#Autistic meltdown adults professional

Knowing the difference between a typical temper tantrum in a young child and a meltdown in a person with autism helps to further understand what a meltdown is.Ĭhildren have temper tantrums with intention and purpose, such as control over people or situations, or as a call for attention.

People with autism often have difficulty expressing when they are feeling overly anxious or overwhelmed, which leads to an involuntary coping mechanism-a meltdown. What is a meltdown?Ī meltdown is an intense response to overwhelming circumstances-a complete loss of behavioral control. It helps parents once they understand what a meltdown is, as then you are able to gain the ability to foresee the signs of a meltdown, as well as identify the causes, and reduce the frequency. If this sounds familiar, know that you are not alone. Most parents of children with autism do everything they can to avoid new or unexpected circumstances that may instigate overload that could lead to a meltdown.

As a parent, it is distressing, as well as mentally tiring, and can be physically challenging. Aspiretests.It is common for a person with autism to experience meltdowns.

#Autistic meltdown adults professional

See a professional if you suspect you have autism. Just remember, you can’t diagnose yourself. These are merely some of the common traits and should be used as a reference point for understanding yourself.Īdditionally, here are a few additional online tests you can take. The above list is not a complete list and your experience may differ greatly from someone else’s. Keep in mind that every person on the autism spectrum is different. For example, thinking about a song over and over again until it drives you crazy, or a particular memory. You may also find yourself getting “stuck” on certain thoughtsĪutistic people often struggle to shift their attention away from specific topics, cognitively and emotionally.You might become extremely agitated and destructive, or on the opposite end, completely shut down. W hen overwhelmed by life, you may have poor coping mechanisms. Or you may do things like fidget with a keychain in your pocket when you find yourself nervous, though many neurotypical people have similar behaviors too. For example, flapping your hands or twirling pens between your fingers. You may find yourself stimming and fidgettingĪutistic people often stim or move around in an odd or repetitive manner.You might have difficulty with judging how someone will react to something you say or do. You may find it hard to visualize or imagine what things would look like. You may have difficulty with social imagination.People with autism often find it hard to socialize, and this can lead to extreme anxiety, even panic attacks. Having a routine can make an autistic adult feel secure and safe, but this reliance on routine could cause problems in your home or work life. You may be overly attached to routines:.You may struggle to see another person’s perspective because of this, if their point of view has any contradictory, paradoxical, or unsure elements, like many do. You may see things in black or white, right or wrong, and good or bad. You may have a hard time seeing the other person’s perspective:.Since autistic adults often struggle to read social cues, initiating conversation can be difficult. You may have problems starting a conversation or keeping one going:.While this can be something manageable like nervousness or shyness, it could also be a sign of level 1 autism. While each person is different, many autistic adults struggle to read social cues and struggle to maintain eye contact during conversation. You may struggle with eye contact and social cues:.What are signs of level 1 autism in adults?

However, there are some signs that you may have level 1 autism. Since, beyond professional observation and questionnaires, there are no medical diagnostic tests, it can be tricky to diagnose milder autism in adults. This can often be frustrating for adults who recognize that they have signs of level 1 autism but were not diagnosed as a child, and therefore lack many of the coping mechanisms necessary to function in society at large. While there are various ways that autism is diagnosed, the most common diagnostics are based on children.