I worked on an inpatient Psych unit with children and adolescents at one time in my Nursing career and saw several kids go through manic episodes.
Here's a
link to the Biopolar Significant Others website. I don't know a whole lot about the organization, but there are a lot of good links on the left side. Bipolar is like one of those old balance scales. If it swings over to the manic side, the person is in a manic episode/period. If it swings the other way, they are in a depressive phase.
This page has a good description of things that might trigger a manic episode.
What follows is a description of a "conversation" I had with one young woman soon after she came in to the hopital in the middle of a manic episode. The exact words are not what matters, it's the pressure to keep talking, the rapid-fire ideas that are connected and her inability to see that she was doing anything out of the ordinary.
I have "conversation" in quotes, because, even though she asked questions - she didn't wait for an answer. In fact, she hardly stopped to take a breath. Keep in mind that this was during the late 1970s, when Donny and Marie Osmond were really big. And read fast without stopping.
"Do you like Donny and Marie?I really like Donny and Marie because I think they are really good singers although I don't like some of the songs they sing.I really do like the country songs though.Those are my favorite.DO you like their country songs or their songs that are more rock?I DO like the rock songs when Donny sings them but I like the country songs better when Marie sings them.Some people think I look a lot like Marie because I have dark hair but my eyes are not the same as hers.Do you think I look like Marie or don't you think I look like her?I think she looks really pretty in a lot of the clothes she wears but I think she doesn't always look good in purple.I heard Donny likes purple and did you know he wears purple socks?Marie makes jokes about his purple socks and if I had a brother I would make jokes about him if he wore purple socks too.Donny and Marie have lots of brothers but Marie is the only girl in her family.I'm the only girl in my family too because I don't have any sisters.Sometimes I think I would like a sister but Marie doesn't have any sisters only brothers.Do you think we would get along if we met because we both are only girls?I'd really like to meet them.I can't stop thinking about them and all the time when I try to sleep,I have their songs going thru my head and then I think of their show and I think of how they look.I'd like to stop thinking about them but I can't because I think about how great they are and I think how great it would be to meet them and I really think Marie would like me. I'm going to go to California to meet them, but do you think they are there.I heard they live Salt Lake City but I'm not sure about that and I heard they are making a studio in Salt Lake City."
I got tired just listening to her. I think when she came in, she had only slept about 2 hours per night. Her brain was just racing and she could not stop thinking and go to sleep. It was typical that the thought were connected - like you could see one thought leading to another. It was like a word from the first thought led to another related thought. As difficult as it was for her to be inside that racing brain, she could talk about it. For a child without a lot of verbal ability, it would be even harder. So it's understandable that a non-verbal person in a manic episode might have agressive or intense behavior.
Good luck in dealing with your situation.