Children with autism are often unaware of their behaviors and struggle with reading the body language of others. Yelling at a child with autism can cause chronic levels of stress in the child and is not helpful in working towards a solution or strategy for change.
And although being yelled at every day breaks down self-esteem and increases panic in every child, it is especially painful for children with autism. Not only are they receiving the abuse, they also may lack a way to fight back or express big feelings.
Sound sensitivity — also known as hyperacusis — is common in autistic people. Some noises might make you uncomfortable, especially loud or shrill noises, but many people are sensitive to quieter sounds, too. While some noises annoy everyone, some autistic people may react very strongly to certain sounds.
Kids with autism may screech or yell when overwhelmed or frustrated. Some autistic children bolt from the room, hit others, or even injure themselves when upset. Children on the spectrum may not look directly at a person when speaking. Autistic kids may rock, flick, or pace when they are expected to sit still.
Most children with autism respond well to structured discipline, perhaps due to their desire for sameness and routine.
Autism and Anger Management
Adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including Asperger's and autism, are prone to anger outbursts. An 'on-off' quality during which individuals may be calm one second and then have an autism outburst in the next is common.
While some people with autism merely yell or stamp, many really do become overwhelmed by their own emotions. 3 Bolting, hitting, self-abuse, crying, and screaming are all possibilities. These can be particularly frightening—and even dangerous—when the autistic individual is physically large.
For example, autistic children and teenagers might: refuse or ignore requests. behave in socially inappropriate ways, like taking their clothes off in public. behave aggressively. hurt themselves or other children – for example, by head-banging or biting.
Children with autism spectrum disorder have good vocabularies but unusual ways of expressing themselves. They may talk in a monotone voice and do not recognize the need to control the volume of their voice, speaking loudly in libraries or movie theaters, for example.
Every autistic person is different, but sensory differences, changes in routine, anxiety, and communication difficulties are common triggers.
Autism Meltdown
When a child with autism is overwhelmed, they know no other way to express it other than with a meltdown.It might involve screaming, crying, etc. or kicking, biting, hitting, etc. That is why these behaviours are often confused with temper tantrums as the behaviour and reactions are the same.
Hyperacusis (say it with me: HY-per-uh-CUE-sis), is an increased sensitivity to sound that is commonly found among people with autism. This means that certain noises, such as classroom bells, the radio or the TV, may be uncomfortable for your child to hear.
Many people with high-functioning autism have unusually intense emotional reactions when compared to their peers. For example, a frustrating experience like spilling coffee on their shirt or taking the wrong turn on the way to work can cause irritability and difficulty concentrating for the rest of their day.
Aggression, such as hitting, biting, scratching, hair-pulling, or kicking another person, is relatively common in children on the autism spectrum. A study of children and teenagers with autism found that 68 percent had been aggressive to a caregiver, and 49 percent had been aggressive to someone else, at some point.
By age 8, 70 percent had developed phrase or fluent speech, with 47 percent speaking fluently. “Phrase speech” means a child will use a two-word statement appropriately, such as “want cookie” when he would like a snack, Wodka explains.
Some children with autism may start talking at 12-16 months. Most don't start talking until later. Some will start talking between the ages of 2-3 years. Other children talk even later, and some children never learn to talk.
Because children with autism struggle to pick up these cues, they may unintentionally use flat, monotonous speech. Monotonous speech can sound robotic, emotionless, or sing-songy. Sometimes monotonous speech can be misinterpreted as a judgmental, angry, or disinterested tone.
While many children with autism feel averse to hugging, some children with autism like to be hugged. Some children can swing the opposite way and want so many hugs that they feel hug deprived when they aren't getting enough.
The Triad of Impairments:
People with significant difficulties in all 3 areas (social interaction, communication and imagination) may have ASD.
About stimming and autism
Stimming – or self-stimulatory behaviour – is repetitive or unusual body movement or noises. Stimming might include: hand and finger mannerisms – for example, finger-flicking and hand-flapping. unusual body movements – for example, rocking back and forth while sitting or standing.
Two types of reaction are typical of autism meltdowns – an explosive reaction or a withdrawal. Explosive reactions may involve screaming, shouting, aggressive behaviour or crying. On the other hand, less explosive reactions may include refusing to communicate or interact, withdrawing themselves or shutting down.
The short answer is that autism does not necessarily get worse with age. However, the symptoms of autism can change over time, and some people may experience new challenges as they get older. For example, some people with autism may become more aware of their social differences as they enter adolescence and adulthood.