Dr. Tony Attwood's Expert Guide to Decoding Autism Behaviours: Understanding the "Why" Behind Challenging Moments

Insights from 50+ years of clinical experience with autistic individuals

Professor Tony Attwood, one of the world's leading autism experts, has spent over five decades learning directly from autistic individuals about what drives their behaviours. In his recent masterclass webinar, he shared a revolutionary perspective: most behaviours we consider "challenging" are actually sophisticated coping mechanisms.

The Foundation: Autism as Energy Management

At the core of Tony's approach is understanding that socialising drains energy for autistic people, while solitude restores it. This isn't antisocial behaviour—it's essential self-care.

Key Insight: "When you're on your own, you can't have a problem in reciprocal social interaction, reading nonverbal communication and making friends because there's no one there... many autistic individuals have discovered that my autism disappears when I'm totally by myself."

The Seven Reasons Behind Self-Injury

Tony provides a clinical framework for understanding self-injurious behaviours:

1. Intense Emotional Expression - Physical actions communicate emotional distress

2. Self-Punishment - "I hate my body for not doing what I want it to do"

3. Physical Pain - Medical issues like migraines or joint problems

4. Epileptic Seizures - Complex partial seizures that aren't obvious

5. Emotional Pain Blocking - Physical pain redirects focus from overwhelming emotions

6. Depression Attack - An inward-directed meltdown with extreme despair

7. Sensory Seeking - "It doesn't hurt. It's soothing. It's relaxing"

Meltdown Management: The Do's and Don'ts

Tony's guidance comes from direct input from autistic individuals:

DO:

• Stay calm yourself - your agitation adds fuel to the fire

• Use minimal speech - their linguistic processing shuts down

• Affirm emotions neutrally: "You're really upset. I can see that"

• Provide special interest items - these act as an "off switch"

DON'T:

• Interrogate - they can't give logical explanations during distress

• Focus on consequences - they're not listening

• Try to "jolly up" - this often backfires

• Use comfort/affection - they may not want to be touched

Critical Quote: "When I'm upset, the last thing I want to do is talk to someone... I can hear but my brain can't process what people say."

Decoding Communication Through Behaviour

For non-speaking autistic individuals, behaviour is communication. Create a "foreign phrase dictionary":

• Hand flapping might mean "I'm stressed" or "I'm excited"

• Specific gestures might mean "go away" or "too much"

Sensory vs Behavioural Responses

Tony provides a practical distinction:

• Sensory Response: "It's panic... their eyes are very open"

• Behavioural Response: "There's furrowed and focus... determination"

The Double Empathy Problem

Communication challenges go both ways. Tony explains: "As much as the autistic person finds faces difficult to translate, so does the non-autistic person find that the autistic individual—I can't work out what you're feeling."

Population Density Stress

For many autistic individuals, "2's company, 3's a crowd." Consider how many people are present when addressing behavioural concerns.

Key Takeaways

1. Behaviour always has a reason - detective work, not modification

2. Energy management is crucial - respect the need for solitude

3. Sensory experiences can be genuinely painful - accommodation isn't optional

4. Communication happens without words - learn their unique language

5. Meltdowns require support, not intervention - create safety and wait

Tony's perspective: "The more I explore what's it like to be autistic, the more I think, wow, you are amazing how you cope... Autistic individuals are my heroes."

Understanding transforms everything. When we decode the "why" behind behaviours, we move from management to genuine support, recognising the daily heroism of living autistically in a neurotypical world.

You can learn more from Dr. Tony Attwood today and other internation speakers like Dr. Temple Grandin, Dr. Stephen Shore with our accredited online training courses tailored for parents and professionals here >> Start Learning