Affectively-Align & Culturally Aware ABA Notebook

The Hidden Language of Behavior

If you’ve ever witnessed a toddler’s dramatic floor-flop or a coworker’s enthusiastic pen-clicking during a meeting, you’ve observe a fundamental truth: all behavior is communication (Donnellan et al., 2012). For neurodivergent individuals– those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other brain-based differences– behavior often speaks louder than words. Unfortunately, society frequently misinterprets their actions as misbehavior rather than meaningful expression. Time to grab our metaphorical decoder rings and explore why neurodivergent behavior isn’t chaos– it’s an elaborate, sometimes hilarious, form of morse code.

The Myth of “Bad Behavior”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been scolded for fidgeting or “not paying attention”. For neurodivergent folks, so-called disruptive behaviors are often essential self-regulation tools. Research shows that stimming (repetitive movements like hand-flapping or hair pulling) help manage sensory and emotional overload (Kapp et al., 2019). So the next time someone glares at your leg bouncing, just say you’re conducting an invisible orchestra–because, scientifically speaking, you kinda are.

When Words Fail, Behavior Speaks

Neurodivergent individuals may struggle with verbal communication, leading to what’s unfairly labeled as “meltdowns” or “shutdowns.” But these reactions aren’t tantrums– they’re distress signals (Baron-Cohen, 2017). Imagine your brain as a computer with 50 tabs open; eventually, it will freeze. A meltdown? That’s a neurological equivalent of a pop-up reading, “SYSTEM OVERLOAD–PLEASE REBOOT.” The solution? Pay attention to the behavior, not just the words (or lack thereof) and turn on your empathy faucet.

The Social Missteps We All Make (But Neurodivergent Folks Get Judged For)

Ever laughed at the wrong moment or taken sarcasm literally? Neurodivergent people navigate these social minefields daily like Capt. John Miller saving Pvt. Ryan. Studies suggest that autistic individuals, for example, often communicate with blunt honesty, which can be misread as rudeness (Sasson et al., 2017). But let’s be honest–wouldn’t the world be easier if everyone just said what they meant? No more passive-aggressive “I’m fine”, or “nothing” when we’re obviously plotting revenge.

Call to Action: Time to Upgrade Our Communication Filters

Instead of forcing neurodivergent individuals to conform to neurotypical norms, we should be more receptive– expand our understanding of communication. Whether it’s stimming, direct speech, or needing solitude, these behaviors aren’t flaws–they are among Nature’s vast features (Walker, 2021). So next time someone’s “acting differently,” consider that they might just be speaking a dialect you haven’t learned yet. And if all fails? Bring snacks. That’s a language everyone understands.

References:

Baron-Cohen, S (2017). Editorial Perspective: Neurodiversity – a revolutionary concept for autism and psychiatry. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58 (6), 744-747.

Donnellan, A.M., Hill, D.A., & Leary, M. R. (2012) Rethinking autism: Implications of sensory and movement differences for understanding and support. Frontiers in integrative Neuroscience, 6, 124.

Kapp, S.K., Steward, R., Crane, L., Elliot, D., Elphick, C., Pellicano, E., & Russell, G. (2019). ‘People should be allowed to do what they like’: Autistic adults’ view and experiences of stimming. Autism, 23(7), 1782-1792

Sasson, N. J., Faso, D. J., Nugent, J., Lovell, S., Kennedy, D. P., & Grossman, R. B. (2017). Neurotypical peers are less willing to interact with those with autism based on thin slice judgments. Scientific Reports, 7, 40700.

Walker, N. (2021). Neuroqueer heresies. Autonomous Press.