Autism Symptoms in Teenagers

While autism is normally discovered in younger children and toddlers, often beginning at the age of 2, there have been many cases where teenagers have been missed in early screening. If you think your teenager may have autism, it's worth having it checked out--social skills classes and occupational therapy may help to get your child fully functioning.

Loner

• Your teenager may seem to be a loner and enjoy spending time alone. He may also show very little interest in having or making friends.

Lack of Focus

• Some symptoms may be similar to those of ADD or ADHD, with the teen having problems focusing and staying on task.

Rituals

• Many teens with autism will "stimm" (self-stimulate) by doing things like flapping their hands, rubbing certain objects they find calming or even snapping their fingers, especially when they get upset.

Acting Out

• When teens with autism get over-excited, they may act out through yelling or punching, sometimes throwing the equivalent of a toddler's temper tantrum.

Fixations

• Teens on the autistic spectrum may be over preoccupied with a topic (like train schedules or even a video game) and will fixate on that exclusive to all other subjects.

Sensory Issues

• Many teens will either seek out pressure or sensations (such as bean bag chairs or swings) or avoid touch altogether, finding it uncomfortable or even painful.

Improvement

• Symptoms of autism tend to decrease as the child gets older, so what may have been more noticeable in a child may seem to have been "cured" or "fixed" by the time that child is a teenager.