Dialectics- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often surrounded by misconceptions and misunderstandings, with many people confusing certain behaviors or traits due to a lack of awareness. Terms like autistic burnout, inertia, masking, shutdowns, and stimming are sometimes misinterpreted or overlooked, but they represent important aspects of the autistic experience. This post aims to clarify these terms, offering brief explanations and examples to promote a better understanding of these experiences.
1. Autistic Burnout: State of intense exhaustion, often physical, mental, and emotional, that occurs when an autistic person has been under prolonged stress, masking, or sensory overload without enough rest. It may lead to difficulty functioning, and it can take weeks or months to recover.
Example: After weeks of social interactions and keeping up with work demands, an autistic person may feel so drained they struggle to get out of bed, avoid socializing, and find it challenging to complete even simple daily tasks.
2. Autistic Inertia: Difficulty in starting or stopping tasks, even ones the individual is interested in. It’s not about laziness; it’s a neurological difference in initiating action.
Example: An autistic person might want to start a project they’re passionate about but find it hard to begin, or they might feel “stuck” on an activity and unable to transition to the next one, even if they need to.
3. Autistic Masking: Masking involves hiding or “camouflaging” autistic traits to fit into social expectations, often to avoid stigma or make social interactions smoother. This can lead to exhaustion and burnout over time.
Example: In social situations, an autistic person may suppress their natural ways of interacting, like avoiding eye contact or stimming, to appear more “typical,” which can be exhausting over time.
4. Autistic Shutdowns: When overwhelmed by stress, sensory input, or emotions, an autistic person may experience a shutdown, temporarily “shutting off” to reduce sensory and cognitive input. This might look like withdrawing, becoming non-verbal, or being unable to respond to others.
Example: During a loud, crowded event, someone might become unresponsive, close their eyes, or withdraw completely because the sensory input is too overwhelming.
5. Autistic Stimming: Stimming (self-stimulatory behavior) is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, or words, which helps self-regulate, express emotions, or cope with sensory input. While everyone stims to some extent, stimming in autism can look different in type or frequency.
Example: An autistic person may flap their hands, rock back and forth, or hum repetitively to feel calm or manage stress in an overstimulating environment.
These behaviors are natural responses for autistic individuals to navigate their experiences, and understanding them can support greater empathy and acceptance.
Nicole Caton
