Autistic people have a lot to contend with. The difficulties they experience in everyday life – due, for example, to communication and sensory differences - may lead to feelings of frustration and anger.
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.
Autistic children and teenagers experience a range of emotions, but they might need support to recognise, understand and manage their emotions. For example, your autistic child might feel all negative or unpleasant emotions as anger. Or they might not recognise when they're excited.
Children with autism may exhibit aggressive behaviors if they feel anxious about something they can't or don't know how to communicate. Social interactions at home or in school can potentially trigger aggression and tantrums.
Yelling at children with autism can cause depression and negatively impact the emotional wellbeing of the child.
Forms Of Anger & Aggression
Here are some of the most common forms of anger and aggression expressed by autistic children: Hitting and kicking – Tantrums may involve hitting at parents or others nearby, even when they're not aware of it. Hitting can be from either the hands or feet.
By improving their social skills, individuals with autism can reduce frustration and anxiety that can lead to anger outbursts. Social skills training can also help individuals with autism develop greater self-awareness and empathy for others, which can improve their ability to understand and manage their emotions.
People with high functioning autism often are aware of their challenges and social deficiencies, sometimes causing repetitive thoughts about this, leading to anger and possible aggression. Knowing how to deal with the anger and help your child find the tools to manage this will bring a sense of harmony and relief.
Whatever their age, some individuals on the autism spectrum act out aggressively, and clearly, this can be distressing for everyone involved. In fact, aggression is among the most common challenges reported by parents of children and adolescents with autism.
In short, many autistics, especially as children and younger adults, sometimes do (or say) things that are considered inappropriate, if not downright offensive, simply because they are unaware of how objectionable such things are to most people.
Associative Thinking: Most individuals on the spectrum are associative thinkers rather than linear thinkers. In other words, one thought connects to another and so on through sometimes loose or seemingly irrelevant connections.
Summary. While many people with autism may appear to lack empathy and sympathy, it is not the case for all people with autism. For those who struggle with displaying appropriate empathetic responses, the reasons may relate more to social communication issues than a lack of underlying emotional response.
Many autistic people have meltdowns. The public often finds it hard to tell autism meltdowns and temper tantrums apart, but they are very different things. If your family member or the person you support has meltdowns, find out how to anticipate them, identify their causes and minimise their frequency.
Challenging behaviors can be disruptive to daily life for individuals with autism. These include, but are not limited to, self-injury, aggression, property destruction, tantrums, disruptiveness, noncompliance, and repetitive behavior/stereotypy.
Summary. Research shows that autistic people prefer interactions with animals over humans and that 80% of autistic children have participated in pet therapy.
Many autistic children love to argue and need to have the last word. Autistic children often find it distressing to not be 'right'; this is due in part to the need to look 'perfect' to protect their self-esteem. It's not important to get the final word as the adult; don't get into a downward cycle of arguing.
Often, however, the quality of autistic children's friendships is poor in terms of companionship and support. Their social networks are also often small, studies suggest. One significant barrier to these friendships is neurotypicals' conviction that autistic people are not interested in connecting with them.
Due to the behavioural, information processing and sensory aspects of their diagnosis, many people on the autism spectrum often prefer familiar environments with a predictable routine. Restricted and repetitive interests, sensory processing differences and heightened anxiety can make even small changes stressful.
While autism does not necessarily get worse with age, there are some factors that can exacerbate symptoms and make it more difficult for individuals to manage their condition. For example, stress and anxiety can have a significant impact on the symptoms of autism.
Yes! Although not necessarily all autistic people, many autistic people are more than capable of dating, being physically intimate, and empathizing with their partners.
Many people affected by autism like to review conversations to themselves. This can include repeating lines from their favorite movies, TV shows or YouTube channels. We call this “scripting.” It's a common repetitive behavior that can be a source of comfort when the person is anxious or excited.
Signs of High-Functioning Autism in Children
May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence. A tendency to avoid eye contact. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes. Trouble making friends and maintaining social relationships or not “fitting in” with peers.
Children with sensory defensiveness or over-register sensory input perceive their environment as dangerous and painful based on how they process sensory information. Therefore their nervous system switches to the SNS and displays a “fight or flight” response.