"Stims" is a word meaning "self-stimulation". It's an activity that people
do - not just autistics - when they are bored, tense, or want to do
something to release endorphins to their system (a theory espoused here http://autism.wikia.com/wiki/Stimming).
Not all autistic people stim, and not all people who stim are autistic.
Stimming can be disruptive at worst and at least curious to people who don't understand it. I have seen people who
- get up from their chair and walk a circle around the room then sit back down and continue working
- tap their fingers
- shake or vibrate their foot when crossed over their leg, or tap their whole leg like a drummer on the floor
- rock in their chairs
- slapping their neck or face while talking
and other things like it. My daughter used to do the
bass-drum thing in the car and it would drive her mother nuts! I also do
it : )
The trouble with it can be mitigated by letting team
members know about the behavior, or making sure the employee takes time
to do other things during the day like take breaks, stretch, or relax in
some other way. Specialisterne made stretching and taking breaks an
integral part of their training. I know a teacher of autistic kids in
the Bronx who does daily calisthenics with her kids.
It's just another example of the small accommodations we can make to adjust expectations and make the workplace friendlier.
