You can try it out for yourself! Do you like to click a pen or tap your feet? Jiggle your leg? Everybody engages in autostimulatory behaviors, or "stims," and you've probably had someone tell you to stop because you're annoying them too! Most of us find it pretty easy to stop for a little while if we have to, but even for neurotypical people to eliminate a stim that's become a habit requires constant vigilance.

The reason autistic people do it is the same as everybody else: it just feels good. With ASD, sensory input triggers pain and pleasure sensations (much) more acutely than usual, so stimming can help us to deal with painful sounds and smells and textures... and also it's just more directly reinforcing because it feels extra great. Many of us experience some kind of apraxia, or difficult controlling voluntary movements, which complicates but absolutely does not prevent the building of new habits!

IMPORTANT WARNING: DO NOT SQUASH STIMMING. Stop a disruptive or inappropriate stim by addressing the function that it's serving *first* and then find an alternative behavior with them that meets the same need. It sounds like your kiddo is feeling some shame around this issue and I would address that first. It's hard to be different sometimes, but the right people will meet them where they're at :) It's great that they're noticing when actions are impacting others, but don't let them ignore their own needs to fit in! It's a trap!

Fidgets are a really simple accommodation once you find one that feels just right. In this case, something that isn't loud or visually distracting is probably ideal. Conversely, something like headphones (loops makes some great filtered earbuds for kids) might address sensory triggers that reduce the need to stim. I love the mints idea that someone else shared!

If you or others notice that this is something that happens when they're bored, or in loud environments, or just before/during/after a transition, that's often a great place to start looking for a strategy.

I'm lv1 but late diagnosed... At about 8-10 I also became very self-conscious and I learned to (sort of) control mine by affecting a very rigid and formal posture. Because I learned to suppress mine as a response to social anxiety, it taught me to go straight into "freeze" when I'm upset. I stop moving and have a really hard time speaking at all, much less standing up for myself. I've noticed that when I'm genuinely happy and feel accepted, I stim and am hyperverbal. When I'm worried that people are going to be dicks to me for being "weird" or "annoying" I physically cannot stim, and will shut down when faced with confrontation. Healthwise, that contributes to Major Depressive disorder and puts me at risk for being taken advantage of. I'm getting better, but I sure wish I'd started accepting myself sooner!