Some autistic children may behave in ways that put a lot of strain on you and your family.
You may hear health professionals call some behaviours "challenging".
These behaviours include:
Some autistic children can also be physically or verbally aggressive. Their behaviour can be harmful to themselves or other people.
But remember, all autistic children are different and not every day will be challenging or stressful.
Many autistic children have difficulties with communication, which can affect their behaviour.
Some things that can cause these behaviours include:
These behaviours are not your or your child's fault.
Stimming stands for "self-stimulating behaviour". It's a kind of repetitive behaviour.
Common stimming behaviours include:
Stimming is usually harmless. It may look odd to others, but there's no need to stop it if it's not causing any problems for you or your child.
Ambitious about Autism has more on stimming and repetitive behaviours.
Meltdowns are a complete loss of control caused by being totally overwhelmed.
If your child has a meltdown, the most important thing is to try to stay calm and keep them safe.
If you're worried your child might hurt themselves, try to hold them to keep them safe.
It's not always possible to prevent meltdowns, but there are some things you can do that may help.
These include:
It may help to keep a diary for a few weeks to see if you can spot any meltdown triggers that you can do something about.
The National Autistic Society has more on meltdowns.
If you're struggling to cope, you may be referred to a professional who can help.
If you need emotional support, call the National Autistic Society's Parent to Parent phone line on 0808 800 4106.
You can also get advice and help from support groups and online forums.
Find out more:
Page last reviewed: 18/04/2019
Next review due: 18/04/2022