‘The Battery’s Dead’: Burnout Looks Different in Autistic Adults (Published 2021) (2023)

FAQs

What does an autistic burnout feel like? ›

Physical Symptoms

Autistic people in burnout describe feeling exhausted and depleted. As if all of their internal reserves have been used up. These symptoms are not better explained by being physically unwell, malnourished, or having engaged in excessive exercise.

You can recover from burnout by understanding your own personal stress triggers, ways of lowering your stress levels and adapting your life so that your needs are met. Sometimes you might need help to get other people and/ or organisations to make reasonable adjustments for you.

They may not respond to communication anymore, retreat to their room or lie down on the floor. They may also no longer be able to move from the situation they are in, no matter what it is (for example, a shopping centre or a classroom). Shutdowns tend to be more discreet than meltdowns, and may sometimes go unnoticed.

During a depressive episode, a person may feel stuck in their sadness or feel numb and lose interest in their hobbies. When a person is experiencing autistic burnout, however, they may not feel sadness at all and may lose abilities that they once had (e.g. may lose the ability to speak).

So far, researchers have learned that periods of autistic burnout can last a long time (weeks, months, or years) and that some people never fully recover.

All people, including children and adults on the autism spectrum, grieve in their own unique ways. Grief can be complex for any of us. It is important to acknowledge that any loss can cause grief. Loss of a favorite toy or routine as well as the loss of a house, school, or family member can be very significant.

Autistic people have described various ways that autistic fatigue and burnout have affected them. Autistic fatigue has often been described as exhaustion with additional difficulties such as: increased meltdowns and sensory sensitivity. physical pain and headaches.

Autistic people are often fired for being autistic. A manager may not realize that's why they are letting an employee go, but autistic people can be fired due to a fundamental lack of understanding of our natural traits.

ASD Level 3 – On the most severe end of the spectrum is Level 3 which requires very substantial support. Signs associated with both Level 1 and Level 2 are still present but are far more severe and accompanied by other complications as well.

What to do when an autistic person shuts down? ›

The best remedy for a shutdown is giving the person the space to rest, recuperate and recover without placing additional demands on them. A shutdown can be like a reset for an autistic person.

finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling. getting very anxious about social situations. finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own. seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to.

Anxiety was also strongly correlated with behavior and learning disabilities in children with ASD. ASD patients are prone to stress,²⁴ and considerable evidence indicates that patients with ASD have eggagerated responses to threatening images. Prenatal stress was linked to increased risk of a child developing ASD.

It happens when someone becomes completely overwhelmed by their current situation and temporarily loses control of their behaviour. This loss of control can be expressed verbally (eg shouting, screaming, crying), physically (eg kicking, lashing out, biting) or in both ways.

Some autistic people experience it as an overwhelming sense of physical exhaustion. They may have more difficulty managing their emotions than usual and be prone to outbursts of sadness or anger. Burnout may manifest as intense anxiety or contribute to depression or suicidal behavior.

People with autism sometimes may have physical symptoms, including digestive problems such as constipation and sleep problems. Children may have poor coordination of the large muscles used for running and climbing, or the smaller muscles of the hand. About a third of people with autism also have seizures.

How Long Does Burnout Last? It takes an average time of three months to a year to recover from burnout. How long your burnout lasts will depend on your level of emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue, as well as if you experience any relapses or periods of stagnant recovery.

This is similar to what some people with autism experience when they get overwhelmed—a shutdown. Shutdowns are related to meltdowns. In both situations, an autistic person's brain becomes so stressed that he/she can't control his/her reaction. In the case of a meltdown, he/she may cry, scream, hit, and kick.

Why do autism symptoms get worse with age? ›

Amaral: The percentage of kids who increased in severity between ages 6-11 was higher than that of other ages. We theorize that could be due to the many increased social demands that may lead people to withdraw, as well as the development of anxiety, which can increase at that age.

Research suggests that autistic people are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness compared to non-autistic people. This can be due to a lack of acceptance and understanding by society, making them feel excluded.

Research from 2018 has shown that autistic people may have difficulties with cognitive empathy (recognizing another person's emotional state) but not affective empathy (the ability to feel another's emotional state and a drive to respond to it).

There is a persistent stereotype that people with autism are individuals who lack empathy and cannot understand emotion. It's true that many people with autism don't show emotion in ways that people without the condition would recognize.

Sensory overload happens when an intense sensory stimulus overwhelms your ability to cope. This can be triggered by a single event, like an unexpected loud noise, or it can build up over time due to the effort it takes to cope with sensory sensitivities in daily life.

There is a strong correlation between autism and trauma. In fact, research indicates that trauma can actually make ASD symptoms more challenging to live with.

While those with milder forms of autism can sometimes find suitable work if their special needs are addressed, many others can't. People with classic autism or more severe forms of autistic spectrum disorders cannot generally handle jobs which require any significant degree of interaction with others.

Target, a well-known retail company, is one of the top companies that hire autistic adults. Target believes in the importance of diversity and inclusion when it comes to employees, making a point of smoothing out the hiring process for anyone who wants to apply, regardless of disability.

Job Options Depend on Abilities and Challenges

Other issues that can be serious obstacles to employment for autistic adults include: Social anxiety. Severe sensory challenges.

ASD begins before the age of 3 years and can last throughout a person's life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children show ASD symptoms within the first 12 months of life. In others, symptoms may not show up until 24 months of age or later.

Are you born with autism? ›

Autism is not an illness

It means your brain works in a different way from other people. It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life.

A new study found that around 30 percent of young children with autism have less severe autism symptoms at age 6 than they did at age 3, with some children losing their autism diagnoses entirely.

DSM-5 defines catatonia as being characterized by the presence of at least three of the following symptoms: catalepsy, waxy flexibility, stupor, mutism, negativism, agitation, posturing, stereotypes, mannerisms, grimacing, echolalia, and echopraxia [1] (Supplementary Table S1).

The study found that the average death of an autistic person was age 54, while their matched controls had an average death age of 70 (Bazian 2016). That means, on average, autistic people are dying 16 years earlier than the general population.

The global increase in autism prevalence reflects major improvements in public awareness and public health response to autism. Children are now more likely to be diagnosed earlier, and even underrepresented regions like Africa and the Middle East have been advancing their ability to measure autism prevalence.

Difficult social situations and sensory environments can increase stress and increase anxiety for autistic people. Another significant cause of anxiety is a sense of being misunderstood and/or not accepted by non-autistic people. To 'fit in' and not be seen as different, autistic people might mask or camouflage.

This open-label study suggests that short-term sertraline treatment may reduce the behavioral reactions seen in association with situational transitions or environmental changes in children with autistic disorder, though the beneficial effect may be only temporary in some children.

Anxiety is a mental health problem that is common in autistic adults and children. Anxiety can have a big impact on daily life, for example coping at school or at work.

What does stimming mean? ›

Stimming – or self-stimulatory behaviour – is repetitive or unusual body movement or noises. Stimming might include: hand and finger mannerisms – for example, finger-flicking and hand-flapping. unusual body movements – for example, rocking back and forth while sitting or standing.

Can complex PTSD be misdiagnosed as autism? Yes, the two conditions have many overlapping symptoms and may occasionally confuse each other. A clinician could misinterpret why the child isn't communicating well and connecting with others. It's certainly possible that a child with autism could also develop PTSD.

Catatonia affects a person's ability to move in a normal way. People with catatonia can experience a variety of symptoms. The most common symptom is stupor, which means that the person can't move, speak, or respond to stimuli. However, some people with catatonia may exhibit excessive movement and agitated behaviour.

Meltdowns are not the only way an autistic person may express feeling overwhelmed. They may also refuse to interact, withdrawing from situations they find challenging or avoiding them altogether.

What does an 'autism meltdown' look like? Some signs that a loved one is having or nearing a meltdown may include: being irritable, which can include shouting or physical aggression. fidgeting or stimming more (repetitive movements or noises)