Movement and Regulation: Why Movement Can Help Autistic Individuals Feel Calm, Focused, and Ready to Learn
Have you ever noticed an autistic child or young person pacing around the room, bouncing on their toes, swinging, or constantly moving while trying to concentrate?
To someone unfamiliar with autism, these behaviours might seem distracting or unnecessary. In reality, they are often serving a very important purpose.
For many autistic individuals, movement is not simply a preference; it is a powerful tool for emotional regulation. Understanding how movement supports the nervous system can help parents, carers, educators, and support workers respond with greater empathy and create environments where autistic people can thrive.
What Is Emotion Regulation?
Emotion regulation refers to our ability to recognise, understand, and manage our emotional responses in different situations.
For many autistic individuals, this process can be more challenging. Research has consistently shown that autistic people are more likely to experience difficulties regulating emotions, which may contribute to increased anxiety, frustration, emotional overwhelm, and, in some cases, meltdowns or shutdowns (Cai et al., 2018; Reyes et al., 2019).
These challenges are not the result of poor behaviour or a lack of effort. Rather, they reflect differences in how the brain processes emotions, sensory information, and stress.
Why Does Movement Help?
Movement provides sensory input that can help organise and regulate the nervous system.
Activities such as walking, jumping, stretching, rocking, spinning, climbing, or swinging stimulate the body’s vestibular (balance) and proprioceptive (body awareness) systems. These systems play an important role in helping us understand where our bodies are in space and how we move through our environment.
For many autistic individuals, this type of sensory input can:
Reduce feelings of overwhelm.
Improve concentration and attention.
Lower anxiety.
Increase body awareness.
Support emotional regulation.
Prepare the brain for learning and social interaction.
In other words, movement can help the brain feel more organised and ready to engage.
Movement Is Communication
Sometimes movement is misunderstood as “challenging behaviour,” hyperactivity, or an inability to sit still.
However, it can be more helpful to ask:
“What need is this movement meeting?”
An autistic young person who repeatedly gets up during a lesson may not be trying to avoid learning. They may be trying to regulate their nervous system so they can learn.
Similarly, pacing before a difficult conversation or bouncing a leg during a stressful situation may be ways of managing internal emotional and sensory demands.
When we view movement through the lens of regulation rather than behaviour, our responses often become more supportive and effective.
Active Strategies That Can Help
Every autistic person is different, so movement strategies should always be individualised. However, many people find the following activities helpful:
Walking
A short walk can reduce stress, improve attention, and provide an opportunity to reset after overwhelming situations.
Trampolines or Rebound Activities
Jumping provides strong proprioceptive input that many autistic individuals find calming and regulating.
Swinging
For some individuals, gentle swinging offers predictable vestibular input that promotes relaxation.
Stretching and Yoga
Slow, controlled movements can help reduce muscle tension and encourage body awareness.
Dancing
Music combined with movement can be an enjoyable way to regulate emotions while expressing creativity.
Heavy Work Activities
Activities such as carrying shopping bags, pushing objects, gardening, or helping move furniture provide deep pressure through muscles and joints, which many autistic individuals find calming.
The key is to identify what works for the individual rather than assuming one strategy will work for everyone.
Movement Before Demands
One practical approach that many parents and support workers find helpful is offering movement before asking someone to complete a challenging task.
For example:
A movement break before homework.
A short walk before a medical appointment.
Stretching before transitioning to a new activity.
Playing outside before sitting down for a meal or group activity.
Rather than seeing movement as a distraction from learning, we can begin to see it as preparation for learning.
Supporting Rather Than Stopping Movement
Many autistic people have spent years being told to “sit still,” “stop fidgeting,” or “calm down.”
While these comments are often well-intentioned, they may unintentionally remove an important coping strategy.
Instead, consider asking:
Can this movement be done safely?
Is there a more appropriate place or time for it?
Can I provide an alternative movement activity that meets the same need?
Supporting movement is often more effective than trying to eliminate it.
Final Thoughts
Movement is much more than physical activity.
For many autistic individuals, it is a way of communicating, regulating emotions, processing sensory information, and preparing the brain for everyday life.
When we recognise movement as a strength rather than a problem, we create opportunities for greater emotional wellbeing, learning, and independence.
Instead of asking,
“Why won’t they sit still?”
Perhaps we should ask,
“What is their body trying to tell us?”
Sometimes, the path to calm begins with movement.
References
Cai, R. Y., Richdale, A. L., Dissanayake, C., Uljarević, M., Hedley, D., & Trollor, J. N. (2018). Emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder: Where we are and where we need to go. Autism Research, 11(7), 962–978. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1968
Reyes, N. M., Pickard, K., Reaven, J., & Hepburn, S. (2019). Emotion regulation: A treatment target for autism spectrum disorder. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 83(3), 205–234. https://doi.org/10.1521/bumc.2019.83.3.205
Robertson, C. E., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2017). Sensory perception in autism. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 18(11), 671–684. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2017.112
Uljarević, M., Baranek, G. T., Vivanti, G., Hedley, D., Hudry, K., & Lane, A. E. (2017). Heterogeneity of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder: Challenges and perspectives for future research. Autism Research, 10(5), 703–710. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1747
