Sharon Kaye-O’Connor LCSW

Autistic burnout is a state of stress and exhaustion due to the demands of life and coping with them as an autistic individual. When experiencing autistic burnout, a person may struggle to function at work, school, or home and have greater sensitivity to sensory stimuli. Reducing stress, adequate rest, and setting preventative boundaries can help individuals cope with autistic burnout symptoms.

The idea of neurodiversity suggests that all brains are simply different, and that having a variety of neurotypes benefits humanity as a whole.

Echolalia is the repetition of words, phrases, or sounds, and is a trait commonly found among the autistic population. Whether the sounds are repeated immediately after hearing them, or at another time in the future, echolalia can serve several purposes–such as communication, processing and integrating new information, or as a stimming behavior (self-stimulatory behavior).

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is a profile within the autism spectrum characterized by the avoidance of demands and expectations of others, or even of oneself.