Autistic Burnout and the benefits of receiving a diagnosis in adulthood
Autistic Burnout and the benefits of receiving a diagnosis in adulthood. Early autism research aimed at finding the root causes and a cure for autism, however, in recent years there has been a shift from that line of research to trying to find ways to support autistic individuals in their everyday life. This movement appears to have taken place as a result of emerging autistic voices. For neurotypical individuals, the term “burnout” is commonly understood as a combination of symptoms of work/school exhaustion associated with the demands within these settings. However, for autistic adults this term might have less to do with the expected fatigue related to the high stress that comes with particularly demanding careers and more to do with the expectations for them to function within neurotypical environments. A study found that “ autistic adults described the primary characteristics of autistic burnout as chronic exhaustion, loss of skills, and reduced tolerance to stimulus. ...