I'm here to talk to you about autism and the teenager years. Autism is a disorder that leaves a person lacking in the ability to properly communicate and relate to other people. This can be an interesting time in the teenage years for parents. Both regular teens and autistic teens have very unique behaviors at this time and it is twice as hard for those parents with an autistic son or daughter. Teens go through an almost social revolution. It is the time where they go from child to their own person and obviously the shortcomings provided by autism make it hard for everyone. I'm going to share with you a little information on what autism and the teenage years are like.



Obviously one of the biggest things teenagers go through is an increase in their sexuality. This is a tough time for any teen with all the hormones up high and the awkwardness presented by it. Sexuality can be a more difficult task to explain to an autistic person. It is important with the autistic to always keep things progressive. You don't want to drop a bomb on them about the birds and bees. You want it to be a slow progressive process, so it's just a little to take in and they don't end up getting overwhelmed. This can be just as awkward for parents as it is for teens, but it is your job as their parents.

Socially autism and the teenage years become a much more awkward place. I don't think anyone can really tell you what your autistic son or daughter would be feeling, but we know at this age their peers want to do more socializing and it can really be tough on them. Comfort and consistency is what works for the autistic and other teenagers are more interested in breaking down boundaries and trying new things. Since there are communication problems, you may find that your son or daughter could become ostracized for it. There are plenty of autistic teenagers that talk perfectly, but they still lack that sense about communication. They're often off topic or repeat things they heard. They still lack those skills of picking up on body language. They may not even give eye contact.

The outcome of autism and the teenage years really depends on how well they were taught when they were younger. I guess this is really the point where you see if you've properly prepared them for that change from child into an adult. If your child hasn't made it to the teenage years, you can still help them with the situations they can go through during this time. Simple things like role-playing really do get the point across especially when you focus on the way they should act and behave.

There are many resources available to parents to help you at this time. These are the most important social years of a person's life and you want to make sure everything goes right.