7 Challenging Behaviors That May Occur In Autistic People | Mental Health articles | Emotional & Mental Health center

The term "challenging behavior" is often mentioned in the context of autism — but what does it actually mean? And why do these behaviors occur? Let's delve right in!

What is 'challenging behavior'?

You'll know what behaviors you experience as "challenging", of course, but put your critical thinking hat on, and it may appear that this term is entirely subjective. One person may experience a coworker's constant (and perhaps out-of-tune) singing as extremely challenging, for instance, while another may happily be infected by that coworker's positive mood.

Thankfully, the term "challenging behavior" — most often used when referring to things neurodiverse, disabled, or people with cognitive differences engage in — has several actual definitions. One researcher focuses on the "culturally abnormal" aspect of these behaviors, adding that behaviors defined as challenging cause physical harm to the person doing them, or to others. The UK's Royal College of Psychiatrists, meanwhile, defines challenging behavior as "behavior of such an intensity, frequency or duration as to threaten the quality of life and/or the physical safety of the individual or others and is likely to lead to responses that are restrictive, aversive or result in exclusion."

Now that we have that context, we can look at what behaviors defined as challenging are common in autistic people — even though I'm quite sure that many people would make the well-argued case that the term "challenging behaviors" itself can be dehumanizing.

1. Atypical ways of using speech and vocalizations

Many of the ways in which some autistic people use speech and other vocalizations (sounds) could be considered to constitute challenging behavior — because they're unusual, and people aren't sure how to react. Speaking very loudly without being aware of it, for instance, or repeating phrases others say, either on the spot or much later (echolalia) could both be confusing to neurotypical people. So could verbal stims like the constant repetition of a set of words or sounds that aren't words, or screaming when facing a meltdown.

2. Stimming through repetitive body movements

Repetitive motor movements — like, among countless other options, rocking, flapping hands, spinning around — are one of the most common features of autism. These movements are a form of stimming (short for "self-stimulatory behavior), something that helps autistic people cope with stress or anxiety, but also with positive emotions.

Stimming isn't harmful by definition, even if some are going to consider it annoying. It can cross the line into dangerous behavior, however, when the motor movements take the form of, for instance, scratching to the point of bleeding, or hitting others.

3. Aggression towards others

One research study identified usual vocalizations, repetitive motor movements, and aggression as the three most common challenging behaviors in autistic people, all occurring in 50 percent or more or their sample size. This one personally strikes me as the first behavior to really be inherently challenging.

Research shows that it's more common in boys on the spectrum, and though it's easy to be frightened of someone who hits, throws things, bites others, pulls someone's hair, and so on, it's important to understand why this may happen. Autistic children were shown, in one study, to be most likely to lash out when they were overwhelmed and sought to escape a situation, when they were in search of things like food or toys, and when they were trying but unable to communicate.

Yelling or shouting at people, also considered a challenging behavior for obvious reasons, is an example of non-physical aggression that may also rear its head because the person just doesn't know what else to do and needs to change something about the current situation right now. Breaking stuff that belongs to others can also be construed as aggressive, but isn't always. I remember when my autistic cousin smashed flower pots because she liked the sound, for instance.

4. Playing in quirky ways

I'm not sure why this should be considered challenging behavior, but parents listed it as one in one study, so here we go. Autistic children are notorious for playing in unusual ways. They may collect objects that are desirable to them — say, Spider-Man action figures — but line them up by size, type, material, or costume rather than role-playing with them as non-autistic people often would. They're quite likely to not "get" the group play neurotypical kids are famous for and either prefer to play on their own, or by their own rules.

That is where challenging behavior can come in. An autistic child may be excited about playing a certain game, but melt down when other children don't play by the rules as they understand them. Or they may intensely try to convince other children to role-play, but only exactly as they want. My cousin would be happy to play with stuffed animals, for instance, but would tell me what to make mine say and get mad if I didn't want to.

5. Wandering away from caregivers

Of all the challenging behaviors on the list, this one just may be the number one candidate for parental heart attacks. Research shows that just under half of autistic children will get out of a situation by themselves, leading to them to lose track of their parent or caregiver, and vice versa. Many neurotypcal children also do this, but such a situation is especially concerning if the child cannot communicate readily with other people.

So, why does it happen? Perhaps the child simply needs to exit an overstimulating environment, and they're so overwhelmed that they just think "out!", without considering the consequences. Or perhaps they see something interesting or want to go somewhere. Vigilant supervision helps prevent this in both autistic and neurotypical kids, but there are always those moments at which we just looked away for a second.

6. Fecal smearing

Though this seems to be a frequently raised topic, fecal smearing — rolling, playing with, or spreading feces around — isn't nearly as common as you may think. Some people do it, though, including some autistic children and adults. It can range from simply not being able to clean up well after the toilet and then disposing of fecal matter than may be left on the hands by smearing it onto a wall, or actively playing with feces. This practice is more common among younger children, people with intellectual disabilities, and those with gastrointestinal difficulties. If it happens, consult a doctor.

7. Inappropriate sexual behavior

Inappropriate sexual behavior was also much less common than the first three behavioral issues we raised according to one study, but it happens. If you've ever watched Netflix's Atypical, you know it might encompass things like actually putting the crude pick-up lines a friend joked around about being effective into practice, or telling your therapist that you want a romantic relationship with them by first offering your brain up for research after your death and then sneaking chocolate-covered strawberries into their home. Then, there are more viscerally disturbing options, like public masturbation or stalking a love interest.

While there is absolutely no question that these behaviors can be very challenging indeed, they often emerge as a result of not understanding the unspoken rules of the neurotypical world.

In conclusion

Some behaviors considered challenging are inherent to autism — stimming and unusual speech among them. They may become less challenging if you understand why they happen and try to foster tolerance. Autistic children will grow out of others over time, while some may require intervention to promote better coping mechanisms and a fuller understanding of social rules.

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