![]() What to do when you realize something isn’t right… I have known many individuals who have had to quit their jobs or school or go on medical leave because they are so worn down. In most cases, it lasts for weeks or even months. The major difference between an autistic meltdown and burnout is that burnout is usually longer lasting. The individual retreats inside to cope with distress and may become nonverbal, withdrawn, or emotionless. As an autistic person ages, meltdowns may become more of an internal process where they shut down. Furthermore, autistic meltdowns happen to individuals on the autism spectrum with any level of cognitive ability. Once you’ve caught the wave, you just have to ride it out. In many ways experiencing an autistic meltdown is like riding a wave. Autistic meltdowns can be external and include aggressive behavior, agitation, or extreme emotional responses. However, meltdowns happen more frequently during childhood and can last for minutes to hours. In many ways an autistic meltdown mimics burnout. The Difference Between an Autistic Meltdown and Autistic Burnout: Increase in “common” autistic behavior (self-soothing behavior, repetitive behavior, stimming, etc).Regression in skills you once possessed (speech, cognitive skills, executive functioning skills, self-control, etc.).Depressive symptoms: feelings of worthlessness, sadness, loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, etc.Some common signs of autistic burnout include: ![]() However, there are some common hallmark behaviors that indicate autistic burnout. Oftentimes, this causes a loss of skills as well.īear in mind that autistic burnout and the events that trigger it are unique to the person experiencing it. ![]() After pushing away their emotional and physical reactions to uncomfortable sensory stimuli, their body and mind become overwhelmed and they shut down. What is autistic burnout?Īutistic burnout is a relatively common experience that many high-functioning adults with autism experience when they go to extensive lengths to mask their autistic traits and fit into the neurotypical world around them. So, today I want to take a moment to discuss autistic burnout in more detail. As with many things regarding autism and neurodiversity, autistic burnout is often misunderstood. Many individuals, especially women, with high-functioning autism receive a diagnosis after going through autistic burnout and having a neuropsychological evaluation.
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