Repetitive Behaviours

This is my favorite description of why repetitive behaviours are used and the impact that they have on the body of an autistic child or adult. 

My lack of interest and involvement in the outside world did not protect my mind from the flood of unwanted information that continually assaulted my senses. The unmodulated sensory input often overwhelmed me, causing me mental torture, and I would begin feeling mentally confused and sluggish.  My head would feel fogged so that I could not think. My vision would blur, and the speech of those around me would become gibberish.

 

At this point, I would feel compelled to make certain repetitious movements. I had a constant fascination with objects anyway, particularly sticks, and if any were around I would pick them up and beat them together. If not, I would use my hands, flapping them rhythmically back and forth to a driving inward beat. Acting on my compulsion to stim brought relief. It allowed me to intently focus on an object of my choice. The noise in my head quieted. The fog cleared. Objects became clear again. 

                                                                                                                         Daniel Hawthorne, 1998