By Jessica Jordan, MS, OTR/L & Erin Clarelli, MS, OTR/L

What Are Motor Loops?

Many autistic individuals describe the experience of “motor loops” in their bodies and the feelings that arise with them. But what exactly does that mean?

First, a quick disclaimer: “motor loops” isn’t a formal medical term you’ll find in research literature. At SUNRISE Therapies, we use the term to describe a motor pathway that has become especially strong due to over-myelination—essentially, a movement that has become impulsive, habitual, or difficult to inhibit.

These motor loops can be regulating or dysregulating, depending on the person and context. That’s why it’s important to involve the individual in deciding whether the loop is helpful or not. (More to come on emotional experience + regulation in a future blog post!)

Understanding Motor Loops Through a Regulation Lens

Motor loops aren’t “bad” by default. Many repetitive movements serve a regulatory or sensory purpose—helping someone stay grounded, manage transitions, or process their environment. Other times, they may feel intrusive, exhausting, or make it harder for the person to engage in daily tasks.

If a loop is causing distress, impacting function, or making it difficult to shift attention, there may be ways to gently support the individual in building new, more flexible motor pathways over time.

3 Ways to Help Inhibit Motor Loops (if the individual wants to)

1. Determine if the Loop is Regulating or Dysregulating

Start by checking in: Does the motor loop feel comforting or overwhelming to the individual? Many repetitive motor actions serve a sensory function. If the individual can’t communicate this, I would use your best judgment to determine how the loop is best supporting the individual in the moment and offer guidance from there. For example:

If someone is fidgeting with a sensory item in a new environment with unfamiliar demands, it may actually be helping them feel grounded and more comfortable in that moment.
If it’s happening in an environment where they are generally calm and organized, and they can’t seem to move away from it, it may be worth exploring ways to shift the loop.

2. Prompt Toward More Intentional Motor Movements

Try offering the individual prompts that help shift the loop toward more intentional motor movement. These might include verbal cues, visual supports, auditory prompts, or a combination—whatever best fits the individual.

3. Strengthen Neural Pathways with Repetition and Purposeful Movement

Using the principles of neuroplasticity, we can create stronger, more intentional movement pathways. Repeated, purposeful practice can support the transition from automatic loops to more voluntary, functional motor output.

Every movement has meaning—and motor loops are no exception. Whether they help calm or feel hard to manage, our job as therapists, caregivers, and supporters is to meet neurodivergent individuals with empathy, compassion, and tools that truly support their experience.

Looking for Deeper Support

If you’d like a deeper look at how to support motor loops, build reliable movement, and work through sensory-motor patterns with gentle coaching, we cover all of that and more inside our Foundations in Apraxic Autism course. You’ll find step-by-step examples, adaptable strategies, and support grounded in years of experience working with Apraxic clients.

Helpful Links

If you found this post helpful, you’ll love our therapy resources! Whether you’re a parent or therapist, our apraxia and autism courses are here to offer practical tools, compassionate guidance, and real-world strategies you can use every day.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For Parents & Caregivers: Autism Training | Online Course for Parents and Caregivers

🧑‍🏫 For Therapists: Therapist Course for Apraxia and Autism | Mentorship for OTs and Therapists

🏥 Work With Us: In-Person Occupational Therapy (San Diego & Long Beach Areas) | Virtual Coaching