel at ease, even if I'm not playing anything.
I personally have huge problems stemming as well being autistic. I tried dealing with it without stim toys and it has caused a lot of health issues. So I love you reminding people to get these things and to not just willpower it. Because honestly the panics from it are terrible for sure.
Your animations about your autism experience are so helpful because they show your experience that I personally resonate with in such a tangible way ! I often screen record clips of your videos and send them to my friends so they can better understand me and my behaviours. Thanks so much for being brave enough to share your experience on the internet ❤
Thank you for sharing the specific fidgets you like and the situations you would use them in! Going back to school has made me a lot more aware of my ADD and my own fidgeting and warning signs of overwhelm.
Thanks for making this video. I was diagnosed with autism at age 13, so it makes me happy that I'm not the only one that fidgets. I usually chew on something or flap my free hand to focus, but I try not to do this in public and I get even more anxious because of it. The few people that I am close to ask me why I fidget so often even though they know I am autistic, and I say "it helps me focus and it stops me from feeling bad." They usually look at me like i got a third eye on my forehead, or say nothing.
While I'm not officially diagnosed with autism yet (gotta put myself on the waitlist in the near future), this video does resonate with me, though in my case, it is often leg movement.
Walking movement while standing, twitching feet while sitting and banging my knees together while lying.
Though even with my hands, I will often drum, spin a pen or eraser, open my pen repeatedly, or give myself a hand massage.
Always assumed it was pure nervousness.
Great video! 👍
Thanks for sharing! Just want to clarify that non autistic people can fidgeting and a lot of people in my school shake their legs but I don’t and I’m autistic just wanted to tell you in case you tought you were autistic because of this video
@Creamcake Coffee Thanks for the reply and your concern.
But don't worry, this video is definitely not the reason for my thinking that I'm probably autistic, I know that fidgeting can be the case for everyone.
Got plenty of reasons: my fascination with numbers, my thought process, where most people around me won't understand my associations.
I have an obsession with keeping things orderly. Like in games, for example, where I equip skills by type, even though it doesn't matter.
I become overly anxious when things don't go after plan or don't fit into my routine.
As a bonus, I'm generally perceived as "weird" by people I'm not close to while my friends just go, "Yeah, you're probably autistic."
Plus, everyone in my family is a bit odd, such as my sister pulling 10 times on doors to make sure they're closed.
But getting diagnosed properly is probably gonna take like 2 years since there are maybe 3 people qualified for the diagnosis in my entire country.
I’m so proud of you! This is a big thing to talk abt, people would make fun of my pop its because apparently it’s for kids, but idc, I love them too!
I work a waitress job. most of the time im fine, but ive had moments where I felt overwhelmed by all the stimuli on a busy night, or I felt debilitatingly anxious after dropping or breaking something. I had a stress ball at this one station all the wait staff use that I could squeeze, but I could only access it sparingly.
recently I bought a tiny pop it from a store that attached to my uniform like a keychain. it hid underneath my apron, and I could give it a squeeze or pop some of those lil bubble things whenever I wanted, and its been working great so far. I sometimes show it to other autistic kids when I see em, mostly just to normalize and bond over that common experience
I've been a lifelong fidgeter as a guy on the spectrum, and I remember from my childhood how much fun bubble wrap in particular was to play with - I'd spend a good while popping it if we got it from new packages or things like that. I'm sure even non-autists can get a good time out of it as well.
But that head scratcher at 5:09 reminds me of when my Dad got one and used it on me for the first time - MAN, what a pleasant tingly feeling I got from it. Great video, hope to see more!
I never really noticed my fidgeting behaviors, especially since I’m High Functioning. I was often more focused on my inability to pay attention, which was infuriating. I usually have something to distract me from my fidgeting, such as my phone or games but when it comes to actually paying attention (like all the training vids I had to watch while at my previous job) it was a struggle.
Now that I think about it, the whole “pain sensation” toys you showed off actually makes a lot of sense since I made a bracelet out of paper clips and rubber bands to poke me during one of the training vids I had to watch. Maybe I should get one of those…
Honestly i cried when you said you were hearing with your hands I FELT IT I absolutely adore your content and it’s always great seeing content this genuine (trying to watch all of your videos)
I really like your style. It feels really relaxing. Its surprising how nice it is that there is no music.
I get like this all the time, that’s why I pick my skin and I’m trying to use other ways instead to not do that. I went in for an autism diagnosis awhile ago, very afraid and uncertain how id take possibly having a new label, but they told me I only met 2 of 3 sections of criteria. Which today has me even more confused. But the visual when you stop and everything went fuzzy is the most accurate thing I’ve ever seen
I do something similar. I HAVE to be listening to something to focus. Wither it’s the sound of a fan, a podcast, music, or a UA-cam video. Especially at work, or when I’m drawing.
I physically can’t focus otherwise. ( now that I’m thinking about it, that’s probably why I had such trouble focusing on tests in school, and needed to go to another room to do them. Lucky my special ed teacher always has some music playing which always helped me).
Thank you so much! I've been questioning getting an autism diagnosis for quite some time but I realized that I have all the symptoms except getting overwhelmed and having a meltdowns (well... with some exceptions). I thought I was fidgeting because I was restless. Now I know that that is because I am constantly stimming (even right know lol). Anyways, thanks for the video! :D
I love how you spread so much awareness about asd!!!
Okay so I watched this video just to get my mind off things but the entire time just went "haha I do that" and decided to break out my old stress toy collection to fidget with instead of more destructive methods, and it works like a charm which I totally forgot about. So thank you for making this video and relieving some of my stress ❤
I had the same problem but in highschool. my teacher always shouted at me because i fidgeted with my pen and she didnt like it, i didnt know how to explain to her that i had to do it because i would get really anxious if i didnt. After some years i got diagnosted with ocd so now i understand why that happened to me.
I'm autistic and I fidget all the time! When I was diagnosed I was told I do this because my hands are hyposensitive, meaning that I don't feel things as easily with my hands, so I'm constantly looking for stimulation. It also helps with overstimulation and emotion regulation. I sometimes do it subconsciously.
I have also adhd primarily inattentive type and I listen with my hands too! You explained it so well. Unlike you (or at least what I understood from this), for me sensory sensitivity wasn't what made it hard for me to focus at school. I would always draw or fidget something, and luckily teachers always understood and nobody noticed (or if they did, they didn't comment on it. If they started, I didn't notice) If I hadn't done this, I would've automatically started thinking about other things and not been able to listen. Later when we started writing notes, I always did that instead and it helped me listen
1:37 I’m in the UK and it’s a very common strict rule that gum isn’t allowed in class. I’m a neurodiverse teen to this rule annoys me so much.
I am diagnosed with anxiety disorder and ADHD, as well as depression. I might have autism, but my doctor said it would be a waste of my time and money to get tested since my current diagnosis and an autism diagnosis, completely overlap in symptoms, treatment, and any aid i would receive in school, work environment, or government help. Since I hit the neurodivergence spectrum in multiple places it was difficult for them to diagnos me initially. The ability to fidget freely is so important. And I wish Catholic school had been understanding of it. No one should ever be put in time out for tapping a pencil, or be forced to sit out of recess because they had a nervous breakdown and had to gonstand in the hall to calm down because they were crying and hyperventilating. And "gifted kids" with sensory issues, shouldn't be forced to take a lower level class just because they tend to read ahead instead of participating in conversation between chapters. Just because a kid forgets things they don't write down or takes longer on projects because they focus on detail, doesn't mean they are "too slow" to be in the class with the other "advanced kids".
im autistic as well and now in my 30s, your description of how not fidgeting makes you notice things like the sound of the fridge is so true like idk most of the times i dont notice it but if i dont stim as much it just takes center focus. love your videos and art style its cute.
I'm so glad I understood that reference 0:50
I love this channel cause I can relate so much to this and I love that you are openily talking about this stuff.
I only just found this channel today and I relate to it so so so much. You’re one of my very favourite UA-camrs now :)
Now I know fidgetings weird. I'm 15 years old and just learning this. Maybe that helped my mom figure out I'm autistic. +very entertaining video so thats nice too
I use to fidget abit with my fruit snacks in high school and just squish them into a single mass and roll them up, flatten them out, tear little pieces off to eat over time. honestly probably "playing with my food" is probably one of my biggest stims, well that and gnawing/chewing which is pretty convenient because if I don't have an object to reasonably chew on I have been known to gnaw on my own hand/fingers.
alternatively I tear things apart(things im allowed to of course), heck my destructive fidgeting once tore a soda can in half
I guess it isn't too accurate to say "use to" since just the other night I was mashing up some soft candies in basically the same manner
I don't know why, but my fidgeting and being a PC gamer complement each other *_deceptively well;_* on the one hand, constantly manipulating a mouse and keyboard keeps my hands busy where they should be, and on the other hand, constantly moving my feet and legs keeps the blood flowing through them even when I'm sitting down for hours. It's pretty crazy how it all comes together that way.
Even more weird, I also enjoy listening to music at a reasonably drowning volume while walking outside even though I'm not sensitive to environmental sounds, and the few meltdowns I had were only due to high-stress social moments. FeelsAspergersMan I guess.
i think my first ever form of stimming was wrapping and twirling my finger in the bottom part of my shirt and then when it gets too big, i’d pull my finger out and start the process again. i actually forgot i used to do that but i was reminded when i saw an old picture of me doing that with a spongebob shirt. nowadays i use gum, a marble fidget toy i have and a couple of repetitive movements, namely bouncing my foot/leg, rocking from side to side or back and forth, and spinning in my chair. i’m probably gonna get myself a pop-it toy at one point, though!
I love your youtube channel so much and I already subscribed after like 10 minutes and that literally never happens. I ALSO LOVE YOUR PERSONA SO MUCH IT'S SO SO CUTE.
Aw why thank you so much you are very kind!! ❤️
I shared this video with some people who I know for a fact could relate to this. thanks for sharing your experiences. We're not the weird ones. they are!
I just found your channel thru the homepage and watched a few vids of yours from old to here, your vid making skills + animation have improved! Camera presence aswell as someone whose new to the whole vid making thing, hope to see more!
YES YOU UPLOADED AGAIN!
I have never seen the Sensory Overload -> Meltdown experience summed up so accurately before. I feel so represented right now.
as someone who has high functioning autism and adhd, i can relate to this completely. it's in the rest of my life until i die.
Something sort of related is that a boy sitting diagonal from me in exams would bring fidgets to exams - for himself - and give them to anyone who asked but I never got the courage to ask so I ended up leaning back in my chair a lot and getting in trouble cause the invigilators thought I was cheating. He was a classmate of mine but we sat on opposite sides of the classroom so i'm not sure if he used the fidgets outside of exams or why, he was rather nice though and I might ask him if I see him again next school year.
Edit: he's in my class again. He's neurospicy and turns out someone else I know is also neurospicy, I know a lot of neurospicy people
THINGS MAKE SO MUCH MORE SENSE NOW. Thanks so much for the explanation on stimming! I really appreciate it.
Not gonna lie, wish this channel uploaded more often. These types of videos certain scratch a certain itch.
My bouncing legs mostly happens in school WHILE I listen to music (mostly EDM like TOKYO MACHINE). Loving the video too!
This feels true to me I always keep fidgetting regardless of where I am. I can't really control my stimming it helps me calm down when I feel nervous or when I try to focus. Thanks for being open about fidgetting. I really like the fidget toys those will be a big yes for me
it wasn't until someone told me, but all through middle and high school i'd be doodling all the time, thats stimming too
Your set up is so cute! And I might have to get some of these fidget toys for myself 🫣
Your character design is so cute! keep up the good work.
These animations are super informative and amazing. Great job! I don't really have the same ,,problems" as people with a ,,stronger" spectrum, i do not have to fidget at all. These animations really help me to understand how it is from the perspective of those people.
I actually hadn't realized the connection between stimming and managing over sensitization until you pointed it out! I've been having a lot more meltdowns or near meltdowns recently, but I've also stopped stimming at work subconsciously to fit in!
As a child, I was always scolded for this sort of behavior. People said I was just trying to seek attention. Though, I couldn’t explain why I did it at the time, I knew it wasn’t an attention seeking thing. No one believed me.
On a side note, Mameshiba! I love those guys!
I’m glad that you are still posting, I love your videos
This is something I do too! I usually will move my arms around, and also usually chew my fingers, wich kinda hurts me so Im trying to stop that one.
And also, great video as always! c:
Thank you! I'm glad it's relatable :D
Your art style is adorable X3
This has become a sort of comfort video for me. I like popping in (aha, "pop" like "cypopps" haha) for this highly entertaining tale of stims.
I scratch myself a lot when I’m stressed and end up bleeding all over the place so the link for the spiky ball helped me a lot, thank you!
It’s my first time watching your videos and i love you already
YES. THIS. the stimming helps so much!!
I always fidget even though I’m perfectly able to concentrate on things without doing it
Mental disabilities are really cool. Although I probably think that because have ADHD and I'm possibly autistic. Thanks for showing fidgets.
I have one of those sensory brushes and I love it so much! Definitely an underrated fidget toy, and my favorite.
I am always bouncing my leg, playing with my ear, etc. I do it more when freaking out, like going to a place and have more and more people start to show up and sitting/standing to close to me. I've bought a handful of fidget toys lately and also just got some spinner rings to help.
I fidget a lot, for example play with my hand (or even more concerning eat the skin), your content is very underrated and good, I hope you have a good day and doing well!❤❤
i love that i found your channel i am autistic myself i found out at the age of ten that i was on the autism spectrum i grew up with asd during the early 2000s a time were not much was known about autism by the general public i personally didn’t know anything about my autism or why i was different from other kids growing up later on i would learn about autism and i began to understand my autism now i love sharing information about autism
"oh i hear using my hands" is such a kid thing to think haha
for me i doodle in class, it just... helps me fall asleep, even if i know some teachers dont like it
The black parade is one of the best albums ever produced. It never got the recognition it deserved in it heyday, but it has aged like a fine wine
Young Greg!!!
Also yes very much mood, I used to chew my hair, and bounce my leg, and twiddling with my hands, and the side effects of not doing them were exactly as nightmarish as you describe
I fidget a lot, like bouncing my legs, or chewing my nails, itching my arms/legs. Etc. and i also realize a lot of stuff when I stop. But i have not been diagnosed with anything like that
I have that same fidget ring! :D I like how it's kinda pokey but doesn't hurt
To cope with autism I wouldn’t vidget instead for me I would chew a lot so it’s really nice to see people making videos like these and I can’t wait for more to come out
The guide at the end was really helpful! :D
My favorite fidget is a wacky track, tangled and fidget cub I can’t live without them 🫶🏻
I pace back and forth.... all the time in therapy in school when I was there and even in my own house I think that may be stiming I'm not sure but it's always brought me comfort.
I got lucky: as a kid, most of my stimming was “socially acceptable”, so I didn’t really get weird looks. I mostly just bounced/shook my leg, and popped my fingers. Lately I’ve been using fidget toys though, to help move away from some of those not-great-for-me stims. My favorite right now is a Tangle that’s covered in some kind of felt, it’s so soft and makes this really satisfying clicking sound when I use it.
as a non autistic person biting ur hair is so satisfying it crunches so good
I kinda think I’m on the spectrum because I fidget a lot. Every time I’m at a doctor appointment or at church my mom always has to tell me to stop moving, also my leg is always shaking fast which I always thought was just a genetic trait from my dad or something.
I also scratch myself as stimming I guess? or when I’m nervous, I haven’t found a way to cope a different way yet I should probably do that though, but I generally thought fidgeting with things or stimming was a thing every one did until my first day in high school and people were pointing it out. I do still need to get tested for autism though and I’ll have to wait a while yet, but I’m glad I’m not alone. It’s something I’m still getting used to but thank you sharing your experiences! It’s helping me understand a bit more and I’m glad someone’s talking about it. Hope you have a great day!!
Tangles are definitely one of my favorite fidgets!! I also really like sensory slugs!!
2:56 this was too realistic, i was startled too.
Stimming helps me too.
LEG BOUNCING STIMMING~!
It's a classic of mine that drives my family mental even to this day lol
The way we need oxygen to breathe is almost equivalent to how important stimming is to us. It helps us to regulate our nervous system and it gives us the dopamine we crave so much not to mention that it's also how we communicate and express ourselves but because we are robbed of self expression from an early age, we're taught to mask our natural behaviors. While masking can help us to thrive in certain areas, it can also cause anxiety, stress, depression, burnout and mental health problems. I'm currently on a journey of learning to unmask embrace my autistic traits because I can't keep doing this to my self esteem and mental health anymore.
I love your vids, I actually have ADHD which causes a similar thing.
This video was really helpful.