One of the most challenging situations parents face is when they cannot calm an aggressive child. It can make parents feel scared and unsafe; when other people are around, it can be mortifying. And although there are some best practices for any parent trying to calm an aggressive child, there are specific considerations for parents of autistic children when behavior turns combative.
Research shows that autistic children do tend to show more aggression than their peers. A recent study published in Autism Research showed that autistic kids demonstrate higher levels of verbal aggression and disruptive behavioral intensity throughout childhood. Autistic kids under the age of 6 showed more physical aggression than their non-autistic peers, but these levels became equal to their non-autistic peers as the kids aged.
