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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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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.
Unraveling Autism Misconceptions: Insights from an Autistic Adult
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts how people communicate, learn and interact with the world. Some autistic traits in adults include having difficulty understanding what others think or feel, taking things literally, avoiding eye contact and having intense, narrow interests known as “special interests.”
Understanding autism is crucial because it promotes accurate recognition of the rich diversity in how autistic people perceive, process and interact with the world, thereby reducing stigma and enabling tailored supports that respect individual strengths and challenges. Further, by dispelling myths and misconceptions, we foster inclusion, improve mental health outcomes and empower autistic individuals to thrive.
Navigating Autism and Communication Differences in Adults: Strategies for Success
To be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, an individual must have social and communication differences compared to those without autism, and those differences must impact their daily life. The severity varies from one individual to the next. However, communication differences are a core characteristic of autism.
Common challenges faced by autistic people include:
- Difficulty interpreting or understanding body language
- Difficulty modulating tone, volume or speed of speech
- Trouble understanding idioms, figurative language or other instances of non-literal speech
- Uncertainty during social interaction
- Using more direct language or more formal and technical language, which is sometimes mistakenly interpreted as “bluntness” or “rudeness”
- Using repeated words or phrases (or echolalia)
- Having a flat affect or appearing uninterested during conversations, even if they are engaged
Differences in communication between autistic individuals and non autistic individuals often lead to difficulties for the autistic population. These difficulties include:
- Facing judgment during social situations or bullying from peers
- Finding it hard to make or maintain friendships
- Developing anxiety around social situations
- Feeling fatigued after a social interaction
- Increased risk of isolation or loneliness
- Low self-esteem or negative self-image
- Engaging in masking behaviors, which can lead to burnout
When communication style differences are judged instead of accommodated, it leads to negative outcomes for autistic individuals. Support and resources can help autistic individuals become more effective communicators, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle. It’s also important that we learn to not only understand autistic communication but also accept and embrace it.
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