I have an 18 yo internet friend who is kind of like a YF to me, and he has some undiagnosed condition that has some things in common with autism (he scores fairly high for that), more with Asperger's, and some for obsessive-compulsive. Also rarely goes all-out psychotic and lives in an alternate reality for an hour or two. Suffers a lot from depression and flattened affect, as well as pathological shyness and dislike of touch. At first I thought he was prodromal schizophrenic but over the course of the year he has been getting better rather than worse, so I now doubt that.

He is also a boylover.

Basically, he is just a rule unto himself and by grace of the holy spirit I have learned to be his very good friend. Others have tried but the things he will say when his temper is triggered can be so devastating that few if any have succeeded. And yet he is also sweet by nature when the smoke has blown off, and he is not afraid to apologize.

Basically, you deal with these things by getting to know the boy very well, by getting any relevant background information you can from professionals about the boy's type of condition (no help in my case) and most importantly by prayer that you will see beyond the obvious and will aptly interpret what he does, and will respond with the type of loving response he needs.