Autistic Meltdowns, Shutdowns and Burnout

There is a growing body of research that has found that Autistic people can experience unique difficulties at times of stress/distress. As every Autistic person is different, they can experience these difficulties in many ways, and being Autistic does not automatically mean that they will experience Meltdowns, Shutdowns, or Burnout, but the risk of this happening can be heightened and is dependent on the presence of certain ‘triggers’.

Meltdowns

Autistic meltdowns are often short-lived but can be distressing for the person experiencing them, and for the people who are supporting the individual. Below is a list of the behaviours that we might see that can signal to us that a Meltdown is occurring. There are also specific triggers that can lead to Meltdowns, but the list is not exhaustive.

Behaviours linked to Meltdowns	Triggers of Meltdowns
Difficulties articulating self	Too many demands
Difficulties processing information	New situations
Increased hypersensitivity to sensory information	Too many choices
Shouting/crying/aggressive behaviours	Surprises
Causing self-injury (biting, hitting, hair-pulling)	Unexpected changes to routine
Increased stimming	Sensory overload

Shutdowns

Shutdowns are different to meltdowns but may follow a meltdown. When a person goes into Shutdown mode, they can partly or fully withdraw from the world and the length of time that this occurs can depend on the level of distress that they have experienced. The triggers to Shutdowns can be similar to those that go before a Meltdown. Below are some key signs that an Autistic person may be experiencing a Shutdown:

Physical signs of anxiety (e.g. shaking legs, trembling hands)

Difficulty responding to others (e.g. appearing detached in conversations, not speaking when spoken to)

Increased stimming

Repetitive behaviours such as rocking, or no movement at all (e.g. curled up in a ball)

Hyposensitivity to sensory information (e.g. no responding to feelings of pain or change in temperature)

Covering head with hands

Burnout

Burnout is a hugely debilitating experience for an Autistic person that can result in long-lasting effects on their physical and emotional wellbeing. There are three core features of Autistic Burnout:

Chronic exhaustion (e.g. not able to get out of bed/off the sofa, not wanting to eat or drink)
Loss of skills (e.g. losing verbal communication, loss of bladder/bowel control, increased clumsiness)
Decreased tolerance to sensory information

We are still learning more about the causes of Burnout for people, but the signs and triggers that have been identified so far are listed below.

Behaviours linked to Burnout	Triggers of Burnout
Intense anxiety and/or depression	When expectations outweigh a person’s ability
Increased stimming and repetitive behaviours	Extreme camouflaging
Frequent meltdowns and/or shutdowns	Prolonged sensory overload
Self-harming and/or suicidal behaviours	Prolonged stress
Memory loss	Significant life changes/events
Inability to mask/camouflage	Difficulty recovering from meltdowns or shutdowns

Need help?

The experiences of Meltdowns, Shutdowns, and Burnout are hugely distressing for everyone involved, and support can be offered to Autistic people and their loved ones to understand the specific causes of these conditions, and to work out what can be done to prevent and recover from them. At For-Psych, we have trained practitioners who offer therapeutic sessions or coaching, which can be effective in managing the risk of future Meltdowns, Shutdowns and Burnout. For more information, click here.