.webp)
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.
All Posts
Search results for Title
Search results for Text
How to Deal with Autism Anger in Adults: Effective Strategies and Techniques
Everyone experiences anger from time to time. For autistic individuals, anger can be more complex than for their neurotypical peers. Autism anger is often misunderstood or pathologized, which can lead to increased frustration for both the autistic person and those around them. Feeling misunderstood or judged makes anger management even more difficult than it already is.
To ease the added difficulties around autistic anger, it’s important to understand its causes, employ effective coping strategies and improve communication skills. Autistic individuals and their support networks can work together to build a toolkit for anger management.
Autism and Empathy: What the Research (and Autistic People) Actually Say
We often make assumptions about others’ internal states based on their external behaviors. For example, if it seems like you’re shivering, one might guess that you’re cold. The assumption might be correct much of the time, but these assumptions are not always accurate. It’s also possible that you could be shivering but not cold, or cold but not shivering.
Likewise, if you’re autistic, you may find your behaviors misunderstood because you communicate differently from what some people expect. People might misperceive your feelings and intentions. This is common for autistic people, and that’s part of why there are harmful misconceptions about autism and empathy — specifically, that autistic people have none.
The question “Do people with autism have empathy?” prevails in blog posts and articles. The reality is that autistic people do have empathy, and in fact, many have heightened empathy. This is true even if its expression presents differently, says Anna Kroncke, PhD, a licensed psychologist with Prosper Health.
The autism lack of empathy myth causes a lot of confusion, especially for neurodivergent people who aren’t diagnosed in childhood. You may hear for years that you’re “cold” or “insensitive,” even when you have the best of intentions, and have no idea why. Or, the fact you have empathy may lead you to doubt the possibility you’re autistic to begin with.
In this article, we'll discuss what research shows about autism spectrum disorder, empathy, how to recognize it in your own life, and how having empathy doesn't rule out the possibility of being autistic.
Navigating Autism and Grief: Understanding and Supporting Unique Emotional Journeys
Grief is an intense and inevitable facet of life. Though the process is distressing for everyone, neurotypical people (people without autism) and autistic individuals will likely experience grief differently. Adults with autism spectrum disorder often have delayed and unexpected reactions to grief. Because of this, it is important for loved ones to recognize the signs of autistic grief and the unique support required for autistic adults during the grieving process.
Navigating Meltdowns: Effective Strategies to Support Autistic Adults
Meltdowns are an extremely overwhelming experience for autistic people. In the throes of total overload, it can be difficult to identify and meet one’s own needs. While preventing and managing meltdowns is a skill many autistic adults can and do have, knowing how to help an autistic loved one during a meltdown can be an important way to show support.
Alexithymia and Autism
Everyone will, at some point in their lives, find themselves at a loss for words when describing how they’re feeling. When it occurs on occasion, it’s human nature. However, if the challenge to name or express emotions is a prevailing theme in someone’s life, it may be a sign of alexithymia. While primary alexithymia is relatively uncommon, the odds of having alexithymia traits are much higher in autistic people.
OCD and Autism: Understanding the Differences, Overlaps, and Support Options
Having autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be confusing for people with both conditions, especially because there are so many similarities between OCD and autism. It can also be a puzzle for people trying to figure out if they have autism or OCD.
However, overlapping traits, such as repetitive behaviors, can sometimes lead to an overall misunderstanding of the support people with these co-occurring conditions may need. This is mainly because although the characteristics of both autism and OCD are alike, the underlying reasons behind those behaviors are rather different.
As with autism, people with an OCD diagnosis are considered neurodivergent because they respond to the world differently than neurotypical individuals.
No matter where you are in your journey toward understanding OCD and autism (whether you’re considering an evaluation or have recently received a diagnosis), this article unpacks the differences between these conditions, as well as where they overlap. In addition, we’ll discuss understanding what it means to have both autism and OCD, as well as the supports available to you.
We couldn’t find what you’re looking for. Try again with more general keywords, or check out our top reads.
