Yes, autism often involves heightened emotional sensitivity, where individuals experience emotions more intensely and can be easily overwhelmed by sensory and emotional input, leading to strong reactions to seemingly minor events, difficulty regulating feelings, and challenges in expressing emotions in neurotypical ways. This isn't a lack of feeling but a different processing style, sometimes involving intense empathy, sensory overload, and difficulty labeling feelings (alexithymia).
Furthermore, individuals with Autism generally succumb to health complications approximately 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population. Longitudinal studies that followed people with Autism for over 20 years found that the average life expectancy ranges between 39 years and 58 years.
Actually, people with high-functioning autism profiles appear to be more sensitive to a range of emotions than the general population, such as fear, anger, and happiness. They may appear emotionless because they show less emotion externally or because their expression does not match their internal feelings.
It is common for an autistic person to have a mixed sensory experience, with both hyper- and hypo-sensitivity across their senses, or even within the same sense. Examples: Person A is much more sensitive to light and sound, and much less sensitive to smell and taste than other people.
Autistic people may act in a different way to other people
find it hard to understand how other people think or feel. find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable. get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events. take longer to understand information.
Around 90% of autism cases are attributed to genetic factors, meaning autism is highly heritable, with many different genes contributing, rather than a single cause, often interacting with environmental influences during early brain development, though specific environmental factors don't cause it but can increase risk. Twin studies show strong genetic links, with concordance rates between 60-90% in identical twins, and research points to complex interactions of many genes and prenatal/perinatal factors.
Just like everyone, autistic people can have good mental health. However, according to the autism research charity Autistica, seven out of ten autistic people have a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Autistic people can experience both hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) and hyposensitivity (under-responsiveness) to a wide range of stimuli. Most people have a combination of both. Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights).
The "6-second rule" for autism is a communication strategy where a speaker pauses for about six seconds after asking a question or giving information, giving the autistic person extra time to process it without feeling rushed, which helps reduce anxiety and allows for a more thoughtful response, reducing frustration for both parties. Instead of repeating or rephrasing, which can be confusing, you wait, and if needed, repeat the exact same words after the pause.
Symptoms of High-Functioning Autism
Difficulty with Social Interaction: Individuals with high-functioning autism may struggle to understand social norms, make eye contact, initiate or maintain conversations, and interpret nonverbal cues such as facial expressions or body language.
Many autistic people have sensory sensitivities, which means they can easily feel overwhelmed by too much sensory input. As a result, they might have strong emotional reactions, like crying. Others may wrongly see this as them overreacting or trying to control their behaviour in the situation.
Expressing Emotions / Emotional Regulation
Colloquially known as a meltdown or tantrum, it is common for children with autism to display intense anger or distress when unable to adapt to changes in routine, or in situations where they lack the ability to communicate effectively or meet expectations set for them.
Understanding the 6 stages of an autism meltdown can help parents, caregivers, and educators respond with empathy and support.
Among the causes of death, 27.9% were due to injuries, with suffocation being the most common, followed by asphyxia and drowning. The increased risk of drowning among autistic individuals has been confirmed by two additional studies.
In general, people who have an active lifestyle are much more emotionally resilient and focused. There also seems to be some evidence that physical exercise helps people with depression and ADHD, which are commonly co-occurring conditions with autism.
The three main symptom areas for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are persistent difficulties with social communication and interaction, restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, and often, different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention, all of which impact daily functioning. These core characteristics vary greatly but center on social connection challenges, rigid routines or repetitive actions, and sensory sensitivities.
Children with autism may exhibit rigidity, inflexibility and certain types of repetitive behavior such as: Insistence on following a specific routine. Having difficulty accepting changes in the schedule. A strong preoccupation with a particular interest.
There's no single "hardest" age for autism; challenges shift across developmental stages, with preschool (2-5) often tough due to noticeable differences in social/language skills, elementary (6-10) marked by growing academic/social demands, and adolescence (11-17) frequently being overwhelming due to complex social pressures, puberty, and identity formation, say Bluebell ABA Therapy and Blossom ABA Therapy. While early childhood (ages 3-6) sees initial progress for many, this often stalls around age six, a critical turning point where increased support is crucial, according to research, notes The Transmitter.
Chinning is a form of repetitive self-stimulatory behavior (stimming) that you may notice in children or adults with autism. It involves pressing, rubbing, or holding the chin against objects, surfaces, or even hands to gain sensory input or comfort.
Individuals with high IQ autism have exceptional strengths, such as advanced memory skills, attention to detail, and advanced language and problem-solving skills. It is essential to find a specialist who can diagnose high IQ autism, as it can be challenging to distinguish from other types of autism.
This state of hyper-arousal can lead to autistic people experiencing meltdowns or shutdowns as a result of being completely overwhelmed. Several autistic people have talked of experiencing alexithymia a difficulty identifying, understanding and describing emotions).
What NOT to Say to Someone with Autism
Conditions That Can Be Mistaken for Autism. These include: Speech delays, hearing problems, or other developmental delays: Developmental delays are when your child doesn't do things doctors expect kids their age to be able to do. These can include language, speech, or hearing problems.
Autistic people are more likely to experience mental health difficulties than non-autistic people. About 8 in 10 autistic people experience a mental health challenge during their lifetime. This could include anxiety, depression, eating disorders or psychosis.
Common skin-related manifestations in ASD
Eczematous dermatitis, including atopic dermatitis (AD), is among the most common skin disorders in individuals with ASD, highlighting an important intersection between dermatologic and neurodevelopmental health.