Repetitive Movements, Tics and Stimming: What’s Really Going On in the Brain, and How Supporting Development Can Help

Many parents of neurodivergent children notice repetitive movements or sounds, such as:

• Hand flapping

• Rocking or spinning

• Repeated blinking, clearing of the throat or facial movements

• Humming, tapping or repeating words

• Body tension or sudden jerks

You might not fully understand what you’re seeing. These behaviours are often labelled as tics, stimming or repetitive movements, and are commonly associated with ADHD, autism, sensory processing difficulties, anxiety and developmental delays.

Parents frequently ask:

• Why is my child doing this?

• Is something wrong with their brain?

• Should I try to stop it?

• Can their diet or therapy help?

To answer these questions, we need to look beneath behaviour: into the developing nervous system.

Repetitive Movements Are Not Random

Repetitive movements and tics are not bad habits, attention-seeking or a way of expressing defiance. Instead, they are often the nervous system’s way of self-regulating when the brain is under stress or struggling to integrate information.

These movements can serve as:

• A release of excess neurological energy

• A way to create predictability in an overwhelmed system

• A compensation for immature brain organisation

• A response to sensory overload or internal discomfort

In many neurodivergent children, repetitive movements increase during:

• Stress or fatigue

• Illness or inflammation

• Emotional overload

• Transitions or unpredictability

This tells us something important: regulation is the issue, not behaviour.

What’s Happening in the Brain?

The Role of the Brain Stem

The brain stem is the first part of the brain to develop and is responsible for:

• Survival responses (fight, flight, freeze)

• Muscle tone and posture

• Automatic movement patterns

• Primitive reflexes

• Arousal and regulation

If the brain stem is immature or overloaded, the nervous system may stay in a heightened state of alert. Repetitive movements can emerge as a way to discharge or manage this constant activation.

Primitive Reflexes and Repetitive Behaviour

Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns present in infancy. They are controlled by the brain stem and are meant to integrate as higher brain areas mature.

When primitive reflexes are retained, they can interfere with:

• Motor control

• Sensory integration

• Emotional regulation

• Attention and impulse control

Retained reflexes can cause the body to move automatically, especially under stress. This can look like:

• Repetitive movements

• Tics

• Jerky or uncoordinated actions

• Difficulty inhibiting movement

These movements are not intentional, they are neurological responses.

Hemispheric Imbalance: When One Side Is Overactive

The brain develops in a side-specific way. In many neurodivergent children, one hemisphere becomes overactive while the other is underdeveloped or under-responsive.

When one side of the brain dominates:

• Regulation becomes harder

• Movement becomes less organised

• Inhibition is reduced

• Repetitive patterns increase

An overactive hemisphere can drive repetitive movements as the brain struggles to stabilise itself. Supporting balance between the hemispheres can reduce the nervous system’s need to rely on these patterns.

The Role of Diet: Gluten, Dairy, and the Nervous System

Many parents report changes in repetitive behaviours when dietary stressors are reduced, particularly gluten and dairy.

Why might this help some children?

• Gluten and dairy can increase gut inflammation in sensitive individuals

• Gut inflammation can affect brain signalling via the gut–brain axis

• Increased inflammation can heighten nervous system reactivity

• A stressed nervous system is more likely to produce repetitive movements

Removing gluten and dairy does not “treat” tics, but for some children it can:

• Reduce neurological noise

• Improve regulation

• Lower baseline stress on the nervous system

This is highly individual — not every child responds — but for some families it becomes a meaningful piece of the puzzle.

Why Foundational Brain Development Matters

Repetitive movements often reduce when the nervous system no longer needs them.

A foundational brain development approach focuses on:

• Supporting brain stem maturity

• Integrating retained primitive reflexes

• Improving hemispheric balance

• Enhancing sensory processing

• Strengthening regulation before expecting control

When these systems are supported:

• The nervous system feels safer

• Inhibition improves

• Automatic movements reduce

• Regulation becomes more stable

Importantly, this approach does not suppress behaviour: it addresses the reason the behaviour exists.

Should Parents Try to Stop Repetitive Movements?

In most cases, no. Suppressing repetitive movements without addressing the underlying neurological stress can:

• Increase anxiety

• Worsen regulation

• Push stress inward

The goal is not to stop movement: it is to support the nervous system so such gesticulations are no longer needed.

As regulation improves, many families notice:

• Reduced frequency

• Less intensity

• Shorter duration

• Greater control

And often, the movements fade naturally.

Your child’s repetitive movements are not a failure. They are a form of communication.

They tell us the nervous system is working hard to cope.

By supporting foundational brain development, reducing unnecessary physiological stressors, and addressing imbalance at the neurological level, we give the brain a chance to organise itself more effectively.

And when regulation improves, behaviour follows.