"Having All of Your Internal Resources Exhausted Beyond Measure and Being Left with No Clean-Up Crew": Defining Autistic Burnout.
Dora M Raymaker, Alan R Teo, Nicole A Steckler and 7 others
PMID 32851204WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adults described burnout as long-lasting exhaustion, lost skills, and lower sensory tolerance after chronic stress and unsupported expectations.
They named relief in accepting support, breaks, reduced masking, and accommodations.
Key findings
01Autistic adults described burnout as chronic exhaustion, loss of skills, and reduced tolerance to stimulus.
02Masking was described as the most prominent life stressor, and burnout arose when people could not obtain relief from accumulated stress.
03Participants suggested relief through acceptance, breaks, less masking, and treating depression when present.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This was a small qualitative convenience sample, and the authors said it did not represent the full diversity of autistic adults. The authors said they could not compare autistic burnout with burnout that might be experienced by other disabled or chronically ill groups. One interview stood out as being more accurately described by symptoms of depression. The study describes participant suggestions; it did not test them as interventions.
Declared interests
The paper does not name a funder or list conflicts of interest. It says the study's focus was partly shaped by the nature of the funding received.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the listed strategies as proven ways to relieve autistic burnout. They were participant suggestions, not tested interventions.