This article explains some possible reasons why an autistic child may randomly cry and what you can do to help.

As with any behaviour or issue relating to autism it is always worth pointing out that every child is different.

With that said however there are some common traits which could lead to these outbursts of emotion.

Autism and randomly crying

The first thing to consider is the point that it is unlikely to be as random as you think.

Autistic children feel and interact with the world differently to the neuro-typical and whilst you may not see a reason, there could be one there.

Hypersensitivity

One trait which is common with autistic children is them being hypersensitive to external input.

Things therefore such as sounds, smells or bright lights could make them feel extremely uncomfortable.

Something as tiny as a label in their clothes or a few grains of sand in a diaper (nappy) could be very distressing.

So although you may not notice it as they have there could be a subtle reason for the tears.

Frustration

Many autistic children struggle with communication. Even those who speak to a certain degree may not be able to articulate how they are feeling.

With that in mind it is easy to understand how what seems like a random outburst of crying could be down to frustration.

Imagine for example you were really thirsty as a child or you had a stomach ache and you couldn’t tell your parents. That would be very frustrating to the point of possibly leading you to tears.

It is similar in a way to when a newborn baby cries, it is often a guessing game in terms of what may be the issue.

Change of routine

It is well known that autistic children are fond of routines but you may not have associated this with the outburst.

I will give you a personal example which puts this into context. In our home my husband typically sits in one seat and I sit in another.

For no apparent reason one day we sat in each others chair. Well our autistic daughter did not like this one little bit.

She has (limited) speech so she was able to explain what the horrific injustice was, so we moved.

However if she was non verbal with no alternative forms of communication then she would have had an outburst of crying.

We wouldn’t have associated the tears to our seating positions and would have thought it was random.

Repetitive behaviour

It is possible that the crying itself has become a repetitive behaviour.

Autistic children often take comfort in what they know and are comfortable with. This could manifest in lining up toys or spinning perhaps.

Repetitive behaviours are often used to block out the outside world and crying could be a manifestation of this desire.

What can parents do?

It is more than likely that there is a reason behind your child’s crying so you’ll have to become detectives.

Something which we would advise is for you to take notes when your child seems to randomly cry.

Consider factors such as;

• What they are wearing
• What the temperature is
• When they last ate
• When they last drank
• When they last slept
• What external stimuli are present (noises, lights etc)
• Have you broken a routine

Once armed with your period of investigation you may find that there are some common trends leading to the crying.

Also it is always worth you exploring alternative forms of communication such as picture cards or sign language.

If your child can find a basic way for them to explain why they are distressed it could be a major step towards reducing the crying.

Summary – Why may an autistic child randomly cry?

If your autistic child seems to randomly cry you would be well advised to embark on a period of investigation.

You may have to put your neuro-typical brain to one side for a time to really consider things that otherwise you wouldn’t notice.

Your child is likely more sensitive to their surroundings than you are so you’ll have to try to find what is causing the distress.

Armed with the results of your investigation you can set a plan to resolve.

With time, patience and effort you will be able to understand your child more and put an end to the random crying.