Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights). Certain sounds, smells, textures and tastes can also be overwhelming. This can result in sensory avoidance – trying to get away from stimuli that most people can easily tune out.
Among those with autism, common triggers include disturbing breaks in routine, lack of sleep, jarring “sensory stimuli” (noises, lights, or smells) or even undiagnosed mental health problems. Clearly, it's important to look beyond the behavior itself to identify the underlying cause.
A stressful and anxious situation can be a trigger for an autistic's behaviour. Autistic children can get extremely overwhelmed when they are faced with uncomfortable and stressful situations. Autistic children face sensory issues and are most likely to overreact or under-react when someone gets too close to them.
The most common causes of autistic meltdown are almost always sensory related, this could be being anxious in a new environment, the sounds are different and for those with sensory processing challenges they can be frightening and painful, there are different smells, different people, different lighting, different ...
Common life experiences such as facing the death of a loved one, failed romantic relationships, employment problems, etc., can exacerbate autism symptoms in adults. In these cases, autism symptoms can get worse with age, but not necessarily due to the disorder neurologically worsening.
A recent National Autistic Society survey found 59% of autistic people said anxiety had a high impact on their ability to get on with life. Experiencing such high levels of anxiety can lead to exhaustion and meltdowns. It may also lead to autistic fatigue and burnout.
People with high functioning autism often are aware of their challenges and social deficiencies, sometimes causing repetitive thoughts about this, leading to anger and possible aggression. Knowing how to deal with the anger and help your child find the tools to manage this will bring a sense of harmony and relief.
Although the exact cause of autism is still unknown, there is evidence to suggest that genetics play a significant role. Since autism is less prevalent in females, autism was always thought to be passed down from the mother. However, research suggests that autism genes are usually inherited from the father.
While autism is never caused by trauma, there may be something about living with autism that is inherently traumatic.
Genetics. Genetic factors may be the most significant cause of autism. Early studies of twins had estimated heritability to be over 90%, meaning that genetics explains over 90% of whether a child will develop autism.< This may be an overestimation, as later twin studies estimate the heritability at between 60 and 90%.
Up to 90 percent of people with autism are either overly sensitive to sound, sight, taste, smell or touch, or barely notice them at all. Some seek out sensations by, for example, spinning in circles or stroking items with particular textures.
Yelling at children with autism can cause depression and negatively impact the emotional wellbeing of the child.
An autistic person will feel emotions and will want to communicate emotions to those around them. However, it is not uncommon to encounter difficulties in expressing oneself. Indeed, people with autism spectrum disorder will encounter certain obstacles in recognizing various facial expressions.
Every person with autism manages their sensory input in a different way and their emotional regulation skills can vary. It's difficult to make any blanket statements on the signs of dysregulation, but generally, any kind of change in behavior can indicate that a person is having a hard time managing their emotions.
Yes! Although not necessarily all autistic people, many autistic people are more than capable of dating, being physically intimate, and empathizing with their partners.
Create A Structured Environment
Children with autism feel much more comfortable and connected when they have a set routine with clear structures, and minimal alterations from their predicted schedule.
Autistic individuals prefer predictability, routines, and patterns, making sudden changes difficult. It bothers them greatly when unexpected changes occur, and they become very upset about it. For instance, HFA individuals may stick with routines developed for them by other people or themselves.
Research also tells us that many individuals with autism tend to have strong preferences for carbohydrates and processed foods, while rejecting fruits and vegetables. This, too, may reflect an aversion to strong tastes and textures.
A healthy diet for people with autism means eating foods like grass-fed meat, pasture-raised eggs, organs, and fresh fruit. Make sure to avoid any processed foods with added sugar and vegetable/seed oils completely if you want to thrive. Avoid drinking anything with caffeine or added sugars or artificial sweeteners.
Such food behaviours can include very limited food preferences, hypersensitivity to food textures or temperatures, and pocketing food without swallowing. A diet could be primarily made up of pasta, bread and chicken nuggets with little desire to try new foods and different textures.