Stimming behaviour in a 4-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder

Description

A 4-year-old girl with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) developed a new behaviour of biting hard objects over the previous 6 months. The behaviour has not gotten better over time and she would always explore toys made of hard material (video 1) this way. Fortunately, she has not sustained any injury, choked on or swallowed these objects. She likes hot and spicy foods with textures. Her expressive language has only developed poorly.

Video 1

The child instantly bites and puts hard toys she found in the room into her mouth.

'Stimming' or self-stimulatory behaviours, also known as stereotypic behaviours in ASD, usually come in the form of hand-flapping, body-rocking, pacing or repetition of words. However, chewing or biting non-edible objects is also common. There are a number of possibilities to explain this behaviour. First, stimming acts as a self-regulatory mechanism to help relieve anxiety, anger,...

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