I have received a number of requests for printable copies of this poem. Here it is – as a jpeg – which should be easy to print if you so choose.

Image description: White background framed in blue. There is a poem beside a stick figure drawing of a happy looking person flapping their arms. Text reads: “Ode to the Stim. H stims… I stim too… bounce and wiggle, twist a lock, hold tight to that ‘calming rock’, fiddle and fold, squint and spin, squeeze, and then begin again, shoes too big so toes can move, wiggly legs that find their groove, Tom Sawyer pockets with fidgets galore, quiet hands are such a bore. Leah Kelley – July 27, 2013. Thirty Days of Autism. To stim is to breathe… Honour the stim… “
Again, I could write more about this… but I still think this visual pretty much sums it up for me right now. Additionally, there are already some amazing posts that say what I would like to say or consider… so I am linking them up here:
Socially Inappropriate by Musings of an Aspie
A Cognitive Defense of Stimming (or Why “Quiet Hands” Makes Math Harder) by Musings of an Aspie
Things my autistic kids love: Public transit by Small But Kinda Mighty
Way-To-Stim Wednesday: Video Series by Anabelle Listic
Stimming by Outrunning the Storm
Quiet Hands by Julia Bascom
The Dark Side of the Stim: Self-injury and Distructive Habits by Kirsten Lindsmith
Enjoy!!
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30 Days of Autism is a project designed to fight stigma, promote civil rights, and increase understanding and acceptance for those who process and experience the world differently.
©Leah Kelley, Thirty Days of Autism (2013)



