People with Autism perform certain repetitive body habits as flapping hands in front of their face, body jerks, head jerks, twisting, spinning, rocking, humming, talking to themselves, repeating things (Echolalia) or other hyperactive or repetitous movements.
Some is done for fun or excitement (from repetitive mental role playing), some out of distress to resolve issues which the mind finds difficult to let go of, some to compensate with sensory problems (when parts of the body is "out of balance" and doesn't "feel right"). Repitition relates to natural repetitiveness and narrow focus of the autistic mind. Gigling or talking to oneself is often from intense daydreaming or reminiscence. It could also result from unchecked emotion or echolalia. Some behaviors are from various forms of epileptic seizures. These behaviors are harmless.
I can surely say that I have had my share of tics, twitches, throat sounds and other peculiarities that others cannot resist making fun of. A person with autism can be very aware of body movements and may be so distracting and uncomfortable that certain body parts "trigger" a tactile defensive sensory. The person with autism may develop a sense of stressful "imbalance" (just doesn't feel right) or an urgency to fight off the uncomfortable sensation that brims the mind. Personally, I feel a state of constant, low-level anxiety that is difficult to ignor. I can take my mind off it by intensly concentrating (hyperfocusing) on something else. The narrow attention blocks external signals and renders them insignificant. I have noticed that when I get upset, this anxiety builds to a level that cannot be turned off. I start to display what others may call "nervous tics" and other obvious movements that will make others nearby feel very uncomfortable.
Since this anxiety is perpetual, and it's only a matter of time before these 'habits' resurface, a person with autism may see a body movement that someone else does that happens to be socially acceptable (or senses non-rejecting placidity in others regarding the habit or movement) and may adopt to practice such habit or movement to reprogram and replace less socially accepted ones.
Unfortunately, an autistic person may not be aware of how unnatural some movements appear to others. An autistic person can often be described as awkward, exagerated or clumsy due to certain motor nerve skills being so poorly developed. Routines and repetition often become a refuge. A person with autism is comfortable by following the same routine, using the same chair, following the same "morning ritual" of dressing, morning coffee, and the same schedule. When changes occur in these patterns and habits, an autistic person becomes distressed when the 'refuge' is no longer available to provide the comfort of familiarity that routines can provide on a regular basis. Routines help to satisfy 'outside world' expectations which can reduce unwelcomed intrusions to the autistic mind. Two conditions come to mind when behavior modification becomes difficult to establish as a routine: first, it may conflict with a previously established routine, and second, a new routine may be uncomfortable, even painful, to perform. These conditions would definitely keep one with autism from adapting additional routines, being very resistant to adopting them.
A person with autism may seem "unemotional"; however, they can be very emotional when something is important to them. Some are very candid and express their emotions when most who follow social etiquette would not. Many with autism usually are uninterested or dislike changes. Some with autism have strong attachments to objects (like to be collectors), places, personal projects or routines, no matter how silly or unorthodoxed in some practices. Their room may be a mess, but they know when something is touched or moved. A tiny piece of scrap paper with a pencil scribble lying on the floor may be missed if thrown away. If an interest is neatness (as with OCD which is a part of the spectrum), they may want to display their favorite trinkets. The slightest centimeter of a jostle that would disturb their pattern displays can upset them until the pattern display is identically restored as before. This same type of attachment may include homes, living areas, or favorite places. If OCD is involved, upset behaviors can be displayed when these areas are messed or changed by even the slightest margin. When cleanliness is an obsession, constant cleaning is often performed in patterns to remove the emotional distress. Family members and guests may find it difficult to relax in such rooms. For example, nit-picking may result to gain control of an environment in order to stop the pain of bio-chemical reactions with anxieties. When the pain cannot be alieviated, the ASD person may emotionally remove themselves from the situation all together.
A person with autism can become very upset if forced to abandon their interests. They take their interests very seriously, especially if the interest prooves to be a difficult or long-term goal. At the work place, a person with autism may show signs of being upset when working with others. This may be that the "team person" is really getting in the way of the autistic's routine or 'system' and may be getting upset due to rebuilding tht same system over again and again. Many people with autism seem to have very few interists; however, old interests are often exchanged for new ones, and they are usually knowledgeable with details to a point that appears obsessive. It could be as common as television, technical as encyclopedias or odd as memorizing "1-800" business numbers.
Copyright, Maestro Media / Julien, 2001
