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How to deal with an Autistic teenager?

When a child suffering from autism reaches teenage years, you may see numerous undesirable changes in their behavior, making you anxious and worried as a parent. The truth is, the changing behavior has nothing to do with autism but the fact that they are becoming teenagers! Apart from getting rebellious, a big challenge with many teens is that they become moody, un-communicative, and refuse to spend time with their parents. When tweens with autism hit puberty, they undergo similar hormonal changes. Thus, they may become even more moody, non-communicative, and unpredictable.

As an educator and a homeschooling parent, it is important that you know a few important facts to make the journey easy for you and your teen:

  1. Like any other teen, they may demand more freedom. If the child needs schedule, give them more control over their schedule. Letting them have their own way sometimes will help you establish a better rapport with your child.
  2. Teens with autism will need a greater amount of external support from family in the form of frequently checking their assignment books to ensure they are filling out correctly, and breaking down their projects into smaller snippets, with a deadline for every step.
  3. Teens with autism will need more direction in other areas, particularly understanding sexual development and puberty. Many experts urge parents to start teaching their students about puberty early to ensure that they are prepared before they get unnecessarily alarmed about natural body changes that happen during this time.
  4. Some children may need constant reminders about hygiene. They might not understand the concept of grooming for social acceptance, or they may not have any motivation to look or smell clean.
  5. A lot of teens with ASD have to fight with social isolation. They want to be accepted by people. One of the best ways to ensure that the teen has positive social interaction is to get them involved in group activities they are interested in, to connect them with other people. For instance, an interest in gaming is often a great way for teenagers to connect with each other.
Even though adolescence and autism together can be a turbulent mix, with just a few strategies, you can make the teen years a time for positive growth. It is tough to bring up a child suffering from ASD but if you remain patient you can traverse through the difficult teenage home schooling years successfully and help your child fit in with the society.  
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