Expert: Ettina - 12/20/2009

Question
Does aggression in autistic teenagers diminish after adolescence?

Answer
It depends on the underlying reason, and on how their lives change as they enter adulthood. I'm assuming you're referring to cases where aggression increased during adolescence.

Some autistic teens aggress because their hormones are going nuts, in which case it should settle down around late adolescence or early adulthood. Sometimes seizures can start in adolescence, and if the seizures are causing aggression, then seizure medication will help.

Other autistic teens are getting aggressive in adolescence for more psychological reasons. Most teens want to have more independence than children do, and many severely cognitively disabled people are given very little independence indeed. In adolescence, some of these kids develop the same desire for independence as most teens, and the frustration results in aggression. In which case, the aggression will decrease once they get more independence, or if their will is broken by extreme measures. It's important to remember that even severely cognitively disabled people can communicate their desires through various means, and these should be respected as much as possible.

Lastly, autistic teens can be aggressive for the same reasons that autistic children can be aggressive - sensory overload, frustration, poor social skills, bullying, and so forth. There are a number of techniques to deal with these various issues, such as improving communicative skills, reducing sensory stimulation, teaching appropriate ways of interacting and monitoring how other people are treating them.