Navigating Social and Emotional Challenges as a Parent of an Autistic Child During Puberty

As a parent, watching your child reach the physically and emotionally challenging milestone of adolescence can be difficult. Trying to navigate tactics and behaviors to successfully tackle this metamorphic period when it comes to the additional terrains of Autism can feel like a daunting and even frightening task.

Parents may be overwhelmed with concerns and questions related to the sudden behavior changes their child may display, to issues related to their social interaction and emotional growth, or to possible interactions therapies, treatments, or specific education are to bring about within these life stages. It is important to communicate clearly with other colleagues such as teachers involved in your child’s care, and also to remember that like typically developing children, there is no one size fits all for managing an Autistic child’s development during puberty.

Transparency, support and patience are essential in this process. It is important to keep in mind, that even if their behavior seems to you impractical and illogical, it does not make it wrong. That being said, boundaries, communication and consistency must be maintained to ensure that the mutually agreed-upon expectations are met. It will take time, patience, and an open mindset to establish the best way to communicate with and to help a child who has Autism.

A sense of safety is often paramount especially in early puberty transition stages, and setting up secure playgrounds to practice social boundaries and acceptable behaviors can help smooth the process and make it easier to reflect on the new experiences they face. To that end, parents should encourage positive support systems such as hobby groups, sports classes, summer camps and much more, to foster a safe environment to get a child out of their comfort zone. Absolutely none of these activities should ever be forced upon the child, but quite the opposite – show them how fun, engaging and exciting new activities can be.

Communication and Transparency need to go two ways - Investing in books and reading materials appropriate for the age of the individual can go incredibly far in both understanding the emotions, behaviors and situations faced by autistic adolescents and to create a sense of openness and dialogue between parents and their child. Many libraries and bookstores have a vast selection of titles dedicated to providing clear visual and creative explanation as to struggling orders and behaviours a child might face. Books that provide scenarios can be effective in addressing very complex concepts and encourage discourse and conversation between parents, peers and their autistic or differently abled friends.

It is important to take into account that for some autistic adolescents, understanding the full intricacies of the changes that come with puberty can be difficult and overwhelming. Making explanations as simple and natural as possible will help to open dialogue paths towards better exposure and acknowledgement of the experiences ahead of them. The use of visuals and encouragement of them to ask questions can aid in helping them gain a better understanding of puberty and any anxieties that come with it.

Even though parenting a child on the spectrum can be overwhelming, stressful and at times seemingly unsurmountable, taking proper consideration into account, respecting and adapting to their individual needs, giving guidance without excessive pressure and striving - and expecting - to create an environment in which the child can feel comfortable to explore, foster and grow in their own, unique ways while still keeping shared expectations and boundaries in place, can help those involved in the care of the child to find a balance where everyone can coexist happily and peacefully.