Autistic burnout
A described state of deep, long-lasting exhaustion with loss of skills and lower tolerance of stimuli. Not an official diagnosis; research is young.
- Also called
- autism burnout
“Autistic burnout” is a term that people on the autism spectrum themselves talk about a great deal and that research has only recently begun to study. [1] One study defines it as a state arising from chronic stress and a mismatch between demands and abilities when suitable support is missing. Its characteristics are deep, long-lasting exhaustion (typically lasting three months or more), the loss of skills that were previously there, and lower tolerance of stimuli. [1]
The studies describe autistic burnout as a state, not as an officially defined diagnosis. Research is still young.
Context: The concept is not yet conclusively settled scientifically. It is expressly not the same as the work-related burnout defined in the ICD-11, even though one study’s definition is built in a similar way. [1]
Sources and literature
- Raymaker DM, Teo AR, Steckler NA, Lentz B, Scharer M, Delos Santos A, Kapp SK, Hunter M, Joyce A, Nicolaidis C: “Having all of your internal resources exhausted beyond measure and being left with no clean-up crew”: Defining autistic burnout. Autism in Adulthood 2020;2(2):132–143. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.0079
In detail: Autistic burnout
Articles on this term
Knowledge articleAdults on the spectrum
Autistic burnout
Related terms
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