Autism: how to cope with puberty

Our teenage years are a time of confusion, stress, anxiety and insecurity for all of us. But what happens when the additional chemistry of autism is thrown into a pot already boiling over with raging hormones? For autistic teens struggling with weaker social skills and sensory problems, puberty can sharpen feelings of inadequacy and bring a growing awareness of their difference at a time when they just want to fit in. Research has documented how adolescence, at its most challenging, can result in the onset of epilepsy, bring a fresh wave of regression and, in some cases, contribute to catatonia.