humming/moaning | Autism PDD

My son is 3.7, undiagnosed fully, but most likely ASD, fairly high functioning. Yesterday he was humming/moaning a lot to himself. No tune or anything. He can sing songs. He used to do this a lot, but stopped. Now he started again. Any ideas at how to stop/help this behavior? I know it is pretty common. I don't know if you can get rid of it. It's a stim, and yes my kiddo does it
too. These days he's mostly singing real songs and humming real tunes, but
he definitely reverts back to tuneless hums when he's stressed or anxious or
having a particularly sesnsitive day. It's soothing, and blocks out
overwhelming outside noises. By the way, for a while I thought Jasper was
moaning--but it turned out he was practicing different train whistle sounds
. OT for sensory integration has helped tremendously with his ability
to tolerate his enviornment, and therefore reduce all stimming or avoidant
behaviors. Good Luck!!
PS, I read in your other thread you are a classical musician--Jasper has
started piano lessons and just LOVES it. (My brother is an accomplished
pianist, flautist, and harpischord player )

That is a very good ideal Kristy. Nikolas does the talk outloud/to himself thing to. He usually recites the ABCs at the top of his lungs. LOL! he did this in school the other day loud enough for the entire class of 15 3-5 year olds to stop and look at him. He wouldn't be quiet so she put him in the corner. Flashing a card and teaching him appropriate and inapropriate times to do this would be much better than just putting him in the corner.

I do not have any idea how to stop it, sorry. Ali grunts all day long. It is weird cause it sounds like a grunt you'd make if you are in pain. She has done this ...probably forever, but recently it has increased. I ask her why she does it and she just says "I don't know!" Honestly, I do not think she is even aware that she does it. It doesn't irritate me, but it does others. I only worry if anything hurts her, since she still cannot appropriately voice pain and feelings. I am guessing it is in some way a soothing mechanism??

when my son is playing in the computer and listen to music he hums and mumbles what he dont understand.

My dd has started this in the last few weeks. She will do what sounds like yodeling (LOL!!), clicking of her tongue, and random humming. She also does odd breathing, big exhales or inhales, sounds like hyperventilating sometimes. We're working w/ OT on all her sensory stuff, assume with time this will be helped. It's no big deal at home (ok, sometimes it drives me nuts, but I move on!!!), but we get dirty looks (what else is new?) at doctor's offices or other places we're supposed to be semi-quiet. Oh well!!

I had a tic when I was a young kid & teen. I would make a brief humming sound or grunt. I also had a facial thing where I'd wiggle my nose. I didn't have control over either. I'd only realize I was doing it when my family would mention it to me. For me, I think my eventual therapy for anxiety helped, I also did biofeedback.

My son is turning 5 in 3 weeks, and his humming has increased quite a bit over the last year. It started with just now and then ... now he does it all the time.

It's a stim. My son has OT ... I don't know if it will go away or not. Time will tell.

When did your kids start humming? My son makes this noise, especially in the 24 hours after he has consumed something with gluten or casein. I don't see any NT 18 month olds humming like this...

Did your kids start this early?

My son has a verbal stim, more babbling/self-talk than humming. At school they have a picture card with a face with a closed mouth. When C starts chattering at an inappropriate time (i.e. when teacher is speaking) his aide flashes him this card and says "quiet mouth." I have a copy of the card and I occasionally pull it out in church. Having the visual prompt as well as the verbal one has helped tremendously. He does stop when prompted, but eventually starts up again.I agree with you Anna, I believe stimming is a part of our kids body
language, and I embrace any form of expression from sharlet.

We try so hard to change our kids for the better, so their (and our) lives will
be easier. This is one area I am not willing to try and change with sharlet. I
think she has a right to be herself, express herself, and a right to naturally
develop her own body language. Just like everyone else.

Sorry if that was a bit intense, I just feel strongly about it thats all.Since there is likely a sensory reason behind this sort of stim, why do we have to stop it? Ali's grunting/moaning seems very involuntary. Some of the other ones she has, yes I can help her control and minimize, but what is the main reason for working so hard to stop stims? If certain ones are sort of coping mechanisms, it just seems like we work so hard to appease society and our children try to accomodate the world around them, how does society accomodate our kids?! Why do the kids always have to be the ones to change?! Just a general gripe I m feeling over acceptance od people who are "different". Allegra, I totally agree. My feeling is if it is not hurting anyone, than why change it? Like for example, Ali hums or plays with her hands when she is trying to focus on what someone is saying or she puts her hands over her mouth (and keeps them there) when she is trying not to do something wrong or she makes noises or taps herself with her fingers when she is trying to stand or sit in one place...these things actually help her though they may not seem "normal" to others, there is no way I would try to stop her.

Just wanted to comment on stopping the verbal stim. We are not trying to eradicate this behavior completely.

Outside of the classroom environment we're fine with C expressing himself this way (though if he gets loud we ask him to talk quieter and he tends to comply). However, inside the classroom environment, C's babbling to himself (even quietly) makes him unavailable for learning and definitely interferes with his performance at school. The "quiet mouth" card comes out when C is babbling while the teacher is giving instructions to the class or when the children are supposed to be sitting quietly and listening to a story.

I hear your gripe about acceptance of people that are different. We're all different. However in order to function in society we all need to conform to certain social norms, one being that we take turns when we talk. If C is constantly talking, then he isn't available to have a conversation with another child and if he doesn't converse with other kids than his social skills are going nowhere.

Anna & Allegra - When C was the same age as Sharlet & Ali we did nothing to stop the verbal stim either. However, now that he is 6 and in regular school, we are trying to help him be aware that he is babbling and try and teach him that there are times that is ok and times it is not. (Not an easy thing to teach, but he's slowing getting it.) I don't want to stifle his personality either, but I feel that better management of this stim is critical to his success in school. On the flip side, there are definitely parts of my personality/behavior that I've changed in order to fit into a corporate environment. Unfortuately, I feel it's a part of life.

You all have interesting points. Nick's humming and jibberish is quite constant at home, but to tell you the truth I'm not sure how much he does it at school. I'm going to have to ask about that. At home, I'll redirect him but I never tell him to stop humming.

He starts kindergarten (in an autism classroom) in September, and there is nothing in his IEP that talks about talking or controlling the humming.

I see your point Kristys, about the verbal stimming stopping him from
concentrating in the classroom.

I have talked to many adult autists who say that they need to hum/rock
when they are concentrating, that it helps them to concentrate and may
serve control more disruptive behaviors, and that it may appear that they
are taking in less, when in fact they are taking in more. just a point,
obviously not saying that your son is like this, just saying that some
autistics are.

Allegra39197.3209490741

Elle22: You made me chuckle! I always have my tongue out when I am concentrating real hard on something. My family makes fun of me.

That is the thing with Ali, many of her stims HELP her concentrate, listen, or something positive. Some help her regulate her behavior. In dance class, if she is angry and I can tell she wants to hit another child, she will cover her eyes for a few minutes or she will rock, then she seems calmed. If she did not do certain stims, I know her behavior, attention, and learning would be stifled. I fell like her school and teachers and society should accept and welcome anything that helps her. I guess, for Ali, sometimes the best way to "fit in" is to behave in a way that does not fit the norm.

I'm with you Anna & Allegra, and thankfully our OT is too!! When she sees dd stimming or we tell her what she's been doing lately, her suggestion is okay, maybe she needs some more input (like we just ordered a weighted lap pad & a blanket), or to see if anything has changed that is causing more stress that we need to address. She has never told us to do anything or say anything when dd is stimming. I really like her approach (& sadly, she is our ECI OT & on maternity leave as of this week--dd turns 3 in a few weeks...wahhh!!!). I never want my dd to think I'm just here to constantly change her...at the same time, I do acknowledge the challenges that may arise as dd gets older & is in school.

Aside from my vocal & facial tics (subtle) I had as a child, I still rock (as does my sister). It will happen when I'm watching TV or just sitting around, it relaxes me. I really don't know I'm doing it, dh is now used to it & just smiles!! In some ways, it's now a blessing because dd will come sit w/ me and we happily rock together!! LOL! Also, I'm an artist & when I draw or concentrate, I have to have my tongue out on my lip--since I was very young. I also MUST touch things in the store like towels & blankets. So, with all this, I am a fully-functioning adult--we all have our quirks & tics & sensory stuff, just to different degrees. I am able to control these urges or catch myself in the middle of them and not do them. I know my dd is unable at this point to do that, so we just let it go (especially because it generally makes her VERY happy!!).

Sharlet does this all day every day, just wondering why you would want to
stop it?

I know that for Sharlet it serves a definite purpose for her.

Here's a good introduction to stims. It has a chart of the different sensory types and talks about what you can do about them.

http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/archive/mannerism.html #Chart

Good luck with everything.

Thanks, all, for ALL of your input. I never realized that my itty bitty question would cause such a response. Z stims when he is playing "ball." He hums when he is excited and "into" something. I guess I was just afraid of him humming and being seen as a weirdo in public. We are starting to get the "how come he doesn't talk a lot" looks and questions from the public. I hate the public. I have school kids coming now so I have to run, but will try to add more later. Best wishes and thanks.

[QUOTE=Anna1109]Since there is likely a sensory reason behind this sort of stim, why do we have to stop it? Ali's grunting/moaning seems very involuntary. Some of the other ones she has, yes I can help her control and minimize, but what is the main reason for working so hard to stop stims? If certain ones are sort of coping mechanisms, it just seems like we work so hard to appease society and our children try to accomodate the world around them, how does society accomodate our kids?! Why do the kids always have to be the ones to change?! Just a general gripe I m feeling over acceptance od people who are "different". [/QUOTE]

That is what I think too