Communicating unmet needs: The use of potentially harmful behaviours by Autistic children

Summary

Practitioners working in child and family mental health settings often support families who have concerns about their children’s use of potentially harmful behaviours (PHB) (e.g., hitting, kicking, shouting, throwing things). Insights from research and practice suggest that Autistic children use PHB more frequently than non-Autistic children and that Autistic children are more likely to use PHB reactively (e.g., as an impulsive or immediate response to someone’s else’s behaviour or environmental stimuli) than proactively (e.g., as a pre-planned or goal-directed behaviour).

Fundamentally, all child use of PHB is a form of communication. Autistic and non-Autistic children may use PHB, not because they want to hurt anyone, but to communicate unmet needs and strong emotions. When a child uses PHB, it is the responsibility of the adults in that child’s life (e.g., parents, teachers, practitioners) to:

This presentation focuses on PHB used by Autistic children (toddler to adolescence) with insights from a rapid literature review and practitioner consultations. We begin by introducing what we mean when we talk about the use of PHB by Autistic children (e.g., verbal and physical, reactive and proactive behaviours) and outlining common impacts of PHB experienced by children and families.

The main body of the presentation will provide insights about how Autistic children may use PHB to communicate needs related to 3 common types of neurodevelopmental differences:

The presentation will include case studies, developed in consultation with practitioners, to exemplify how practitioners who are not specifically trained in supporting children with Autism can work with families to identify and address Autistic children’s needs using trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming approaches.

Reference

Butler, K., Helprin, H., MacDonald, J. B., & Tamiakis, L. (2026). Communicating unmet needs: The use of potentially harmful behaviours by Autistic children. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference, 16-18 March. Gold Coast, Australia. (Presentation)