Emotion regulation is a universal challenge for adults and children alike and the primary reason why individuals seek psychological support. Autistic children’s emotion regulation is impacted by unique factors compared to their typically developing peers, such as differences in neurological wiring, sensory processing (including introspective processing), and social understanding.
When it comes to supporting autistic children with emotional regulation, adopting a tailored approach that considers each child’s unique needs instead of a one-size-fits-all approach is crucial.
Understanding each autistic child’s emotional experience requires exploring factors that lie beneath possible externalizing behaviors (such as meltdowns), understanding how their unique characteristics impact their relationship with their environment, and examining the function of their behavior, its antecedents, and its consequences.
The following sections offer a summary of some unique factors that influence emotion regulation in autistic children, as well as implications for effective support.
Many parents, educators, and therapists believe that autistic children often have elevated baseline levels of hyperarousal (Chang et al., 2012; Kushki et al., 2013; Kushki et al., 2014; Ming et al., 2016). This term refers to heightened sensitivity or reactivity to environmental factors.
In 2021, Arora and colleagues reviewed studies on autonomic function during rest in autistic individuals compared to neurotypical peers. They found that while some autistic individuals may experience hyperarousal, leading to greater emotional sensitivity and distress in some children, the evidence for a general autonomic dysfunction in autistic individuals is currently inconsistent.
Other physiological factors that may impact autistic individuals’ emotional regulation include atypical........