Puberty and Children on the Autism Spectrum

Overview

All children go through puberty regardless of IQ or social skills. The brain does not tell the body to stop growing if the boy/girl’s developmental level is younger than their age. Puberty is a stage of development just like moving from being an infant to a toddler. Puberty is considered to begin around age 12 for girls and age 14 for boys. The physical changes of puberty are centered on the development of secondary characteristics and the onset of menstruation (in girls) and ejaculation (in boys).