A practical expressive arts activity for shadow teachers, educators, therapists and parents supporting autistic and neurodivergent children
A child is repeatedly tapping a pencil.
Another child is rocking in their chair.
Someone is humming quietly while completing their work.
A support adult may look at these behaviours and think, “How do I get them to stop?”
A more useful starting point is to become curious about what the repetitive movement may be doing for the child.
Stimming, short for self-stimulatory behaviour, can include repetitive movements, sounds or actions such as hand flapping, rocking, pacing, humming, repeating words, tapping or manipulating objects. For autistic people, stimming can be connected with sensory processing, emotional regulation, excitement, distress or the need to increase or reduce sensory input.
This is why understanding stimming is particularly important for people working directly with children. A support strategy that removes a child’s regulating behaviour without understanding its function can increase distress.
In this article, I am sharing a short expressive arts therapy activity for support teams that can help adults experience this concept for themselves.
What Is Stimming?
Stimming refers to repetitive motor movements, sounds or behaviours. Examples can include:
- hand flapping
- rocking
- spinning objects
- tapping
- pacing
- humming
- repeating sounds or words
- rubbing or touching particular textures
- repetitive drawing or movement
Stimming is not exclusive to autistic people. Many people use repetitive movements or sensory behaviours in everyday life, particularly when concentrating, excited, nervous or trying to regulate themselves.
For autistic children, sensory processing differences can make the surrounding environment feel very different from how it feels to a non-autistic person.
A repetitive behaviour may provide sensory input that the child is seeking, help reduce overwhelming input, support attention or provide a predictable sensory experience.
The same stim can also have different meanings in different situations.
A child might flap their hands when excited about something they love. The same child might engage in repetitive movement when overwhelmed by noise in a classroom.
That is why observing the context and function of a behaviour is important.
Why Do Support Teams Need to Understand Stimming?
A classroom support professional may see a repetitive behaviour and immediately focus on how visible it is.
For example:
“He keeps tapping his pencil.”
“She keeps rocking.”
“He is making noises during the lesson.”
The next step may be an instruction:
“Stop tapping.”
“Sit still.”
“Keep your hands quiet.”
Before giving that instruction, consider another question:
What might this movement be helping the child manage?
The Autism Research Institute highlights the importance of understanding sensory needs and considering whether a behaviour may be helping an autistic person seek or avoid particular sensory experiences. It also emphasises creating supportive sensory environments and paying attention to the supporter’s own responses.
Child Mind Institute similarly notes that repetitive behaviours can be associated with increasing or blocking sensory input or alleviating distress, and advises against treating every repetitive movement as something that needs to be eliminated.
This does not mean that every stim should always be permitted without consideration.
If a behaviour is causing physical injury, creating a safety risk or significantly interfering with the child’s ability to participate, the support team may need an individualised plan developed with appropriate professionals.
The important step is understanding the behaviour before deciding how to respond.
An Expressive Arts Activity: “What Is the Body Saying?”
This activity is designed for support teams, rather than as a direct intervention for a child.
It can be used during:
- shadow teacher training
- inclusive education workshops
- parent education sessions
- staff development
- counselling or expressive arts therapy with professionals
- neurodiversity awareness sessions
Materials
You need:
- paper
- a pencil, pen or marker
You can keep the activity very simple.
The simplicity is useful because the focus is on the experience rather than artistic ability.
Step 1: Choose a Repetitive Movement
Ask participants to place a sheet of paper in front of them.
Then say:
“Choose one small repetitive movement and continue it for about 10 seconds.”
For example, they could:
- make small circles
- tap the pencil
- draw the same shape
- create repeated lines
There is no requirement to produce a picture.
The instruction is simply to repeat the movement.
Step 2: Pay Attention to the Experience
After several seconds, ask:
“What did you notice while you were repeating the movement?”
Do not immediately interpret their responses.
Some participants may describe feeling focused.
Others may find the repetition soothing.
Someone else may simply find it enjoyable or satisfying.
The point is to demonstrate that repetitive movement can have a sensory or regulatory experience attached to it.
Step 3: Introduce the Interruption
Now say:
“Imagine someone watching you and saying: Stop that. Sit still. Use the paper properly.”
Ask participants to stop the movement.
Give them a brief pause.
Then ask:
“What changed when the movement was interrupted?”
This is where the activity becomes particularly useful for support teams.
Participants may notice frustration, tension, irritation or a sudden loss of concentration.
Others may not experience any significant change.
That difference is important.
The activity is not designed to suggest that everyone experiences stimming in the same way.
It demonstrates why assumptions about another person’s repetitive behaviour can be misleading.
Step 4: Return to the Movement
Invite participants to begin their repetitive movement again.
Ask:
“What happens when you are allowed to return to the movement?”
Participants can then use a different colour to add marks to their paper representing what they noticed.
They could draw:
- tighter lines if they experienced tension
- larger marks if they experienced release
- softer marks if the movement felt calming
- completely abstract marks if they prefer
There is no correct artwork.
The artwork is simply a visual record of their experience.
Step 5: Connect the Experience to Stimming
Now bring the group back to the child in the classroom.
Ask:
“If a repetitive movement was helping you regulate, how would it feel if someone repeatedly told you to stop?”
Then ask:
“What might we need to understand before asking a child to stop a stim?”
This opens the discussion towards function, context and individual sensory needs.
The aim is not to tell participants that every repetitive behaviour is automatically regulating.
The aim is to encourage them to investigate what the behaviour may be communicating or providing for that individual child.
What This Activity Teaches Support Teams
The activity can help support staff understand an important principle:
Behaviour needs context.
A child tapping their pencil may be:
- seeking sensory input
- maintaining attention
- expressing excitement
- managing anxiety
- coping with sensory overload
- engaging in a preferred repetitive activity
The observable movement alone cannot tell you which explanation is correct.
You need to consider what is happening before, during and after the behaviour.
The Autism Research Institute recommends active observation and data collection when considering behavioural and sensory supports, rather than assuming that a particular strategy will work for every individual.
A Simple “Stimming Detective” Framework
When a child is stimming, a support adult can pause and observe.
Before the stim
Ask:
What was happening immediately beforehand?
Was there:
- a transition?
- a noisy environment?
- a difficult task?
- a social demand?
- a change in routine?
- exciting news?
During the stim
Observe:
What does the child appear to be seeking or avoiding?
Look at the environment as well as the child’s behaviour.
Is there bright lighting?
Background noise?
Crowding?
A difficult academic task?
Too much verbal instruction?
After the stim
Ask:
What happens afterwards?
Does the child appear more able to engage?
Does the child move away from an overwhelming environment?
Does concentration improve?
Does the movement continue without interfering with the activity?
These observations can provide useful information for the child’s support plan.
Should You Ever Stop a Child From Stimming?
This requires an individualised answer.
A harmless stim may not need intervention at all.
If a child is quietly rocking while listening to a lesson and remains engaged, the rocking may simply be part of how they participate.
If a child is tapping a pencil while completing their work, the tapping may not need to be removed simply because it looks different from how other pupils behave.
A different response may be necessary when the behaviour:
- causes injury
- creates a safety concern
- significantly prevents participation
- interferes with another person’s access to a learning environment
Even in these situations, the first question should be:
What need is the behaviour meeting?
If a replacement strategy is considered, it should ideally serve the same function. Autism Research Institute resources on communication and behaviour support similarly emphasise identifying the function of a behaviour when developing alternative skills.
For complex or high-risk behaviours, an appropriately qualified professional should be involved in developing an individualised support plan.
Stimming and Expressive Arts Therapy
Expressive arts can be particularly useful for helping support teams explore concepts that are difficult to understand through explanation alone.
Drawing repetitive marks creates an immediate sensory experience.
The participant can feel the difference between:
repetition → interruption → repetition
The activity can then become a starting point for professional reflection.
For expressive arts therapists, this also opens possibilities for exploring:
- repetitive mark-making
- rhythm
- movement
- sound
- texture
- sensory materials
- visual metaphors
The activity should remain experiential rather than being presented as a diagnostic exercise.
It cannot tell you why a particular child stims.
It can help a support team become more thoughtful about the assumptions they make when they observe repetitive behaviour.
Watch the Short Activity
I have also created a short YouTube video demonstrating this activity.
Watch here:
[Understanding Stimming in Autistic Children: A Simple Activity for Support Teams]
The Short demonstrates the activity in under 30 seconds, making it useful to share during staff training or with colleagues who support neurodivergent children.
CTA: If you work as a shadow teacher, teaching assistant, therapist or educator, save the video and use the activity during your next team discussion about sensory needs and classroom support.
Sensory and Art Materials for Your Support Toolkit
You do not need expensive equipment to explore sensory regulation.
For classroom or therapy settings, you may find the following useful.
1. Therapy putty
Therapy putty can provide tactile resistance and can be offered as an optional sensory material during appropriate activities.
2. Textured sensory balls
Different textures can provide tactile input and can be included in a sensory resource box.
3. Fidget tools
Fidget objects can provide an alternative way of accessing repetitive hand movements during situations where a child needs to keep their hands occupied.
Choose based on the individual child’s preferences rather than assuming that a particular fidget will work.
4. Visual timer
A visual timer can help children understand how long an activity, transition or break will last.
Visual supports are commonly used to increase predictability around routines and transitions.
5. Washable markers and sketchbooks
For expressive arts work, keep a supply of washable markers and inexpensive sketchbooks available.
These are particularly useful for repetitive mark-making activities because the emphasis can remain on the process rather than producing a finished artwork.
Affiliate disclosure: The product links above are intended as Amazon affiliate recommendations. If you purchase through my links, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Please choose sensory products according to the individual child’s needs and follow appropriate professional guidance where required.
A Note About Sensory Tools
A sensory tool should not automatically be treated as a solution to a behaviour.
A fidget toy that works beautifully for one child may be distracting for another.
A textured object may be enjoyable for one child and unpleasant for another.
A visual timer may increase predictability for one child while another child may need a different form of support.
Sensory strategies need to be individualised. The Autism Research Institute specifically emphasises understanding the person’s sensory environment and identifying strategies that fit their individual needs.
If a child has significant sensory processing difficulties, an occupational therapist can be an important member of the support team.
For Shadow Teachers: A Practical Shift in Observation
If you are a shadow teacher, consider adding this question to your classroom observation notes:
“What might this behaviour be helping the child manage?”
Then record the context rather than simply recording:
“Child was stimming.”
A more informative observation might be:
“During a noisy transition between activities, the child began tapping both hands on the desk. After moving to a quieter area, the tapping reduced and the child returned to the task.”
This gives the team information that can guide future support.
The behaviour becomes data about the child’s experience rather than a label for the child.
The Bigger Message for Support Teams
Stimming is part of how some autistic and neurodivergent people interact with sensory experiences, emotions and their environment.
A repetitive behaviour can look unusual from the outside while serving a meaningful purpose for the person doing it.
The most useful question for a support team is therefore:
“What is this behaviour doing for the child?”
That question can change how we observe.
It can change how we respond.
And it can lead to support that respects the child’s individual sensory needs while still addressing genuine safety or participation concerns.
Want More Practical Resources for Supporting Neurodivergent Children?
If you are a shadow teacher, parent, educator or therapist, explore more EducateAble resources on autism support, inclusive education, expressive arts therapy and child counselling.
You can also explore my Shadow Teacher resources and training materials here:
For individual counselling or expressive arts therapy sessions:
https://topmate.io/namita_das11
And subscribe to EducateAble on YouTube for practical videos designed for people supporting neurodivergent children.
https://www.youtube.com/@Educateable
Final Reflection
The next time you see a child stimming, pause before reacting.
Observe the context.
Ask what the child may be experiencing.
Then consider whether the movement needs to be changed at all.
Understanding comes before intervention.
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