Autism is actually a spectrum of disorders that can range from mild to severe in symptoms. Teens with autism spectrum disorders may exhibit similar symptoms, but the degree and specific combination of symptoms may differ depending on how severe the particular person's condition is. For example, Asperger syndrome is a mild autism spectrum disorder and people who have it may appear fully functioning to casual observers. According to the Nemours Foundation, autism is usually diagnosed before the age of four, so teens who have it generally have been living with an autism diagnosis for years.
Communication Issues
Some adolescents with autism may experience difficulty speaking and may choose to communicate mainly through hand gestures. Some autistic teens do not ever speak at all. Other communication problems in autistic people include not smiling and avoiding eye contact.
Social Interaction Problems
Teens who have severe autism frequently shun social interaction, preferring to spend time alone and showing little interest in making friends. Higher functioning adolescents on the autism spectrum may attempt to make friends, but have difficulty due to not understanding how social interaction works. Autistic teens may not be able to understand the feelings and thoughts of others They may also have difficulty showing affection, even though they do feel emotions such as love and gratitude.
Tantrums
Some teens who have autism may throw temper tantrums when they have difficulty expressing emotions. These may be inwardly directed or the teen may turn aggressive toward others. Tantrums can include kicking and hitting in some cases. According to Autism Speaks, many autistic children who have brought tantrum behavior under control during childhood, may regress when they reach adolescence since they are unable to cope with the physical, hormonal and emotional changes going on in their lives at that time.
Sensory Overload
Autistic adolescents may be prone to sensory overload, an inability to handle the sights and sounds around them and properly process these sensations within the brain. Individuals experiencing sensory overload might startle at even slight sounds, or pull away from any attempts to touch or hug them.
Intolerance for Changes in Routine
Adolescents with autism may react violently or become anxious when routines are changed, explains the Nemours Foundation. Because these individuals have trouble coping with change, any change, such as altering lunchtime or encountering a substitute teacher at school, may upset them.
Repetitive Behaviors
Repetitive behaviors, which are linked with the intolerance of routine changes, can be an autistic teen's way of developing a routine. This kind of behavior, called stereotyped behavior, may include repeating the same word over and over, or performing an action in a particular way every time. For example, the autistic teen may insist upon always eating the same foods in the same order for lunch every day.
Unusual Behaviors
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unusual behaviors are another sign of autism. Examples of this include body rocking, hand flapping and spinning in circles.
