( Everyday Life with Autism )

Symptoms like tantrums, irritability, self-injury, depression, and anxiety were found to have biological, mechanistic basis. Sometimes the same symptoms are attributed to autism, among the other conventional signs (like repetitive behavior, poor social, speech, and communication skills). A research done at University of North Carolina School of Medicine says that tantrums, irritability, self-injury, depression, and anxiety are only symptoms “associated” to autism disorder and are NOT at the core of the disorder.

The Journal of Autism Developmental Disorder published findings on January, 27, 2015 suggesting that improving the prefrontal cortex activity (the part of the brain responsible for emotions) could help autistic people regulate their emotions. Which proves that these emotions are NOT at the core of the autism disorder.

By using fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), the activities in the prefrontal cortex was lower in individuals with autism compared to typically developed people. Moreover, in autistic people the severity of their autism didn’t show difference in the activities in this part of the brain responsible for emotions. This is one more evidence to support the hypothesis that tantrums, irritability, self-injury, depression, and anxiety are NOT at the core of the autism disorder, but only “associated” with it.

I consider this research a great news, since tantrums and self-injuries are two of the most challenging symptoms parents and educators may face. If these symptoms are treatable life would be much easier at home and school.

How to deal with a temper tantrum? Read chapter 24, page 171 in my book “Everyday Life with Autism”.

Also read my blog entry on how to deal with oppositional defiant behavior.

Thanks to science, myths and mysteries are solved.

nadia shanab

Tags: anxiety, depression, health, irritability, research, self-injury, sensory, speech, symptoms of autism, temper tantrum