School Stress & Academic Pressure in Your ASD Teenager
The Car Ride Home: A Familiar Story You pick your teenager up from school and can tell instantly that something’s off. Their backpack is half-zipped, their jaw is tight, and you get the one-word answers: “How was your day?” “Fine.” You ask about homework. They snap, “I don’t know!” A few hours later, they’re in meltdown—yelling about a group project, refusing to do homework, or shutting down in their room under a blanket. From the outside, it can look like laziness, defiance, or overreaction. On the inside, though, your autistic teen may be carrying a full day’s worth of invisible stress : sensory overload, social confusion, fear of failure, and constant pressure to keep up. This chapter is about that load—and how you, as a parent, can help lighten it without sacrificing your teen’s growth. Why School Is Extra Hard for Autistic Teens 1. The Social Minefield Hallways, group projects, partner work, “turn and talk”—school is built on fast, intuitive social interaction. Autistic...