Join Dr. Regan for the second episode in this series about how autistic characteristics may shift across the lifespan. This episode focuses on the life season of adolescence. Stay tuned for the next episodes in the series to hear about hormonal shifts in women and autism in the aging adult (50's and beyond).  Recognizing Dysregulation on the Autism Spectrum: Fight, Flight, Freeze   Dr. Regan's Resources New Course for Clinicians - Interventions in Autism: Helping Clients Stay Centered, Connect with Others, and Engage in Life New Course for Clinicians: ASD Differential Diagnoses and Associated Characteristics Book: Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians   Read the Transcript:   1 00:00:03,340 --> 00:00:08,560 Hello and welcome to this episode of Autism in the Adult podcast, 2 00:00:08,940 --> 00:00:10,030 I am your host, 3 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:11,550 Dr Theresa Regan. 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:13,980 I am a neuropsychologist. 5 00:00:13,990 --> 00:00:23,750 The director of an adult diagnostic autism clinic in central Illinois, and I'm the mother of a teen on the autism spectrum. 6 00:00:25,140 --> 00:00:45,660 We are starting the second episode of a four part series today and the series is about characteristics of autism that fluctuate or shift across the lifespan according to different seasons in life of the individual or changes in the environment. 7 00:00:46,340 --> 00:00:53,960 And our first episode in this series was that foundational information about shifting characteristics, 8 00:00:53,970 --> 00:01:06,460 shifts in how the individual experiences the characteristics and how those around them experience or are impacted by these autistic characteristics. 9 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:08,500 Today, 10 00:01:08,500 --> 00:01:09,700 in the second episode, 11 00:01:09,700 --> 00:01:26,360 we're going to focus on the time period of adolescence in the lifespan and talk about why that can be such a huge shift and why there can be so many changes for the individual at that time. 12 00:01:27,540 --> 00:01:47,860 one of the things we covered last time is that the changes in how we experience ourselves and express ourselves are often impacted by characteristics of the person that would include their physical development, 13 00:01:47,860 --> 00:01:49,540 the development of the brain, 14 00:01:49,550 --> 00:01:56,220 the biochemistry of the body and the brain also... things like the environment. 15 00:01:56,230 --> 00:01:59,770 So what kinds of demands are in the environment, 16 00:01:59,770 --> 00:02:05,860 what kind of assistance and structure are within that environment at the time. 17 00:02:07,340 --> 00:02:18,860 Things that may shift may also include coping strategies that we've learned certain things we've learned to mask something or to cope with something and regulate ourselves better. 18 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:24,360 Let's start with the physical person during adolescence. 19 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:37,980 So one thing that happens of course is that the physical body has been developing and changing and during adolescence there's just a lot of acceleration in that we've got a lot more muscle mass, 20 00:02:37,980 --> 00:02:39,510 you've got a lot of height, 21 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,560 the voice changes etcetera. 22 00:02:42,140 --> 00:02:48,110 And the person at the end of that whole cycle has a different body in many respects. 23 00:02:48,740 --> 00:03:09,660 And one of the things that clients on the spectrum have discussed with me is that for people who like consistency and predictability and who they are and what's happening sometimes this season of having a different body can really be frustrating and upsetting. 24 00:03:10,140 --> 00:03:13,100 And I've had clients say, 25 00:03:13,110 --> 00:03:14,240 you know, 26 00:03:14,250 --> 00:03:16,