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Prosper Health's Autism Resource Center
Featured Article
Social Cues and Autism: Why the "Missed Signals" Narrative Gets It Wrong
Consider this: a coworker asks you to complete a task, “whenever you get the chance,” and you take it at face value. Two days later, you find out the request was urgent, and your coworker assumed their tone made that obvious. Or another example: you're mid-conversation with a friend, and something in their face shifts. You notice it, and you're also tracking their tone, their words, and your own response, all at once. By the time it's processed, the moment to say something has passed.
If either scene felt familiar, you’ve probably been told that you missed something obvious. Maybe you’ve been called hard to read, rude, oblivious, cold, or “bad at people.” But inside, you know that’s not really what happened.
These messages put the entire problem on one person in a conversation between two people. This article looks at autism and social cues, including why social cues can be harder to read for some autistic adults, why misunderstanding is often mutual, and what can help in situations where it matters most.
Misophonia and Autism: Why Certain Sounds Feel Unbearable, and What to Do About It
Do certain everyday sounds — like slurping, tapping, or chewing — send you into a whirlwind of distress or discomfort? Perhaps it’s not just emotional, but also physical, and you can’t shove down the reactions no matter how hard you try. If this feels relatable, you might have a common condition called misophonia.
Research suggests a possible link between misophonia and autism. Autistic individuals are more likely to have sensory sensitivities, after all. In any case, misophonia is “a nervous system response and not a cognizant decision,” says Jacqueline Shinall, Psy.D., a psychologist at neurodivergent-affirming telehealth provider Prosper Health.
Delane, a 27-year-old autistic woman, experiences misophonia due to “human sounds” like eating. “It just feels like someone constantly poking at the same spot, to the point of overstimulation and irritation,” she says. “It takes a lot of self-control to not lash out.”
Let’s take a closer look at what misophonia is, what research shows and doesn’t show about its connection to autism, and how to manage it. Whether you're wondering whether misophonia may be a sign of autism, are autistic and want to understand misophonia, or are simply looking for relief, there's no wrong reason to be here.
The Fear of Being Perceived in Autistic Adults
Let’s say you’re about to go to lunch with a colleague, but you just need to make a few last tweaks on a task.
Your colleague is happy to wait for you and remains quiet while you finish up, but it doesn’t matter. You still feel like you’re being watched. Suddenly, your anxiety skyrockets, and completing your work task now feels impossible with your coworker standing idly by.
Many call this the fear of being perceived — and it’s become a viral shorthand for a much broader feeling — but for autistic and ADHD adults, there’s usually something more concrete that’s happening behind the scenes.
Autistic content creator Morgan Foley even made a video illustrating the fear of being perceived, in which she not only demonstrates how this feeling can present in several scenarios (work, socializing, chores, etc.), but also the thoughts going through her head in that moment.
After reading this article, you will be able to recognize this type of fear as a specific, explainable pattern connected to neurodivergence, understand why it hits differently depending on your neurotype, and identify at least one concrete step toward feeling safer while still being yourself.
Most importantly, this article will help you to answer the question, “Why do I hate being perceived?”
Black and White Thinking: What It Is and Why It Happens
“If I can’t do this project perfectly, I shouldn’t have this job, should I?”
“OMG, my friend canceled our coffee meetup. I knew she never really liked me.”
“My partner forgot I wanted to see The Odyssey this weekend. I think our relationship is in trouble.”
If any of these internal monologues sound familiar, it’s not because someone gained access to your innermost emotions: It’s because these thought patterns are more common than you may think, and they’re known as black-and-white thinking.
Before we delve into these patterns more deeply, know this: It’s okay if you’re unsure whether your black-and-white thinking is a problem, a trait, or both, even if you’ve been told that you tend to “overreact” or that you “can’t see nuance.” Examining this kind of dichotomous thinking doesn’t mean it’s a flaw to be fixed or even a symptom of a specific disorder.
These patterns are just one part of who you are, and you deserve to understand what exactly black-and-white thinking is, what’s driving these patterns, and if you should pursue support.
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.
PDD-NOS Explained: What the Diagnosis Was and How It Relates to Autism Today
Information about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has evolved significantly over the past couple of decades. With those changes comes the realization for some people that they may have received diagnoses that are not only confusing but are now considered outdated.
PDD-NOS, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, is one of those diagnoses. If you’re someone who may have encountered this term in your records or research, it’s perfectly reasonable to scratch your head over this diagnosis—and to want a better understanding of what it means.
The PDD-NOS diagnosis was eliminated in 2013, when it was reclassified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) under the ASD umbrella. While officially an outdated term, PDD-NOS is still meaningful, especially to those who may have received this diagnosis before 2013.
This article will explain what exactly PDD-NOS is, why the diagnosis no longer exists (and is now part of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis), and how autistic adults can think about the term in a more affirming way.
Understanding the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test: What It Can (and Can’t) Tell You
Have you ever considered how well you can visually read other people's emotions? Researchers have developed tools that attempt to study how people interpret emotional cues, though these tools are limited and don’t fully capture real-world social understanding. One of these tools is called the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, also known as the RMET or the Eyes Test.
If you’re someone who’s either autistic or questioning whether you might be autistic, then it’s likely you’ve come across (or have already taken!) autism quizzes like the RMET online. (Some of the more common ones include the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) test and the RAADS-R test.) While none of these quizzes can provide a formal autism diagnosis, they can help individuals gather information about the signs of autism in adults and reflect on which traits feel relatable.
The RMET is intended to measure one’s social perception, specifically, the ability to recognize and understand another person’s mental state. Some autistic people approach social and emotional cues differently from non-autistic people, particularly in tasks that rely heavily on interpreting facial expressions. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test doesn’t measure empathy, nor does it define one’s capacity for empathy.
Even though the RMET, like the AQ and the RAADS-R, cannot offer an official autism diagnosis, it still may be worth considering if you’re trying to understand yourself better.
In this article, we will cover what exactly the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test is, how it works, why it’s sometimes associated with autism, and its key limitations and criticisms. Our goal is to help you make informed choices throughout your autism exploration journey.
Vocal Stimming: What It Is and Why It Helps
Self-stimulatory behavior, or “stimming,” is a common trait among autistic people. Stimming is both a way to support sensory and emotional regulation and to express joy. This might look like using fidget toys, hand flapping, hair twirling, or staring at patterns.
Vocal stimming, is also included in this category. Some autistic people, like my daughter, who has autism and ADHD, for example, engage in this sensory-seeking behavior by producing certain sounds. These repetitive sounds, like humming (my daughter’s go-to vocal stim when she’s stressed), clicking, whistling, or even singing (another one of my daughter’s preferred stims), can be self-soothing and satisfying.
While vocal stimming is often associated with autism, these traits can present in neurotypical people as well. What’s important to remember when it comes to any type of self-stimulatory behavior is that it’s harmless and should never be a source of shame.
Whether you’re someone who identifies as neurodivergent or want to support the autistic people in your life, this article will help you better understand vocal stimming. In addition, we’ll explain what vocal stims can sound like, why people find vocal stims calming, and how these behaviors relate to autism, ADHD, and nervous system regulation.
Selective Mutism in Adults: What It Is, Why It Happens, and What Actually Helps
Imagine a young woman sitting in the cafeteria at work. In between bites of her sandwich and sips of her coffee, she has a spirited, eager conversation with her closest friend. All of this light, peaceful energy ends when a colleague sits next to her and asks how her weekend went.
Suddenly, she’s paralyzed, and as much as she tries, she can’t get any words out. The words are just blocked. As an adult with selective mutism, this is a familiar yet distressing experience.
Many people associate selective mutism with childhood, but it can both persist and start in adulthood, confirms Rachel Loftin, chief clinical officer at Prosper Health. Being unable to speak can feel frustrating, confusing, and alienating. This is especially true in a world where many people don’t understand selective mutism.
In this article, we’ll explain selective mutism in adults, what may contribute to it, and how it differs from (and overlaps with) social anxiety and autism. We will also explore coping strategies, treatment, and support options.
Is ADHD on the Autism Spectrum? Clearing Up the Confusion
When my therapist suggested that I might have ADHD, I couldn’t get home to start Googling fast enough. I was in my early 30s, and at the time, I was unaware of how ADHD manifests in adult women. But because I wasn’t hyperactive, I was skeptical of my therapist’s conclusion and wanted to do my own homework.
As I was researching, I noticed that many of the signs of ADHD and autism appear very similar, like hyperfocus and niche interests, sensory sensitivities, and difficulty with executive function. I experienced each of these, and wondered if it was possible that I actually had autism, or perhaps autism and ADHD—known colloquially as AuDHD.
When I had a formal evaluation, my psychiatrist determined that I did, in fact, have ADHD, but not autism. Autism and ADHD are both neurodevelopmental differences under the umbrella of "neurodivergence" and not on the same spectrum. But, given the ADHD and autism overlap in certain ways, and my resulting confusion, I wondered about the nuances of my ADHD assessment results and how it compared to an autism diagnosis.
In this article, we'll explain the overlaps between autism and ADHD, while emphasizing that they are both unique.
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