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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.
Autism and Trauma: How They Intersect and How to Manage Trauma-Related Stress
For many people, fully understanding an autism diagnosis means unpacking their relationship to trauma. This was true for me after I was diagnosed with both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in my late twenties.
Many autistic people experience trauma, which can affect them in distinct ways compared to neurotypical peers. For these individuals, digging into the relationship between autism and trauma can make a profound difference in regulating their nervous systems and improving their mental health. For me, my autism and CPTSD diagnoses have been equally revelatory and often intertwined. Exploring the relationship between the two has helped me better understand myself and tangibly improve my quality of life.
Read on to learn about the link between autism and trauma-related disorders, as well as how to cope.
How to Manage PDA: A Guide for Autistic Adults
Does the thought of day-to-day chores make you feel paralyzed? Does your phone pile up with unread emails and unanswered texts you can’t make yourself respond to? There are many reasons why people might struggle to meet the demands of daily living, but for those who identify with the experiences associated with pathological demand avoidance, all demands can feel oppressive and anxiety-inducing.
Sometimes called pervasive drive for autonomy, PDA is a behavioral profile most commonly associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). PDA is said to be different from simply disliking certain tasks or being asked to do something. It’s natural for people to put off or avoid certain demands—however, some individuals experience a more intense and pervasive drive for agency and resistance to demands, which can impact their daily lives and mental health.
PDA was first proposed as a unique subtype of autism spectrum disorder, but is now most often understood as a possible profile of autism, meaning a pattern of behaviors and traits present in some autistic people. To date, researchers have yet to reach a consensus on how to categorize PDA or on its definition, characteristics and support strategies. PDA advocacy, however, has grown as a field, and advocates have advanced many recommendations for support based on PDA individuals’ lived experiences.
If the proposed PDA autism behavioral profile resonates with you, read on for tips to manage it.
Mastering ACCEPTS: A Guide for Autistic Adults to Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) teaches practical tools for managing emotions and coping with distress. While it was originally developed to help those with borderline personality disorder (BPD), people who are neurodivergent or dealing with many mental health conditions can find DBT-based tools helpful.
For many adults with autism spectrum disorder, the DBT skill “ACCEPTS” is helpful during moments of sensory overload, executive functioning fatigue or emotional dysregulation. It offers simple ways to shift focus and make space to regulate before taking action.
Let’s take a closer look at what each part of ACCEPTS means and how you can make it work for you.
Navigating Autism and Anxiety: Understanding the Unique Challenges Faced by Autistic Adults
It’s normal to feel anxious sometimes—but what if anxiety gets in the way of your day-to-day life? For nearly half of autistic people, severe anxiety disorders are a reality. Anxiety disorders come with psychological and physical symptoms that can be distressing and even make it difficult to function every day. For an autistic person, they can make common stressors like sensory and social stress even harder to manage. Understanding the relationship between autism and anxiety can help an autistic adult better understand themself and get support that makes a difference.
Is There a Rise in Autism? Understanding the Trends and Implications
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by communication and social differences, strict adherence to routine and intense, narrow interests. No two autistic individuals are exactly alike, and autistic traits and severity vary from person to person.
Diagnosis of ASD is clinical, based on standardized criteria that require persistent differences in social communication and at least two types of restricted behaviors. No blood test or neurological imaging can detect or diagnose autism. Instead, developmental history and behavioral observations are part of the assessment.
ASD is usually identified in early childhood, but many autistic individuals aren’t diagnosed until adulthood. This doesn’t mean that autistic traits weren’t present during their childhood. Rather, it means they didn’t have access to the appropriate diagnostic care or didn’t fit in with outdated stereotypes of autistic behavior.
As our understanding of autism spectrum disorder changes and deepens, practitioners are getting better at accurately diagnosing those who would’ve previously gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in the past. As both knowledge and diagnostic criteria expand, the number of autistic individuals in the world naturally increases.
This increase has led to renewed conversations around autism. What causes it? Why is everyone autistic all of a sudden? How can we prevent it? (Although prevention should never be the goal.)
But, perhaps we’re asking the wrong questions. Maybe we should start here instead: Is there actually a rise in autism?
Supporting Autistic People’s Unique Relationships with Food: Honoring Autonomy, Sensory Needs and Nourishment
Eating is a routine activity for most people, but for autistic individuals, it can be deeply tied to sensory experiences, autonomy and emotional well-being. Autistic people commonly face food-related challenges including sensory sensitivities, interoception differences and restricted diets.
Rather than focusing on compliance or normalizing food habits, supporting autistic people means respecting their individual relationships with food, embracing sensory needs and upholding autonomy. At the same time, it is important to consider any physical health impacts of dietary differences and discuss these with your physician in order to make an informed decision about whether you want to consider changes in order to maintain your health or prevent future health problems. You should always involve a doctor or nutritionist in any plans to make significant dietary changes, and any tips provided below have not been reviewed by a physician and are not intended to serve as medical advice.
Read on for affirming support strategies rooted in respect and self-understanding.
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