Autistic burnout. Those who have experienced it or know someone who goes through it often know that it’s not some regular sluggishness that one experiences if they stay out too late the night before, or if they missed their coffee in the morning. If you’re familiar with the condition, you’d certainly want to know how to prevent autistic burnout if possible and how to manage it if it occurs. 

What Is Autistic Burnout?

In simple terms, autistic burnout occurs when a person’s internal resources have been depleted. According to some reports, autism burnout is the result of the strenuous demands of social interactions, masking, and tolerating stressors from unfamiliar or unaccommodating environments. These are things that individuals with autism often have to do in the neurotypical world with no support.

Masking, for instance, can exhaust one’s energy, and when done for an extended period, could result in autistic burnout. Because of how taxing it is, avoiding autistic fatigue is important. But before we share tips on how to prevent autistic burnout, let’s take a look at some of its telltale signs that you should be aware of.

Signs of Autistic Burnout

While these symptoms can be experienced by anyone at some point, when they last for three months or longer, they can be signs of autistic burnout. Some even go through them for years when not addressed properly.

Chronic Fatigue

The kind of fatigue one experiences when going through autistic burnout is the kind that’s lingering, no matter how many hours of sleep they get. Sure, a lot of sleep can be beneficial, but the exhaustion here also often means losing interest in things one used to enjoy, becoming unable to take care of themselves, and having difficulty maintaining relationships. 

Reduced Executive Functioning Skills

During an autistic burnout, the brain drains its reserves, too. That means the part of the brain in charge of complex thinking, decision-making, and executive function is also not working properly. This is why others refer to autistic burnout as autistic regression, too. If your loved one is experiencing autistic burnout, they might not be able to do things they can usually handle well, like their chores, schoolwork, or their job. They might also have more meltdowns than usual and be more rigid with routines.

Heightened Sensitivity to Stimulus

Another symptom of autistic burnout is a sudden or significant increase in sensory sensitivity. This happens because the part of the brain that filters out sensory information that’s not needed isn’t functioning well. Also, during a burnout, the nervous system is continuously on high alert and is therefore triggered much more easily by even the most minor stressors. Because of this sensory overload, people who go through autistic burnout also stim more often than usual.

How to Prevent Autistic Burnout

Now that we understand autistic burnout a little better, let’s discuss some autism self-care strategies that are key to avoiding autistic fatigue and burnout.

Acknowledge Your Limits

Before you can fully embrace your limits, you’d have to acknowledge them first, which may be harder than it sounds. It’s not easy to admit that there are just so many things that other people can easily do with no effort that many on the spectrum can’t, no matter how much they want to. Acknowledging your limitations can significantly reduce the need to mask or to try so hard to do what other people do.

Manage Internal Pressure

It’s not uncommon for individuals with autism to have feelings or thoughts that they should be able to do things, like they should be able to thrive in any environment with no sensory support, or they should be able to attend social events without a hitch. Unless one can manage this internal pressure, avoiding autistic fatigue may be difficult if not impossible.

Practice Self-Care

Taking care of oneself is necessary to prevent burnout. This includes having good hygiene and getting enough rest to reset. If it’s proving to be a challenge for you, try different activities that are relaxing and restorative for you, and then slowly incorporate them into your routine.

Know Your Needs and Your Triggers

There are people on the spectrum who have difficulty recognizing needs like hunger, discomfort, or tiredness because of low interoceptive awareness. But understanding these things, as well as the burnout symptoms mentioned above, can help you recognize burnout coming before it worsens. You should also observe and take note of the things that trigger your burnout. For example, did big changes like a new job or moving to a new place cause your last burnout? These are common triggers, but some might be unique to you. 

Set Up Social and Sensory Accommodations

One of the best autism self-care strategies that you can follow is this one: set up accommodations for your needs. This can be by informing your loved ones that around them you’d be masking less or that at certain periods you’d have to recharge your social battery and avoid interactions. You might also need sensory accommodations, like wearing headphones when in public, asking your seatmate in school not to spray or lessen the amount of perfume they wear when you’re going to be in the same class, or requesting blinds or blackout curtains for your part of the office. 

What to Do When Autistic Burnout Sets In

Managing autism burnout may not be simple, but it’s doable. Whether it’s for you or a loved one on the spectrum, these autistic burnout recovery tips can help. 

Reduce Load

When managing autism burnout, one of the first things that can be done is to reduce one’s load. If they’re in school or work, ask for some time off, or if that’s not possible, request more frequent breaks. Also, lessen social interactions for the meantime. 

Seek Support

It’s very important to have a strong support system that knows how to prevent autistic burnout and manage it when it occurs. Whether in the form of friends and family, having people who genuinely care to provide both emotional support and practical help can make a huge difference.

Autistic Burnout Happens, But It Can Be Prevented and It Can Be Managed

Autistic burnout can happen to you or your loved one anytime, and understanding the autistic burnout recovery tips we shared here by heart is important. Knowing how to prevent autistic burnout is not enough, though. People on the spectrum need constant support, not only from their families but from professionals like our team at Aluma Care, who can help them through their complex journey. 

Aluma Care is here to help you or your loved one cope with and manage concerns like burnouts, meltdowns, and more. Get in touch with our team in Kansas to find out more about our ABA therapy services.

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