What is Autistic Burnout?IN BRIEF
Autistic burnout, despite its name, is not related to work. It occurs when sensory, social, or adaptive challenges exceed an autistic person’s capacity to cope. This exhaustion can lead to significant distress. Rest is essential—not just to recover from burnout, but also to prevent it. This rest involves reducing the effort required to adapt (to noise, lights, social interactions, unexpected changes, etc.), rather than simply sleeping or doing nothing.
Autistic Burnout
Autistic burnout manifests as distress and exhaustion, decreased energy and abilities, and a lower tolerance for sensory input such as noise, textures, or light. Social interactions also become much harder to manage. It’s as if all the challenges associated with autism suddenly become amplified, making them impossible to handle. The person may feel completely overwhelmed and often unable to function. This poses a significant risk, as autistic individuals experiencing burnout may struggle to maintain their daily responsibilities, and in severe cases, it can lead to hospitalization, loss of independence, social isolation, or even suicidal thoughts.
Important
Autistic burnout is not the same as occupational burnout.
How Does Autistic Burnout Happen?
It’s well known that autistic people often require accommodations to manage daily life, take care of themselves, and fulfill responsibilities in their family and community. However, what is often overlooked is the effort autistic individuals put into adapting in order to function “normally” in social settings—whether with family, friends, at school, at work, or in public spaces.
Making eye contact, engaging in small talk, or using loud hand dryers in public restrooms are just a few examples of situations that can demand an immense amount of energy from autistic individuals. As long as they can, autistic people will push themselves to perform these seemingly minor actions—which are effortless for neurotypicals but highly draining for them. In doing so, they are the ones accommodating neurotypical people.
When an autistic person has to exert more effort than they have energy for, burnout becomes a real risk. This is autistic burnout.
During burnout, the individual may appear to have “regressed,” as if they can no longer perform basic daily tasks, have become “clumsy,” or have “stopped making an effort.” However, none of these descriptions are accurate. In reality, the person has simply exceeded their capacity. Their body can no longer perform these activities without the necessary accommodations.
How to Recover from Autistic Burnout
The body and mind need time to recover. Every person and situation is different, and there is no universal timeline for recovery. An autistic person’s body may take anywhere from a few hours to a week to recover. After this period, their sensory overload will lessen, and their abilities will return.
For optimal recovery, the person needs a comfortable and safe environment where they can avoid sensory overload and follow their routine.
Important
If someone has endured a situation that exceeded their limits for a long time, their burnout may last much longer and be more severe—potentially leading to complete shutdown.
Note
Autistic burnout is rarely caused by one big event. Instead, it is often the result of many small things piling up.
Understanding the root cause of burnout is essential to prevent it from recurring. Once the cause is identified, solutions can be found. Seeking help from a social worker, a specialized educator, or members of the autistic community can be crucial, both to understand the cause of burnout and to find strategies for recovery.
I went through a major life event that disrupted everything—my routines, my mental state, and my interactions with others. It even changed the personalities of those around me, as they had to adapt as well. Over several months, I lost all my reference points, leading to a complete shutdown. I needed help from two professionals—a psychoeducator and a social worker—to get through it. They helped me set clear goals, re-establish structure in my life, and take concrete steps toward recovery.
Burnout After an Unusual Activity
Autistic burnout can also result from a significant but temporary change in routine—lasting from just one day to a few weeks. It is common for autistic people to experience exhaustion during the holiday season, after traveling, following a vacation, after attending a concert, or even after celebrating their own birthday.
Even when these events are positive and important to the autistic person, they can still trigger autistic burnout. It is crucial to plan rest periods to allow the body to recover.
Chronic Autistic Burnout
Some autistic people feel constantly exhausted, chronically clumsy, and unable to access their full cognitive abilities. This ongoing fatigue can lead to low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy—wondering why they cannot keep up with others.
When these thoughts arise, it’s important to remember that everyone has different capacities. It’s okay to function differently. Life is not a competition, and it is neither desirable nor realistic to compare how much one person can do versus another.
That said, persistent fatigue, clumsiness, and cognitive difficulties can be signs of autistic burnout. If in doubt, trying burnout recovery strategies—such as taking a break and assessing which daily activities are draining—can help restore energy and abilities. There is no age limit to implementing accommodations that make daily life easier.
When I worked at the National Assembly, my office was in a historic house with only two to four people working there at the same time. In that setting, I could work full-time (or even more) for an entire year without exhaustion—until I was asked to leave the house. A house is a comfortable space: no fluorescent lights, no loud air exchangers or air conditioning units, no constant movement.
Occupational Burnout
Autistic individuals can also experience occupational burnout, just like anyone else. Burnout doesn’t just happen at work—it can also affect students, volunteers, and activists. It can happen to anyone.
The symptoms of occupational burnout resemble those of autistic burnout: physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion, loss of creativity, and lack of motivation.
If taking a few days off and adding accommodations does not resolve the symptoms, it’s important to seek professional help from a doctor or psychologist. Autistic people are just as susceptible to burnout as anyone else. In 2021, it was estimated that 37% of Canadians were at risk of burnout in the past year. Needing rest is normal!
References
Autistic Burnout: An Exploratory Conceptual Analysis (2019) by Dora M. Raymaker et al. – Defines autistic burnout as a process of emotional exhaustion and cognitive dysfunction caused by chronic stress from social conformity and adapting to societal expectations.
The Costs of Camouflaging Autism (2019) by Will Mandy et al. – Examines the psychological toll of masking autism, highlighting consequences such as emotional exhaustion, social deterioration, and increased repetitive behaviors.
A Conceptual Framework for Autistic Burnout (2021) by Dora M. Raymaker et al. – Proposes a framework for autistic burnout, emphasizing factors like sensory overload, social expectations, and difficulty maintaining adaptive self-determination. The study underscores the importance of understanding autistic burnout to better support autistic individuals in their development and well-being.
