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Prosper Health's Autism Resource Center
Featured Article
Neurodivergent vs. Autism: Understanding the Relationship and When to Seek Evaluation
“Neurodivergent” and “autistic” often get swapped for one another, in social captions, casual conversations, and sometimes even in settings where you might think people would know better.
Using the terms loosely isn't always a big deal. But it can matter more when you’re trying to figure out what these terms mean for you, especially if you’re wondering whether you might be autistic.
This is because the two terms really aren’t interchangeable, even though the mix-up can be common. Here’s how “neurodivergent” and “autism” relate, why the confusion happens in the first place, and what a next step might look like if you're seeking diagnosis.
Does Autism Qualify for Disability Benefits? A Practical Guide for Autistic Adults
If you've recently done an online search for the term “autism disability benefits”, you probably walked away with more questions than answers. Unfortunately, this happens because the search phrase “autism disability benefits” covers a very broad spectrum, and the resources your results pulled up may not even apply to your personal situation.
For example, one of the first results that usually comes up using this search term (as well as “Do you get disability for autism?”) is the Social Security Administration’s page for benefits for children with disabilities.
But if you made it to this page, you’re actually on the right path: “Autism disability benefits” almost always means Social Security. Yes, other types of government assistance exist, and we will cover those options, but let’s examine your potential Social Security benefits first.
After reading this article, you will understand how, as an autistic person, you may qualify for either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). We’ll also explore which pathway most likely fits your situation, what strengthens an application, what to expect if you are denied, and whether you can keep working while receiving support.
Autistic Burnout vs. Depression: How to Tell the Difference and When to Get Assessed
Profound exhaustion is impossible to ignore, even when you can’t even muster up the energy to take care of yourself. What’s even scarier is that sometimes, it’s equally impossible to figure out the root of this fatigue, because it’s a common symptom of both depression and autistic burnout.
If you’re currently navigating the confusing world of autistic burnout vs. depression — whether you just learned the term “autistic burnout” or are in the midst of self-reflection — you’re in the right place. Especially considering both conditions can co-occur.
After reading this article, you will have more clarity between autistic burnout and depression, know what to do if you think you have both conditions, and understand what a professional assessment involves.
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.
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Autism and Psychosis: Overlap, Differences and Co-occurrence
When most people think of psychosis, they think of schizophrenia—not autism. However, psychosis can be associated with several different diagnoses. Although psychosis is not a symptom of autism, it’s more common for autistic individuals to experience psychosis at some point during their lives than it is for neurotypicals.
Psychosis often involves hallucinations and delusions, where an individual perceives things that are not there or believes things that are untrue, respectively. These experiences can feel very real and quite frightening. However, many forms of support can help people thrive while reducing, managing or eliminating symptoms of psychosis.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Why Rejection Can Feel So Painful and How to Cope
Note: RSD is a popular term for an experience of unusually intense distress around rejection or perceived rejection, but it has not been established in research as a distinct clinical condition separate from rejection sensitivity or related emotional regulation difficulties.
It’s perfectly normal for breakups to hurt, criticism to sting, and being excluded to feel lousy. But for people with rejection sensitive dysphoria, or RSD, real or perceived rejection can cause severe emotional pain. This is something I’ve dealt with for as long as I can remember.
The shame, humiliation, anger, and sadness I felt when I thought I was being rejected would easily ruin my day. From there, I’d start mentally catastrophizing everything, assuming the worst possible scenario was inevitable. I didn’t have a name for this until I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 30s.
Once I found out that neurodivergent people (including autistic people and those with ADHD) often experience RSD, the extreme emotional responses I was having suddenly made sense. RSD isn’t a formal diagnosis, but a pattern of experience recognized by clinicians and neurodivergent people alike.
In this article, we'll discuss how to recognize RSD and explain why it shows up differently depending on neurotype (autistic, ADHD, neurotypical, etc). We'll also detail concrete coping strategies and paths to support.
Exploring Autism and Intimacy: Navigating Emotional and Physical Connections
Emotional and physical intimacy present unique challenges and opportunities for autistic adults. Autistic people experience romantic relationships differently, navigating complexities related to communication, sensory sensitivities and emotional expression. These issues are compounded if an autistic person’s partner doesn’t fully understand what autism spectrum disorder is or how to support their autistic partner.
However, by fostering an environment of empathy and patience, autistic individuals and their partners can build fulfilling, intimate connections that honor their unique needs and experiences.
Understanding Autism and Sleep: Navigating Sleep Patterns in Autistic Adults
Do you ever lie in bed exhausted and, instead of falling into pleasant dreams, stay awake in a sensory nightmare? The culprit may be as simple as a wrinkled sheet, scratchy tag, or even the dull hum of a refrigerator.
Alternatively, you may find your mind racing at night, find it impossible to sleep at a normal time, or have any of countless other sleep issues. In any case, you may be intimately familiar with the relationship between autism and sleep issues, whether you realize it or not.
Most studies on autism spectrum disorder or ASD and sleep focus on children. That said, emerging research suggests that sleep problems are common in autistic adults, as well. So, if you’re autistic and have sleep issues, it’s not a matter of poor discipline. Sometimes it’s just a biological reality. The good news? It’s usually treatable.
Read on for more information on why autism and sleep disturbances so often go hand in hand, and how to identify which sleep issues you might have. We’ll also discuss which sleep- improvement strategies often work for autistic nervous systems and when you’re better off consulting a healthcare provider.
Not sure if you’re autistic or not? Learn whether your sleep struggles align with a broader pattern worth exploring.
Unlocking the Power of Self-Care: A Guide for Autistic Adults
For autistic adults, self-care plays a crucial role in managing the unique challenges of life on the spectrum. By prioritizing self-care, autistic individuals can improve their mental health, enhance daily functioning and build resilience against stress and sensory overload.
However, self-care isn't always straightforward for autistic adults. Sensory sensitivities, executive functioning difficulties and social expectations can make implementing and maintaining self-care routines more challenging. Overwhelm from day-to-day demands or a lack of accessible resources may also hinder efforts to practice self-care effectively.
Despite these barriers, self-care can become an empowering tool for autistic adults with thoughtful planning and individualized approaches. By addressing these challenges head-on and finding strategies that work, self-care can support emotional well-being, strengthen independence and lead to a more positive and sustainable quality of life.
How to Develop a Daily Routine For Autistic Adults
According to the diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-V, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit a preference for sameness and routines. Most people, both neurodiverse and neurotypical, have routines or schedules they like to stick to. The difference between neurotypical and neurodiverse routines is how someone reacts when their routine is disrupted.
Neurotypical individuals may experience frustration if their routine is thrown off, but they can usually go with the flow and adapt without too much stress. For an autistic individual, however, a disruption to their routine is often quite distressing and may even lead to a meltdown. To outsiders, an autistic individual’s stress when facing a change of plans may seem disproportionate, but routine is essential to an autistic person’s well-being.
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