Vocal Stimming ADHD: What's the Connection?
Self-stimulation or “stimming” refers to self-soothing, mostly unconscious repetitive sounds or movements. Almost everyone stims: think hair twirling or nail-biting.
For folks with conditions such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stimming may be harder to control, however.
Stimming behavior can look very much like tics.
Tics are also repetitive movements, but unlike stims, they are involuntary, anticipated, and not particularly pleasurable. Tics are features of Tourette syndrome (TS) and other Tic disorders (TD).