Pacing

[bhuman77]

Greetings. My step daughter, age 19, is very high functioning, has a job, drives, etc. When she goes in her room, she paces frantically, and basically disassociates from reality. I have accepted this as just part of being an aspie. She has been my stepdaughter now for over 2 years. She has a great future and is a beautiful girl. Here's my question, during the last 6 months, she has broken her ankle and as of yesterday, her finger from pacing in her room and banging up against things. It seems that my family has accepted things to the point of "thats just how it is". I am concerned for her as it might be a concussion or worse next. She tells me that she can not help it. To be clear, that is not what I'm asking. I'm not asking her to stop her pacing, I just don't want her to hurt herself. This seems to be a VERY touch subject when I bring it up to her mother or to her. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Judge]

I'm a pacer myself. Although I consider it a somewhat passive, occasional thing for me. Doing laps around my sofa. Somehow I've avoided hurting myself though. When I do it though I do tend to "zone out" somewhat. Usually focusing deeply on problem solving.

There may not be much she can alter in a behavioral sense, but she can take a more simplistic approach. Altering the complexities of her foot path in the room she paces in. Remove obstructions when and where possible. Or perhaps she could get a bigger room...although admittedly such changes doesn't come easy for some of us.

There are more posts on this sort of thing under the title of "What Is Your Stim?". I'm guessing the mods will merge this thread accordingly at some point.

 

[Ereth]

Perhaps a little proactive injury-proofing is in order. Is there anything that can be moved or rearranged in her room so that she doesn't hurt herself? Or maybe someone could watch her while she paces (an uncomfortable idea, I know) to make sure she's okay.

She might even benefit from a service dog. I don't know much about therapy dogs for people with autism, but they are out there, and I'm willing to bet that they are trained to monitor a person like your stepdaughter, who cannot control her pacing. The dog could serve as a guardian and guide while she paces so that she is at less risk, and should she sustain a larger, more serious injury, alert the family so that she can be immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.

 

[bhuman77]

She does have a small room… and she is uncomfortable with pacing anywhere else in the house. We will work on this!

 

[Judge]

She does have a small room… and she is uncomfortable with pacing anywhere else in the house. We will work on this!

Just be sensitive to the possibility of her refusing to change rooms. For some Aspies that can be a traumatic thing. I know I loathe any real change in my immediate environment. It can seem petty, but then I also have OCD comorbid to my AS.

 

[anthoskate]

I'm a pacer myself. Although I consider it a somewhat passive, occasional thing for me. Doing laps around my sofa. Somehow I've avoided hurting myself though. When I do it though I do tend to "zone out" somewhat. Usually focusing deeply on problem solving.

Thats exactly how I how I do it

 

[Naturalist]

I do this a lot, in my kitchen. There is an "island" in the middle, and I go round and round the island when I am thinking hard about something. At work I sometimes find myself doing the same thing, pacing in very rapid circles when I need to think. As a child, I would run laps around my backyard as soon as I got home from school. If I were on something spinning, I would become violently ill, but I find the feeling of walking in fast circles to be quite soothing and (at the same time, somehow) stimulating.

The problem is, poor coordination often accompanies ASDs, and it certainly does in my case. I am always running into objects (or people if they enter the room when I am pacing). I've never broken bones, but often do trip or get bruised.

If there are things which are particular hazards in her room, perhaps consider padding them? You can get foam pieces (such as those swim noodles which are inexpensive) or throw pillows to put around the perimeter. The throw pillows might seem less "dorky" and might also add another aspect to the room which is pleasing in a tactile way. A home-health assistant for elderly people might have other suggestions, as they are trained in ways to safeguard their patients against falls.

 

[anthoskate]

I do this a lot, in my kitchen. There is an "island" in the middle, and I go round and round the island when I am thinking hard about something. At work I sometimes find myself doing the same thing, pacing in very rapid circles when I need to think. As a child, I would run laps around my backyard as soon as I got home from school. If I were on something spinning, I would become violently ill, but I find the feeling of walking in fast circles to be quite soothing and (at the same time, somehow) stimulating.

The problem is, poor coordination often accompanies ASDs, and it certainly does in my case. I am always running into objects (or people if they enter the room when I am pacing). I've never broken bones, but often do trip or get bruised.

If there are things which are particular hazards in her room, perhaps consider padding them? You can get foam pieces (such as those swim noodles which are inexpensive) or throw pillows to put around the perimeter. The throw pillows might seem less "dorky" and might also add another aspect to the room which is pleasing in a tactile way. A home-health assistant for elderly people might have other suggestions, as they are trained in ways to safeguard their patients against falls.

I also have an island in the center of the kitchen that I go round.

Maybe they where designed for us.

 

[MissyMoo]

I have my favourite pacey spot which is walking around the perimeter of the carpet in the lounge. I like pacing because it lets me talk out my ideas to myself or ponder on life. I sometimes end up dizzy from walking in circles and I have hurt myself from that but I need the pacing.

 

[Destinyz12]

I used to pace a lot when I was an older kid (like age 10 to early teens, often I'd be day dreaming from being bored or impatient about something while doing it- but I ended up doing it less and less when I got my own computer (around age 14), I guess because it was easier to keep myself occupied most of the time with it and I didn't feel the urge to pace.

 

[midlife aspie]

I used to swing on the backyard swing a lot. Even now, the sense of being in motion has a calming and almost hypnotic effect on me. I could ride in a car almost forever. This does not sit well with my wife, who does not think me a good companion for road trips.....