Jumping and Spinning as Autism and Sensory Seeking Behaviors

For many individuals with autism, jumping and spinning are common ways of self-regulation. If you have noticed that such a loved one or someone with an autism diagnosis is jumping and spinning, you may likely find their behavior puzzling or even concerning. However, such movements often have a purpose rooted in seeking sensory input. In this blog, we will look at why people might exhibit this behavior and insights into what they mean, how they are helpful, and how to support somebody with such behaviors.

What is Sensory Seeking Behavior?

Sensory seeking is defined as those behaviors that cause the body of an individual to crave intake of sensory input. Such input is usually essential in people with autism because they interpret sensory information differently. Autism jumping and spinning are very common examples of “stimming.” Stimming is a self-stimulatory behavior through which individuals regulate sensory input and can even be soothing.

Many individuals on the autism spectrum process sensory input differently. There are times in which people are hypersensitive-under-sensitive to sensory stimuli, and other times in which they are hypersensitive-overly sensitive. An individual may be hypersensitive and will seek more intense sensations, such as the weightlessness of jumping or the disorientation of spinning. These movements can soothe the individual and make them feel more stable.

Understanding Autism Jumping

Of the most common manifestations of sensory seeking that most people are familiar with is autism jumping. You may find a child or adult jumping up and down repeatedly; this may seem aimless, but, in most cases, it has some purpose. The act of jumping gives a strong proprioceptive input-a sense of body awareness. Proprioception is the ability to know where one’s body is in space without seeing it. For most autistic people, jumping has helped to fill the need for such input.

It can be soothing when feeling deep pressure due to a jump landing. In this regard, it can help the body to release tension, most of the time utilized as a form of self-soothing. For some, it serves as something to burn off excess energy, while others find it stimulating or fulfilling. A child may jump more often if he or she is overstimulated, anxious, or full of energy from the parent and caregiver’s view. In such scenarios, jumping can be an effective means for the person to regulate his or her emotional state.

Spinning in Autism

Another form of sensory seeking is spinning autism. Spinning can be achieved by twirling in one place, spinning objects, or watching things spin. For someone who likes it, it could be quite fulfilling because it provides vestibular input. Vestibular is part of the inner ear that helps us keep our balance and understand where we are in space. For some people with autism, spinning offers this intense vestibular input that their body craves.

Such movement can be particularly helpful to individuals with hyposensitivity to vestibular input. Spinning provides a powerful sense of movement which can be enjoyable and comforting. The same as jumping, spinning may also mitigate the tension, and comfort, and give an impression of having control over one’s environment of sensory inputs.

The child tends to jump or spin when he feels overwhelmed, excited, or even bored. So, in a way, it’s a bit of self-expression and regulation. It looks strange to other people, but it is normal for autistic people to have control over their sensory needs.

Advantages of Jumping and Spinning Attributes to Autistic Person

Both of these, autism jumping and spinning autism, can be of help to some individuals in deploying them as coping mechanisms. Some of the leading advantages include:

Self-Regulation: Jumping and spinning help an individual regulate his sensory input. Such activities could be the right amount of stimulation to calm the nervous system or to boost alertness.

Emotional Release: These behaviors may emerge in the event of some individual experiencing strong feelings. Repetitive movement discharges tension, regardless of cause: excitement, anxiety, or frustration.

Body Awareness: Jumping provides proprioception, making the person more body-aware. Spinning provides vestibular input, which improves balance and body awareness.

For most, jumping and spinning is how it becomes an activity enjoyed, where one feels comfort and joy. It might be their source of happiness rather than something they have to be discouraged from doing.

How to Encourage Autism Jumping and Spinning

If you’re a parent, caregiver, or teacher of a child who engages in the self-soothing behavior of jumping and spinning, it is necessary to address these behaviors with understanding. People often feel led to stop the actions, especially if they happen in a public situation and seem distracting, but there is a lot to be learned by understanding their function.

Here are some strategies to support sensory-seeking behaviors in a positive way:

Provide a Safe Space: Provide the child with space to jump or spin around without any danger. If this is done indoors, provide soft surfaces or clear all sharp objects out of the area. If outdoors, children can safely jump and play on any combination of playground structures or trampolines.

Use Sensory Tools: Inclusion of sensory activities that give similar input such as a trampoline, weighted blanket, or swing. These can be great alternatives to fulfill the sensory needs of the individual.

Communicate and Observe: Make note of when such behaviors happen. Is the person getting stressed or feeling overstimulated at such times? It helps you to respond more accordingly and even predict their needs.

Promote Acceptance: Have others understand why the behaviors are happening. Teach family, friends, and teachers how to approach the person with no judgment and with understanding. This makes for an open environment supportive.

Encourage Breaks: If jumping or spinning occurs frequently, allow the child to break out and do movement breaks during the school day. This will often prevent the child from becoming overwhelmed and reduce having these behaviors when it is less convenient.

Knowing When to Seek Professional Help

Autism jumping and spinning autism are usually harmless and are beneficial for self-regulation, but there are times when the situation calls for professional input. Such behaviors may cause injury to oneself, severely interfere with daily routine activities of the person, or even cause distress. Talking to an occupational therapist or an expert who has dealt with a lot of cases like autism can help in developing sensory integration strategies that are designed to suit each individual.

Conclusion

One of the common responses among most autistic children would be jumping and spinning. This often gets mistaken for deliberate misbehavior. If these are identified as sensory-seeking and self-regulation behaviors, it may bring potential support for moving needs and sensation-seeking needs within the autistic individual. Rather than seeking ways to stop or eliminate such behavior, we can think about how we can have a safe space and opportunity for such engagements. We can bring along a more friendly world that understands the need for sensory engagements; not with judgment but empathy.

The first step to acceptance and support is understanding why one is carrying out autistic jumping or spinning autism. If we increase knowledge of sensory-seeking behaviors, such as tactile, auditory, visual, olfactory, and gustatory inputs, and hyperresponsiveness of the autistic individual, then that person can thrive and express himself or herself in ways that come naturally and feel fulfilling.