Autistic shutdowns are complex neurological response to overwhelming stimuli or stress, which can present in varying ways depending on an individual’s particular type of neurodivergence.
These episodes lead to a profound withdrawal into oneself, significantly impacting social relationships, work performance, and overall quality of life.
And in a world that prioritises constant connectivity, these periods of non-responsiveness can make life extremely difficult, due to those obligations that feel conditional to the point of stress and constriction.
Autistic Shutdowns can cause a lot of distress for high-functioning autistic adults in professional settings, where they might be misinterpreted as laziness or incompetence.
These experiences can be profoundly disabling yet invisible to others, making them both difficult to empathise with and support.
It’s time to change the narrative, recognising shutdowns as a legitimate aspect of the autistic experience. A shutdown is not a weakness, but simply the signal of an overstimulated brain and nervous system crying out for rest.
What is an Autistic Shutdown in Adults?
If you imagine your brain as a computer and then contemplate what happens when too many programs are running at once. Things slow down, and the computer might need to be restarted.
Or, at the very least, close off some of those programs…
There’s been too much asked of the system – its capacity has been reached. Shutdowns in adults with high functioning autism could be said to function in a similar expression.
This experience is just as common in individuals with high functioning autism symptoms as it is with those on the more severe end of the scale.
It’s the brain’s way of saying, “That’s enough! I need a break, I need space, I need time to recalibrate myself.” It’s a protective response that prevents the brain from becoming too overwhelmed by sensory input, whether it be light, sound or any other stimulus.
During a shutdown, you might find yourself struggling to communicate, to process information, to engage with the world around you. And this is because your system has gone into power-saving mode.
But here’s the thing: It’s not a choice. It’s not laziness. It’s simply your nervous system desperately trying to reset and recover.
Understanding that these shutdowns don’t make you any less of a person but are actually a necessary part of the way that you regulate and conserve energy is the first step towards building greater self acceptance and advocating for better support when necessary.
Defining Autistic Shutdown vs. Meltdown
Despite autistic shutdowns and meltdowns both being a response to overwhelming situations, there’s a key differentiating factor in the way they manifest. Understanding these differences is crucial for supporting someone with autism effectively.
Shutdowns present as more of an inward response to overwhelming stimulus.
They’re characterised by a withdrawal into the self, which can present as inattentiveness or indifference to those who might be trying to engage with them, often appearing to be ‘zoned out.’
If you’re experiencing a shutdown as a high functioning autistic adult, you might struggle to formulate and vocalise responses, process information and generally appear detached from your surroundings.
An autistic meltdown, on the other hand, is a more outward response to being overwhelmed.
This might involve vocal outbursts, more pronounced body language or intense displays of emotion. Meltdowns can often be mistaken for tantrums, but they are actually involuntary responses to stress or overstimulation and not attempts at manipulation.
Tailoring Support: Distinct Needs in Shutdowns vs. Meltdowns
Shutdown Needs: During a shutdown, you’ll likely require a calm, low-stimulation environment – space and time to withdraw and process without any additional external pressures. This will look different for each individual but usually means having quiet, minimal social interaction and also perhaps low lighting. The key is creating a space you can naturally emerge from at your own pace.
Meltdown Needs: If experiencing a meltdown, you might need more active and involved support to help regulate your emotions. You might also require a safe environment and a quieter space in order to remove yourself from overwhelming sensory stimuli. Clear, simple communication and reassurance would also help lessen the activation of your nervous system
Autistic Shutdown vs. Burnout
Autistic shutdowns and burnouts are also often confused with one another. And whilst they are related, they also represent different aspects of the response to overwhelm, and, in particular, how you might respond to stress.
An autistic shutdown is considered to be an acute, often short-term response to sensory overwhelm which is happening in the immediate sense.
It’s a temporary state where your internal computer system powers down to protect itself to prevent any further distress or sensory overload. These episodes can last anywhere from a couple of minutes to several days, but they are short-term experiences
On the other side of the spectrum, autistic burnout is a chronic condition that may result from long-term masking (hiding autistic traits), prolonged exposure to highly stimulating environments or persistent stress. Many adults who are just beginning to explore whether they could be autistic often confuse burnout with chronic fatigue or depression.
An episode of autistic burnout may include both meltdowns, shutdowns and extreme fatigue. Burnouts can last for weeks, months, or even years, significantly affecting an individual’s capacity and ability to function in daily life.
To build on the analogy of the computer crash, autistic shutdowns are like a circuit breaker, which offer immediate protection from any further damage to the system while burnouts could be likened more to a system-wide crash.
Tailoring Support for Episodes of Burnout
Burnout Needs: If experiencing burnout, you’ll need a long-term comprehensive support plan to help you regain your capacity. This will mean gaining understanding and accommodations in all areas of your life, including work, social interactions and other daily responsibilities. If the people in your life don’t understand your capacity, it may only add to your overall stress levels. More than anything, this needs to be a gentle process of rebuilding your resilience and capacity at your own pace.
Recognising Signs and Symptoms of Autistic Shutdown in Adults
Being able to identify the early onset signs of an autistic shutdown will aid you greatly in being able to take proactive measures that prevent an escalation into a full blown episode where you need to take time away from your responsibilities.
This awareness can empower you to help better manage your environment and bring in coping strategies before a shutdown occurs. This, in turn, will also help break the cycle of isolation by creating more resilience.
Ultimately, the aim isn’t to deny that you experience shutdowns at all – therefore bypassing your needs. Instead, it’s to gradually reduce their intensity and frequency which will help you maintain better relationships and improve the quality of your life. One empowered choice at time.
Common Triggers for Autistic Shutdown in High-Functioning Adults
Sensory Overload: You might find yourself shutting down when exposed to loud noises, bright lights, or crowded spaces. Even subtle sensory inputs can push you over your threshold, especially if this is combined with managing other significant stressors.
Social Exhaustion: Prolonged social interactions, particularly those requiring you to mask your autistic traits can also lead to shutdowns. If you feel obligated to maintain social norms for extended periods which suppress your authentic self, it can lead to a build of inner tension.
Routine Disruptions: Unexpected changes in your daily routine or work schedule can push you towards experiencing a shutdown, especially if maintaining routine is particularly supportive to you. If you’re left struggling to adapt quickly and under pressure, it can intensify the feelings of overwhelm.
Emotional Intensity: Conflicts or situations that create emotional turbulence and activate the nervous system can also push you towards I shut down, especially if you’re unable to process or recognise when your emotional capacity has been reached.
Cognitive Overload: If you’re working with a limited mental capacity, extended periods of complex problem solving or intense concentration can also contribute to autistic shutdowns. It might be important for you to take intermittent periods of rest.
Cumulative Stress: What seems like a minor issue might be the final straw after a day of managing various stressors. You might find yourself shutting down unexpectedly due to an accumulation of small challenges throughout the day.
Note: These triggers can be especially challenging for those who have both ADHD and ASD, a combination often referred to as AuDHD.
Physical and Emotional Symptoms of Autistic Shutdown
Physical Freeze: You might find your body becoming rigid or frozen during a shutdown. Your facial expression may go blank, and you might struggle to make eye contact. It’s as if your body is trying to protect you by minimising all external interactions.
Autonomic Nervous System Shift: Your body’s internal system might feel off as you experience height and emotion and anxiety for nervous system activation. Your heart rate might change, and your breathing might become shallow..
Emotional Numbness: During a shutdown, you might feel completely disconnected from your emotions. You might feel like you’re watching the world through a TV screen. This emotional flatness can create confusion and distress as they are one of the key markers of how we interact socially.
Cognitive Dimming: You may also experience a form of mental fog which makes processing information challenging. This may contribute to the sense of overload, making decisions or communicating verbally feel extremely slow, tedious and oftentimes frustrating.
Communication Breakdown: Even if you don’t experience cognitive dimming, you still might struggle to form complete sentences and communicate effectively. This might be particularly frustrating at work or in social situations where you know what you want to say but can’t express yourself properly.
These symptoms can overlap with other neurodivergent symptoms, making diagnosis complex. It’s important to note that the experience of an autistic shutdown is unique to each individual and can vary in intensity and duration.
Acknowledging the Variations in Autistic Shutdown Experiences
Remember, the experience of an autistic shutdown is going to be as unique as a fingerprint. These are just some more common experiences you might encounter.
You might experience the symptoms listed here to greater or lesser degrees and in different combinations during different situational contexts.
It entirely depends on your biological make-up, how you’re triggered and what your unique neurology and hence neurodivergence creates as a response within you.
Coping Strategies and Recovery from Autistic Shutdown
If you’ve been struggling to both manage or recover from autistic shutdowns as a high functioning autistic adult, developing effective coping strategies and techniques relating to your particular type of shutdown would be a great support. These strategies can also be particularly helpful for those navigating the relationship between ADHD and ASD.
It would allow you to take back control of your life, and perhaps help let go of any victimhood mentality and powerlessness by making proactive choices.
You could think of this as a Personalised Resilience Building Toolkit.
This might include sensory aids, communication cards, and pre-planned escape routes from overwhelming situations.
Again, it’s important to recognise that what works for one person may not work for yourself, so experimentation and self-reflection are key.
Immediate Response: How to Get Out of an Autistic Shutdown
So what do you actually do when you are in the midst of an autistic shutdown? Establishing routine and having a reliable repeatable process that you can turn to is going to be vital in getting away from the overwhelm.
You don’t want to be in a situation where you’ve already reached capacity and you’re trying to patch together a solution to get yourself out of that situation when you are experiencing cognitive dimming, or struggling to express your needs. Having a pre-prepared plan for what to do when if and when a shutdown occurs will help you relieve any further stress.
It might be helpful to make a note of this step by step guide and modify it to your own particular needs depending on your particular type of shutdown:
Step 1: Ditch the Triggers
Firstly, you need to get away from whatever is triggering you. If you’re trying to regulate whilst still in the presence of what’s causing your overwhelm it’s going to be like trying to put out a fire with fire.
- If it’s noisy, find a quiet spot.
- If it’s bright, dim the lights or find some shade.
- If people are overwhelming you, politely excuse yourself.
Remember, it’s okay to prioritise your needs. You’re not being rude, you’re taking care of yourself. Self-advocacy is paramount, here. Even if that means exiting a situation and explaining later to communicate your difficulties.
Step 2: Create Your Sensory Safe Haven
Once you’re away from your triggers, it’s time to reset your senses. This is where you will need to know your own particular needs and what’s going to work best for you. For some people, they might be overwhelmed by lights and sound. For others, it might be the stimulation of a crowd and so many conversations going on at once. An autistic shutdown is often a sign you need rest, and less input. So embrace it. Listen to your body’s needs. Do less.
- Pop of noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs if you own some.
- If lights are still bothering you, try sunglasses or close your eyes.
- Wrap yourself in a weighted blanket or give yourself a tight hug.
- Grab your favourite stim toy or comfort object.
- Ensure that no one is able to disturb you if you’re overwhelmed by crowds.
The goal here is to create a sanctuary space, which serves as a cocoon of calm.
Step 3: Breathe and Ground Yourself
As autistic shutdowns can last up to a few days, this step isn’t necessarily intended to get you back ‘working as quickly as possible.’ That approach is not helpful. The shutdown needs to be respected and the pace of ‘return’ also needs to be allowed to move at its own pace. These are simply some steps to help you be more in your body and less in the overthinking and over-functioning autistic mind.
- Try some deep breathing. In for 4, hold for 4, out for 4.
- If you have a meditation practice, maybe close your eyes and perform a body scan meditation to become aware of your entire body. Take yourself as much out of the mind as you’re able to.
- Some people find gentle movement helpful – rocking or pacing. You might find you need to be still as movement creates more agitation in your system.
Step 4: Hydrate and Fuel Up
Depending on the intensity and length of the shutdown, they can be quite exhausting. If you’re able to move without causing yourself too much distress and taking yourself out to the rest zone, it could be supportive to drink a large glass of water or eat something nourishing.
- Try and drink some water or fluid that you feel would hydrate you.
- Have a small, easily digestible snack if you can. Whatever works best for your body.
Step 5: Communicate (If You Can)
As autistic shutdowns are a neurological issue, it may take a while for the capacity and desire for communication to return. But that’s okay. If you’re in a space where people may need to check up on you, and you need to communicate your desire not to speak some of the following strategies may help:
- Use pre-prepared cards or a text-to-speech app.
- Simple gestures can work too.
Remember, you don’t owe anyone a lengthy explanation when your capacity won\t allow it. Your priority is taking care of yourself.
Step 6: Give Yourself Time
It’s important here to emphasise again that you shouldn’t feel obligated by the expectations of other people. Your brain and entire system needs ample time to fully reset, and if you rush yourself back too soon, it may contribute to more overwhelm and chronic stress which may lead to burn out.
Step 7: Ease Back In
When you start feeling like your system is returning to its regular capacity, remember to take it slow when coming back to your daily responsibilities and regular routine.
- Start with simple, familiar tasks.
- Gradually reintroduce more complex activities.
Remember, everyone’s shutdown experience is different. What works for someone else might not work for you. It’s all about finding your own rhythm and building your personal shutdown toolkit. Be patient with yourself – don’t punish yourself. Your body and brain are wired differently and simply require a different level of care and support. Don’t deny yourself what your truly need.
