Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30818970›Full record

ArticleAutism : the international journal of research and practice2019

'People should be allowed to do what they like': Autistic adults' views and experiences of stimming.

Steven K Kapp, Robyn Steward, Laura Crane, Daisy Elliott, Chris Elphick, Elizabeth Pellicano, Ginny Russell

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 151 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
151citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

151 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  8. Article
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  11. Exploring Patterns of Self-Harm in Autistic Adults Using the Card Sort Task for Self-Harm.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2026
    Article
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  15. Article
  16. Camouflaging and autism: Conceptualisation and methodological issues.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2026
    Review
  17. Article
  18. Review and Developmental Model: Early Childhood Emotion Regulation and Co-Regulation in Autism.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2026
    Review
  19. Article
  20. Article

91 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Steven K Kapp1 University of Exeter, UK.
Robyn Steward2 University College London, UK.
Laura Crane2 University College London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4161-3490
Daisy Elliott1 University of Exeter, UK.
Chris Elphick1 University of Exeter, UK.
Elizabeth Pellicano2 University College London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7246-8003
Ginny Russell1 University of Exeter, UK.

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 108676/Z/15/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

'Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements' are characterised as core features in the diagnosis of autism, yet many autistic adults (and the neurodiversity movement) have reclaimed them as 'stimming'. Supported by a growing body of scientific research, autistic adults argue that these behaviours may serve as useful coping mechanisms, yet little research has examined stimming from the perspective of autistic adults. Through interviews and focus groups, we asked 32 autistic adults to share their perceptions and experiences of stimming, including the reasons they stim, any value doing so may hold for them and their perceptions of others' reactions to stimming. Using thematic analysis, we identified two themes: stimming as (1) a self-regulatory mechanism and (2) lacking in social acceptance, but can become accepted through understanding. Autistic adults highlighted the importance of stimming as an adaptive mechanism that helps them to soothe or communicate intense emotions or thoughts and thus objected to treatment that aims to eliminate the behaviour.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PsychologicalAdultAttitudeAutistic DisorderFemaleFocus GroupsHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedStereotypic Movement DisorderYoung Adultadultsautismneurodiversityrepetitive behaviourrepetitive movementsself-stimulatory behaviourstereotypiesstimming

Identifiers

PMID30818970
PMCPMC6728747

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.