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Vocal Stimming

Part of the Comprehensive Guide to Stimming

Many people exhibit self-stimulating behaviors to help them cope with their emotions. In typically-developing people, this could include twirling their hair if they’re bored, tapping their fingers on a desk if they’re concentrating or biting their nails if they’re nervous.

Stimming, as these behaviors have come to be known, are typically less pronounced in typically-developing people than they are in people who have autism. In addition, children with autism often stim more often, simply because they have a tougher time regulating their reactions to the sensory inputs that are all around them.

There are many different types of stimming, with one of the most common being vocal stimming. Vocal stims refer to repetitive things that children will say or intonate to help them regulate their emotions.

To help you understand what vocal stimming is, and how you can help your child with autism manage it, we’ll take a closer look at it below.

Table Of Contents

What Are Vocal Stims?

Vocal stimming is also referred to as auditory stimming. It’s generally defined as any behavior that is self-stimulating and involves the mouth, ears, lips and/or vocal cords.

As mentioned, stimming is something that many people do, although those who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — or other neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD — tend to exhibit these behaviors more often, and their stims are typically more pronounced.

Children with autism use vocal stims as a way to cope with a feeling or emotion. They are triggered by a number of different stimuli, including boredom, excitement, anxiety and stress, to name a few.

Vocal stims can exhibit themselves in different ways in different children. It could include them repeating certain phrases or words. It could include repeating certain sounds, such as moaning, grunting and/or humming.

Children with autism exhibit vocal stims to express when they are feeling a certain emotion, such as anxiety, or when they have a need or want attention. The reason for this is that these children often have trouble expressing themselves and managing their emotions in ways that others don’t struggle with.

What are the Causes of Vocal Stimming?

Direct links haven’t been connected yet to determine exactly why children with autism exhibit vocal stims. Most professionals in the field believe that vocal stimming, and stimming in general, is related to issues with processing senses.

Children who have autism might have difficulty processing textures, smells or sounds, for instance. In response, they use vocal stims to regulate those sensory inputs.

These children might also not be able to process stress and anxiety in the same ways that others can. This causes them to use vocal stims to cope with whatever they’re feeling and, in turn, to regulate these emotions.

There really is no one reason why children with autism use vocal stimming. And, since all children with autism are unique, when they use vocal stims, what those vocal stims are and how you can help them manage them are all different, too.

What Impact Does Vocal Stimming Have?

Vocal stimming can be relatively harmless, but it can also stunt the development of a child’s communication skills.

For instance, if a child vocal stims often, it can interfere with their ability to respond to social cues appropriately or have reciprocal conversations. Ultimately, this can lead to challenges when they attend school, try to form friendships or do other group activities.

Overall, vocal stimming can negatively affect their ability to effectively communicate. If your child constantly hums or makes sound repetitively, it can stand in the way of them understanding what others are attempting to say to them. This can then cause frustration, which in turn only makes communication more difficult.

Vocal stims can cause children with autism to experience even more anxiety in social settings, since others may look at them a certain way if they exhibit these behaviors in public.

So, while vocal stimming itself may not be harmful, it can lead to harmful effects.

How Can You Manage Vocal Stimming?

Parents can help their children manage vocal stimming in a number of ways.

First, help to identify what triggers their vocal stims, and then try to remove those triggers. If they vocal stim when they’re bored, for instance, try to keep them active.

Providing your child with a sensory input such as a fidget toy, a sensory toy or a weighted blanket can help them deal with their emotions better and be less likely to vocal stim.

You can also encourage them to express their emotions with words by positively reinforcing the behaviors you want them to exhibit. For instance, if they tell you how they feel, rather than vocal stimming, praise them and consider giving them a reward.

Blue Gems ABA Can Help Children with Vocal Stimming

Vocal stimming in and of itself isn’t harmful, but it can lead to harmful consequences if it’s not properly managed. This can be especially challenging for children with autism, who may vocal stim more often than others and be more pronounced when they do so.

At Blue Gems ABA, our licensed, trained and certified BCBAs use applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, to help children with autism build the social and communication skills they need to succeed. This includes helping them to self-regulate their emotions to reduce vocal stimming.

For more information, please contact Blue Gems ABA today.

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