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Prosper Health's Autism Resource Center
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Special Interests and Autism
Most autistic individuals have one or more special interests. A special interest is an intense fixation that far exceeds a typical hobby or passion. An autistic person will typically have the desire to devote large portions of their time, and sometimes large portions of their money, to their special interests. Neurotypical people can and do experience fixations or passions, but having a special interest is a trait strongly associated with autism.
Here’s what you need to know about special interests, how they manifest, the benefits of encouraging them, and more.
What Are Signs of Autism in Adults? A Guide to Autistic Traits and Self-Discovery
When you picture someone with autism, there’s a good chance that a child comes to mind. Maybe your nephew or a member of your child’s class is diagnosed, so you’re familiar with some of the behaviors associated with the condition...or at least how they show up in children. But millions of autistic adults exist too, since autism is a distinct neurotype, not something you grow out of.
However, if the condition wasn’t assessed already in childhood, it can be harder to spot as an adult. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in 45 adults is autistic, and even more are likely undiagnosed.
Though there are many shared traits between the age groups, autism can present differently in adults than in children, which is something we'll discuss in depth within this article. But fundamentally, the signs of autism in adults include a range of characteristics like:
- Social interaction and communication differences
- Self-soothing and self-regulatory behaviors
- Sensory and processing differences
- Special interests and activities
- Emotional regulation and cognitive traits
If you suspect you may be autistic, you likely know the journey toward diagnosis isn’t so straightforward. It can be confusing and frustrating! Especially since no two people with autism are the same, and everyone has their own unique combination of strengths and challenges.
On top of that, many adults tend to mask their autistic behaviors to fit in with their neurotypical peers, oftentimes without even realizing it. Plus, thanks to gender and cultural bias and other stereotypes, countless autistic adults are overlooked due to their more subtle presentation of the condition.
That’s why Prosper Health is here to provide you with a clear, inclusive, neurodivergent-affirming breakdown of adult autism signs: what they are, why they’re often missed, and what to do if they resonate.
Understanding Autism and Relationships: Navigating Love, Family and Friendship
Many autistic people experience relationship challenges—whether they’re romantic or platonic—in environments shaped around non-autistic social norms. Some unwritten rules and behaviors don’t necessarily come naturally to neurodivergent people.
Christal Castagnozzi, a clinical and school psychologist who received a late autism diagnosis, says that while she had friends growing up, there was an “underlying sense of being misunderstood.” She feels she “struggled to access deeper, more meaningful connections,” and ultimately believed she didn’t belong, even when her friends included her in their social activities.
Even in romantic relationships, Castagnozzi says she had difficulty “interpreting cues, flirting, [her partner’s] intentions, and emotional subtext.”
If any of these experiences sound familiar, you are not alone. But more importantly, the challenges of autism and relationships are not a personal failing. They are often due to differences in communication style, sensory processing, social expectations, and mutual misunderstanding between autistic and non-autistic people. Castagnozzi says what made a difference for her was forming relationships with neurodivergent individuals who provided “less pressure to mask and more space for directness and authenticity.”
In this article, we’ll examine how autism shapes all kinds of relationships, the roots of certain challenges, and practical strategies for effectively navigating relationships.
Autism Support Needs, Not Labels: A Guide to “Levels”
As an adult diagnosed first with autism as a child and again as an adult, I have witnessed firsthand the change in the way the DSM, or The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, has changed to affirm autistic people. In 2013, the DSM updated its resources with an eye to supportive care.
Rather than labeling autistic people with misleading descriptors like high-functioning, low-functioning, or others, experts now categorize autistic individuals based on levels (one, two, or three). These levels indicate varying degrees of support needs, which are often fluid and can change over time.
Mental health professionals and patients can now navigate autism support without labels, a notable step forward in recognizing the individuality of care.
This DSM change also did away with the term pervasive developmental disorder, which encompassed disorders such as Aspergers and child disintegrative disorder. Instead, they were replaced by autism spectrum levels.
Kaila Hattis, MA, LMFT, founder and therapist of Pacific Coast Therapy, explains, “The change focuses less on what someone has to more on what someone needs, and changes the way families access services and disperse information on what their loved one needs."
While these three levels of autism don’t capture the full picture of autism spectrum disorder, they’re a move in the right direction to fuller, more nuanced autism treatment.
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Understanding the Window of Tolerance: A Guide to Nervous System Regulation
When autistic yoga therapist Elizabeth Walunas is inside her window of tolerance, she feels a sense of quiet in her gut. She can think and act in a goal-oriented way and handle stimulation sustainably. Walunas knows she’s left her window of tolerance when she gets “zingy and jumpy and twisty sensations of anxiety” in her stomach.
The window of tolerance varies from person to person, and everyone reacts differently outside of it. But the truth is, many of us spend a lot of time outside of our windows. This is especially true for neurodivergent adults, which is why cries of “calm down!” and “just relax!” don’t always land for our nervous systems.
By understanding the window of tolerance, we can learn how to better manage stress. In this article, we’ll explore what happens in our minds and bodies when we’re inside or outside our windows of tolerance, how to recognize when we’ve left our zones of tolerance, and what to do in both the short-term and long-term.
Autistic Burnout Recovery: A Realistic, Honest Guide
If you’re reading this and feeling physically drained, mentally foggy, emotionally flat, or like even small tasks are too much right now, you might be dealing with autistic burnout. You don’t need to take all of this in at once. You can move straight to whatever section matches your capacity today.
Autistic burnout isn’t just stress or being tired. It’s a real, recognized experience that often shows up after long periods of masking, sensory overload, and trying to function in environments that aren’t built for autistic people. The National Autistic Society, notes how it can affect thinking, communication, daily tasks, and sensory tolerance in a way that feels like your system is quickly running on empty.
Burnout is not a character flaw, and it’s not something you can fix by simply pushing through or “just resting.” The drivers are different, which means the recovery process is different too.
This guide is organized by stage: acute burnout, stabilizing, and rebuilding, so you can find what fits where you are right now. The goal isn’t to give you a list of things to do. It’s to help you understand what’s happening and what actually supports recovery at each stage.
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Types of Neurodiversity: A Clear, Inclusive Overview
Exploring neurodiversity as an adult can be equally exciting and intimidating.
Perhaps you’re noticing that, through the neurodiversity lens, certain once-confusing moments in your life are suddenly making sense. Or you’re still healing from lifelong frustrations, feeling misunderstood, and lack the language to articulate your unique experiences.
If this sounds like you at all, then you’re in the right place. This article will not only guide you through some of the most common types of neurodiversity but also help you understand how each neurotype actually shows up in adult life — and what your options are if you want to investigate further.
Autistic Inertia: Why Starting, Stopping, and Switching Tasks Feels So Hard
Consider the experiences below. Do any of them sound familiar to you?
- You know it’s time to get up for the day, but you’re unable to move
- You keep going on that work task even though you really need to use the bathroom
- You’re having a lot of trouble transitioning from a preferred activity to a necessary one (in my autistic daughter’s case, this usually means putting down the tablet to start her bedtime routine)
These examples only scratch the surface of a very real concept called autistic inertia. We know the definition of regular inertia is that an object will remain at rest or in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. Similarly, Autistic inertia describes how an autistic person will commonly keep going in the same state they’re in, and it takes a greater energetic effort to change states, activity, or mindset.
Chances are, the people around you, including yourself, have misunderstood autistic inertia, possibly dismissing this behavior as laziness or procrastination. But nothing could be further from the truth. Starting tasks, stopping tasks, and switching tasks are all classified under the umbrella of autistic inertia and deserve deeper examination.
After reading this article, you’ll have a better understanding of what autistic inertia is, why it occurs, and how to recognize your own patterns. You’ll also learn recommended support strategies for yourself or a neurodivergent loved one who has this experience.
Spoon Theory and Autism: Understanding Energy Depletion
Have you ever felt like your energy levels aren’t matching what others perceive? You may look “fine” on the outside, but on the inside, your nervous system is working overtime, quickly eating up your physical and mental energy. For some neurodivergent people, this kind of energy depletion can cumulatively worsen until they’re completely tapped out.
“When my energy starts to run out, my first sign is that it gets harder and harder to smile,” explains Drew*, who was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at 40 years old and self-identifies as AuDHD. “It doesn’t mean I’m not having fun, or not happy, it’s just my body’s way of saying that I’m losing control of my ability to mask.”
As his energy drains, Drew usually experiences “drastically reduced verbal communication,” speaking only when spoken to, and responding with a handful of words. Eventually, he says, these depleted energy levels result in his “crying uncontrollably and hiding in a quiet room or space, eventually falling asleep from sheer exhaustion.”
If you can relate to Drew’s experience, spoon theory might be a helpful concept for you. Spoon theory is a metaphor many autistic and neurodivergent people use to explain how sensory, social, masking, and executive function demands lead to energy depletion. It can also help non-autistic people better understand why autistic fatigue differs from general exhaustion.
Echolalia in Adults: Repetition, Meaning, and Misunderstanding
Jonathan, a 37-year-old autistic adult, has experienced echolalia for as long as he can remember. “Sometimes, it’s a sudden flash and I’ll blurt out a random quote or say something in a funny voice,” he says of his own experience.
Echolalia in adults is the act of repeating another person’s words, phrases, or vocalizations, either immediately or later on. It “is most commonly associated with autism, where it often serves as a meaningful way to process language or regulate,” explains Dr. Hannah Jones, a licensed clinical psychologist with Prosper Health.
With that said, echolalia in adults is expressed in many ways. In this article, we’ll explore what echolalia looks like, why it happens, and when it may be cause for concern. We’ll also discuss how it relates to autism and other forms of neurodiversity.
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