I agree she shouldn't be stopped completely from her rocking stim, it serves her a purpose and she needs to do it. It's obviously harmful for an autistic person to suppress a stim. But with the rocking, I think she needs to be taught to do it in a different way to avoid injury. one day she could easily hit her head on the wall behind her or damage the furniture (which cold also hurt her) and it can't be good for her back either. I have no idea how you would change or replace a stim though! I agree if she had the equipment to be able to get that feeling that would massively help too. A quick google search comes up with all sorts of padded rocking seats and chairs from ordinary ones to special sensory ones. just a normal old fashioned wooden type rocking chair would give her that feeling (they would probably have to put some padding on it though) They always bang on about being problem solvers and having to find solutions to problems that Abbie has but I think those things are limited to whenever it has a negative impact on them and not Abbie and when it doesn't actually require much input from them.
Generally speaking, stims always find their way. If one gets removed, another one will take its place. Especially for low functioning people like Abbie, who lack the amount of self control it takes to suppress it.
While stimming is a necessary tool for regulation, just saying "oh well, it is part of her. Just let her rock away" is dangerous. Some stims are harmful. I knew a kid who had banging his head as a stim (mostly due to the vibration). Something has to be done if a behaviour causes long time health concerns. Abbie used to have a stim where she gagged herself, and due to its harmful nature, the adults in her life stopped her from doing it. The rocking might require a compromise, i.e. not stopping her, but trying to reduce the intensity.
I don't know, if a rocking chair would help. Abbie's rocking is quick and she does her turtle head. It would certainly be worth a try (and a much better investment than the crap they are throwing
their her money at now), I am just not sure about it being effective.
agree! Abbie probably has a good sense of balance when she is rocking and standing. She may have some skills there. I think they don't have a sensory room because they would need to give her privacy and not film it as decent human beings would.
