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Autism Behavior Resources: Insights, Strategies, and Support
Autistic behaviors are as diverse and unique as the individuals themselves, reflecting a wide range of ways people on the spectrum experience and respond to the world. Understanding these behaviors—such as stimming, routines, sensory sensitivities, and communication styles—can help foster empathy and create more supportive environments. These resources explores the nuances of autistic behaviors, providing insights into their meanings, the science behind them, and strategies for understanding and embracing these expressions. Whether you're a caregiver, therapist, or simply curious, these resources aims to deepen your knowledge and appreciation of the autistic experience.
Recent Articles
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.
Understanding Autistic Burnout: Causes, Symptoms, and Support Strategies
According to Very Well Mind, burnout is “a type of exhaustion that can happen when you face prolonged stress that eventually results in severe physical, mental, and emotional fatigue.” For a neurotypical person, this might result in feeling exhausted, being more irritable, and struggling with work- or school-related tasks.
However, autistic burnout feels much more intense.
Autistic people deal with a large amount of stress just by trying to navigate the neurotypical world. Conversations with other people, dealing with sensory overload or masking can all take a toll on us. That means we experience high levels of chronic stress every day. Research shows that these kinds of stress levels have negative effects on our physical and mental health, including a higher risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In 2021, autistic researcher Dora Raymaker and their team worked to define autistic burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic life stress and a mismatch of expectations and abilities without adequate support. It is characterized by pervasive, long-term (typically 3+ months) exhaustion, loss of function, and reduced tolerance to stimulus.”
Let’s break down what autistic burnout can look like in daily life.
Meltdowns in Autistic Adults: Why They Happen, What They’re Like, and How to Live with Them
When many people hear the word “meltdown,” they might envision a kicking-and-screaming child, lashing out because their parent or caregiver said “no.”
While that is an accurate description of a typical child meltdown, a meltdown in an autistic adult is entirely different, and not to be confused. In fact, in many cases, meltdowns in autistic adults can look like the antithesis of a childhood tantrum. Instead of engaging in "why won't you give me what I want!?" goal-oriented behaviors that are synonymous with tantrums, autistic adults usually need to get away from people and into a calm, dark, safe space during a meltdown.
The most important thing to remember about an autistic meltdown is that it’s not a choice, but an involuntary nervous-system response to intense overload or stress. If someone is experiencing a meltdown, they are not intentionally acting out: They are dealing with complex emotions just like the rest of us, and don’t deserve the ongoing stigma that is attached to autism—and by extension, meltdowns.
Victoria Mindiola (they/theirs/she) is an autistic person who works as an inclusion consultant and educator, focusing on advocacy for neurodivergent students. When Mindiola experiences an autistic meltdown, they say they frantically need “to find a place that is safe and dark and quiet and empty of people.”
Unfortunately, the stigma around autism and meltdowns remains because adult-focused research and resources are still lacking. While there’s plenty of research available on autistic meltdowns in children, there is limited data from the perspective of autistic adults.
In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive breakdown of autistic meltdowns in adults: What they are, why they happen, how to identify early signs, and how to support yourself or someone else.
