Understand behavior, gently.
Behavior is communication. Each entry follows the same structure so you always know what to expect.
Or start a guided Behavior Detective session →Aggression Toward Others
Hitting, kicking, biting, throwing, or pushing — almost always a communication of unmet need or overwhelm, not malice.
Difficulty with Transitions
Distress when moving from one activity, place, or state to another — even when the next thing is preferred.
Echolalia and Scripting
Repeating words, phrases, or whole scripts from media or other people. A legitimate form of communication and language development, not "meaningless".
Elopement (Leaving Without Warning)
Elopement means leaving a safe area suddenly. It is one of the highest-risk behaviors and almost always serves a function.
Food Refusal
Selective or limited eating in autistic children often reflects sensory, motor, or medical factors — not stubbornness.
Masking and Camouflaging
Consciously or unconsciously hiding autistic traits to fit in. Often invisible — and a leading driver of burnout, anxiety, and depression.
Meltdowns
An involuntary response to overwhelming stress, sensory input, or emotion — not a tantrum and not goal-directed.
Self-Injurious Behavior
Hitting self, head-banging, biting self, scratching, or skin-picking. Always communicates something — pain, overload, frustration, or unmet need.
Sensory Overload
When sensory input exceeds the nervous system's capacity to process it — leading to distress, meltdown, or shutdown.
Shutdowns
A quieter overload response where the person withdraws, goes silent, or becomes unresponsive — often missed because it looks "well-behaved".
Sleep Difficulties
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early — extremely common in autistic people across the lifespan.
Stimming (Self-Stimulatory Behavior)
Repetitive movements, sounds, or actions used for regulation, focus, joy, or sensory feedback. Stimming is healthy and should rarely be stopped.