When we talk about behaviour in autistic people, we often focus on what we can see on the outside: hitting, shutting down, refusing, running away, or becoming overwhelmed.But behaviour is never the starting point. It is the end result  of how the brain and nervous system are processing the world. When an autistic person becomes overwhelmed, dysregulated, aggressive, withdrawn, or avoidant, this is not a choice or a character flaw. It is the nervous system doing its job to pro

Behaviour is communication Behaviours of concern do not happen “out of nowhere.”They are a form of communication that tells us something important about what a person is experiencing. When a person becomes dysregulated, their behaviour is often expressing: Overwhelm Stress Sensory overload Fear or anxiety Frustration or unmet needs Difficulty communicating or coping This is especially true for autistic individuals and people with disability, where behaviour is often the most