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Prosper Health's Autism Resource Center
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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.
What Are Signs of Autism in Adults? A Guide to Autistic Traits and Self-Discovery
When you picture someone with autism, there’s a good chance that a child comes to mind. Maybe your nephew or a member of your child’s class is diagnosed, so you’re familiar with some of the behaviors associated with the condition...or at least how they show up in children. But millions of autistic adults exist too, since autism is a distinct neurotype, not something you grow out of.
However, if the condition wasn’t assessed already in childhood, it can be harder to spot as an adult. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in 45 adults is autistic, and even more are likely undiagnosed.
Though there are many shared traits between the age groups, autism can present differently in adults than in children, which is something we'll discuss in depth within this article. But fundamentally, the signs of autism in adults include a range of characteristics like:
- Social interaction and communication differences
- Self-soothing and self-regulatory behaviors
- Sensory and processing differences
- Special interests and activities
- Emotional regulation and cognitive traits
If you suspect you may be autistic, you likely know the journey toward diagnosis isn’t so straightforward. It can be confusing and frustrating! Especially since no two people with autism are the same, and everyone has their own unique combination of strengths and challenges.
On top of that, many adults tend to mask their autistic behaviors to fit in with their neurotypical peers, oftentimes without even realizing it. Plus, thanks to gender and cultural bias and other stereotypes, countless autistic adults are overlooked due to their more subtle presentation of the condition.
That’s why Prosper Health is here to provide you with a clear, inclusive, neurodivergent-affirming breakdown of adult autism signs: what they are, why they’re often missed, and what to do if they resonate.
Understanding Autism and Relationships: Navigating Love, Family and Friendship
Autism can shape how individuals experience relationships, bringing unique strengths like honesty, loyalty, and focus. However, autism also creates challenges related to interpreting social cues or expressing emotions. These differences can easily lead to misunderstandings.
Autistic people thrive in relationships with clear communication and mutual understanding. For instance, they may prefer direct communication or need time to recharge after sensory overload. When these needs are respected, it fosters trust and support.
Autism Support Needs, Not Labels: A Guide to “Levels”
As an adult diagnosed first with autism as a child and again as an adult, I have witnessed firsthand the change in the way the DSM, or The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, has changed to affirm autistic people. In 2013, the DSM updated its resources with an eye to supportive care.
Rather than labeling autistic people with misleading descriptors like high-functioning, low-functioning, or others, experts now categorize autistic individuals based on levels (one, two, or three). These levels indicate varying degrees of support needs, which are often fluid and can change over time.
Mental health professionals and patients can now navigate autism support without labels, a notable step forward in recognizing the individuality of care.
This DSM change also did away with the term pervasive developmental disorder, which encompassed disorders such as Aspergers and child disintegrative disorder. Instead, they were replaced by autism spectrum levels.
Kaila Hattis, MA, LMFT, founder and therapist of Pacific Coast Therapy, explains, “The change focuses less on what someone has to more on what someone needs, and changes the way families access services and disperse information on what their loved one needs."
While these three levels of autism don’t capture the full picture of autism spectrum disorder, they’re a move in the right direction to fuller, more nuanced autism treatment.
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Navigating the Autism Spectrum: Insights into PDD-NOS and Asperger's Syndrome
For autistic adults, understanding your diagnosis and the labels that may have once applied can be a powerful step toward self-awareness and advocacy. If you were diagnosed before 2013, the terms PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified) and Asperger’s syndrome may feel deeply familiar. While these diagnoses were cut from the DSM-5, they continue to hold meaning, especially for individuals who identify with the traits and lived experiences associated with them.
By understanding the distinctions and overlaps between PDD-NOS and Asperger’s, autistic adults can find relatable community experiences and make informed decisions about support and self-care. Exploring these diagnostic categories with a nuanced lens not only sheds light on where one fits within the broader autism spectrum but also affirms the diverse ways autism manifests across individuals.
Navigating ARFID and Autism: Understanding the Connection
For most people, eating daily meals comes naturally. But for others, eating can be a daily source of stress, discomfort or even fear. Certain textures might feel unbearable, new foods might trigger anxiety or eating might simply not feel important. These experiences are real and valid, and they’re central to understanding avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
ARFID is an eating disorder characterized by limited food intake or avoidance of food. It can be due to sensory sensitivities, fear of negative consequences (like choking or vomiting) or lack of interest in eating. ARFID was first classified in 2013 and differs from other eating disorders (like anorexia nervosa) in that it is not driven by body image concerns.
Approximately 1-5% of people have ARFID, but it’s much more common in autistic individuals than in the general population. There’s substantial overlap between ARFID and autism, and both are highly heritable. Many autistic individuals have unique relationships with food sensory sensitivities, strong preferences and a desire for routines, which are also traits commonly associated with ARFID.
About 1 in 5 autistic individuals (and a similar number of their parents) have avoidant-restrictive eating traits, and about 1 in 10 meet the full criteria for ARFID. Among individuals who have an ARFID diagnosis, approximately 8% to 55% are also autistic. More than half of individuals with ARFID have other co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorders or learning differences.
ARFID has three main subtypes, which often overlap:
- Sensory-based avoidance: This involves strong aversions to specific sensory characteristics of food such as texture, taste, smell, temperature or appearance. Individuals may eat only foods that feel safe and avoid many others based on sensory discomfort.
- Fear-based avoidance: Eating is restricted due to fear of negative consequences such as choking, vomiting, allergic reactions or pain. These fears may begin after a traumatic food-related event, or they may develop on their own over time.
- Low interest in eating: This is sometimes called “lack of interest” and involves low appetite, feeling full after eating only a small amount of food or a general indifference to food. Eating may feel like a chore, and individuals may forget to eat or feel overwhelmed by the demands of mealtimes.
These subtypes are not mutually exclusive, and many people with ARFID experience a combination of them.
Understanding Autism and Stomach Issues: A Guide for Autistic Adults
Digestive problems are very common in the autistic community, and they’re more than just tummy aches. Autistic adults often report a range of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, including constipation, nausea, abdominal pain and bloating. These concerns can seriously impact daily life, yet they’re often overlooked or misunderstood by healthcare providers. This guide is here to validate your experience, provide helpful information and support you in advocating for better care.
Adapting ERP Therapy for Autistic Adults
Living with both autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be challenging, especially when it comes to getting the right diagnosis and support. Because symptoms can overlap, it’s easy for one condition to be misdiagnosed or misunderstood. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is the most effective treatment for breaking the OCD cycle, but when it’s not adapted for neurodivergent people, it can leave autistic adults feeling misunderstood or dismissed.
The good news is that ERP can work for autistic adults when it’s delivered in an affirming and collaborative way. You can still achieve symptom relief without having to choose between effective treatment and staying true to who you are.
To explore how ERP therapy can be more inclusive and effective for autistic adults, we spoke with Glen Veed, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist at Prosper Health, and April Kilduff, LCPC, LMHC, LPCC, LPC, an autistic therapist at NOCD.
Autism and Schizophrenia
Did you know when autism was first described it was thought of as a version of childhood-onset schizophrenia? Today, we know that autism and schizophrenia are unrelated diagnoses with very different features. Understanding the overlap between autism and schizophrenia, however, remains important, as schizophrenia may be more common among autistic people than in the general population. One study suggests that autistic youth may be three to six times more likely to develop schizophrenia than allistic (AKA non-autistic) peers.
Read on to learn about these two diagnoses’ co-occurrence and how to get support.
Breathing Exercises for Autism: Enhancing Well-Being and Reducing Stress
Breathing is something we do automatically, so it might seem strange that it’s something we need to learn.
While breathing won’t solve all your problems, learning how to breathe intentionally can change how you respond to them, and that can make a big difference. Breathing exercises offer autistic adults a powerful, science-backed tool for navigating nervous system dysregulation, sensory overwhelm and emotional intensity.
These practices don’t need to be rigid or perfect to be effective; rather, they can be tailored to sensory preferences, embedded in daily routines and paired with mindful movement or imagery. Ultimately, breath is more than a survival mechanism—it becomes a means of self-connection, regulation and empowerment.
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