Last updated January 03, 2025
How to Reduce Verbal Stimming or vocal stimming is a question of millions of parents having autistic children. It is easy to reduce Verbal or vocal stimming just by sitting at home. Everyone has Verbal Stims. Playing with hair while chatting with a friend, biting your nails when you’re nervous or bored. Maybe you tap your fingers or pencil on a chair while thinking. These all are part of stimming.
You can recognize them just by their distinctive movements. For example, someone with an annoying stim will crack their knuckles every 5 minutes or repeat.
Autism Verbal Stimming Behavior
Autism verbal stimming behaviour can be identified easily. Stimming is also known as self-stimulus. This is one such behaviour – repetitive or unusual body movements or noises. However, vocal stimming is not autism.
Stimming in autism is a common thing. The movements of the stimming are flapping and hand flapping. Unusual body movements, such as back-and-forth shaking when sitting or standing, are common in autistic children.
What is vocal /Verbal stimming?
Verbal stimming and Vocal stimming are the same things. Unusual sounds, like sequels of sound, repeating a sound, singing a song repeatedly, a particular word or a poem, come under verbal stimming.
Echolalia is also a part of making a sound while doing a particular activity. We also do some stimulating activities when we are happy or bored. Similarly, autistic kids also do such activities when they are so glad when they cannot express themselves, then do such activities or when any particular sound comes out. And you need a “replacement behaviour for vocal stimming“.
How can vocal stimming/verbal stimming at home be reduced?
Here are some tested points that can help you get answers to the question, “How can you reduce verbal stimming?” These points also describe the causes of verbal stimming or vocal stemming.
1. Self-Regulation- Vocal stimming/Verbal stimming :
As I have already told you, we start singing a song. Similarly, Autistic children also make some strange sounds or start doing some activities to keep them calm.
When the baby is stimming, you must know why the child is doing this. There are many reasons for this, but you must find out why for your child. How can you reduce it if you are unaware of the exact cause?
The child tries to calm down by doing this activity. Children make many types of sounds and do not know what is acceptable in society and what is not. You don’t need to do anything to achieve social acceptance, but the child must understand what is right or wrong.
For example, if we are doing something abnormal like nail-biting and when we feel that someone is watching, we stop. But a child does not realize this.
2. Self-Expression-Vocal Stimming:
Self-expression means a child wants to express his happiness when they are happy or angry, and the reason behind it can be anything.
For example, if you are going somewhere or someone comes to your house. The child starts speaking or acting in an abnormal way to express himself, like yeh yeh yeh, woooh-woooh, chi-chi, etc. This is called self-expression.
If self-expression is causing verbal stimming, then you need to work on “understanding and language development”.
3. Oral Motor Issues:
Children make some strange sounds to feel the vibrations. You can also check by doing this yourself. By doing this, they try to put pressure on the jaw. Because of the Seeking Behavior, children make different sounds to feel the vibration.
You can control it with an oral message and vibration brush. Doing this just for 5 minutes twice a day will produce good results very soon. Usually, it takes 15 to 20 days to see results.
Oral massage and vibration brush are proven activities that experts recommend. If you provide the sensory requirement of your child externally, then the child will not do it alone.
4. Auditory Seeking Behavior :
It means a child wants to listen to his internal sound with closed ears or his sound by making a sound. That’s why the child tries to make different sounds.
You can ask him to listen to the songs according to his choice with headphones or help him by creating different voices. This is a good way, and it is one of the nice ways to meet his auditory-seeking requirement so he won’t do it to himself. You can make strategies according to the needs of your child.
5. Sensory Overload: Vocal stimming
When the child is sensory overloaded, he cries to express his anger. You may see this activity while the child is in a crowded area. The child could become hyper and start doing other activities as the children are very sensitive.
In this case, you can hug or take him away from such an environment immediately. You can also offer him his favourite toys to distract him. In this case, you should not tell him to stop. It will not work because he does not understand this; it will be more damaging for him. You have to control it somehow. You will see that the child will start behaving generally after some time.
If you follow this process correctly, you will see good results.
These are the leading causes of verbal stimming. The parent needs to identify where their child is lacking. You are advised to make a list of activities for your child. The list should include the complete activity while stimming, before and after the stimming. It will help you to identify the exact cause and plan strategy accordingly.
How to reduce Humming in autism?|
Humming and autism
Here are some other ideas for reducing Humming and autism:
- You can have a medical test to eliminate the possibility of physical causes for stimming, like ear infections, migraines, chronic pain, and retinal detachment.
- Manage the sensory environment and dynamic environment to comfort your autistic child.
- In a recent study, it was found that vigorous exercise helps to reduce Verbal Stims.
- Individuals with autism see the world through sensation and action, while most neurotypical individuals experience it through thought and language.
- The parent must create a favourable connection between Humming and Autism and relationship-building.
- Join the stimming treatment programs as a way to initiate interaction. If someone is spinning a plate, start turning the plate. If someone is moving back and forth, move back and forth right next to the person.
Closing lines:
We have explained that you can reduce stimming while sitting at home. Yes, stimming can be reduced. Stimming is a common issue with autistic children.