Exhaustion (fatigue) and then burnout can happen to anybody. Being autistic can make fatigue and burnout more likely, due to the pressures of social situations and sensory overload. If your child or the person you care for is experiencing fatigue or burnout, helping them to manage their energy levels is essential, as this guide explains.  
 

What is autistic fatigue and autistic burnout? 

‘Autistic fatigue’ and ‘autistic burnout’ are terms that came from autistic people, and we are learning from the experiences of autistic adults.  

Fatigue, and then subsequent burnout, can happen to anybody. Autistic people, however, can be more susceptible to both, due to the pressures of everyday life, having to navigate social situations and sensory overload.  

Trying to cope with these pressures can lead to exhaustion (autistic fatigue) and over time this can lead to extreme exhaustion or autistic burnout. 

Autistic adults have described various ways that autistic fatigue and burnout have affected them. Autistic fatigue has often been described as exhaustion with additional difficulties such as: 

• increased meltdowns and sensory sensitivity  
• physical pain and headaches 
• physically shutting down, including the loss of speech.   

Autistic burnout affects all aspects of a person’s life, and this makes it different from professional burnout, which is related to work.
 

What causes autistic fatigue and burnout? 

There are various things that can cause autistic fatigue. Autistic adults suggest several causes, including:  

• sensory overload  
• dealing with social situations  
• masking or camouflaging their autistic traits 
• suppressing stimming  
• a sense of not meeting other people’s/society’s expectations of them. 

Changes in your routines or day-to-day life, such as a change of school or job, can increase anxiety and can be additional causes for autistic fatigue and burnout. 

Due to increased sensitivity and stress levels during autistic fatigue, your child may be less able to recover quickly from meltdowns. This exacerbates the exhaustion and stress they experience.
 

What can I do if the person I care for is experiencing autistic fatigue and burnout? 

Use energy accounting 

Energy accounting is a system used to set manageable limits on your energy levels so you do not deplete yourself to the point of burnout.  

Help your child or the person you care for to set a limit on how much energy they have in a day or week and estimate how much certain activities drain them. Also work out how much certain activities energise them.  

You can then try to plan and balance their activities and energy over a day or week to try and manage stress limits. Make sure you build in time for relaxation and recovery.  

Time off and rest/relaxation 

Whether you use energy accounting or not, time off from work or school and other high-stress activities is key to managing stress levels. Ensuring time for activities/interests that re-energise and promote relaxation is key. This could be connecting with family and friends or enjoying hobbies or interests.  

Time without having to mask 

Autistic people often feel the need to hide or mask their autistic traits in public, for example by suppressing the urge to stim. It can be important to factor times into your child’s day for things like stimming, somewhere they feel comfortable and able to do so.

Useful resources 

• Raymaker, D. M, Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE), Autistic burnout: "My physical body and mind started to shut down" (no date)   

Autistic people’s accounts 

• Ronnie Pinder (a self-advocate, consultant, trainer and mentor). Autistic fatigue  
• Undercover Autie (Emma).  Autistic fatigue and exhaustion (2019)  
• Cherry Blossom Tree (Kate). Autistic burnout and regression (2017)   
• The Autistic Advocate (Kieran). An autistic burnout (2018)  
• Ryan Boren. Autistic burnout: the cost of masking and passing (2017)   
• Patrick Dwyer. Burnout and expectations (2019)   
• Amythest Schaber. Ask an autistic #3 - What is autistic burnout? (2014)  

Podcasts 

• The thrive with Aspergers podcast  -  Five autistic burnout recovery tips you need to learn now (2018)  
• CS Wyatt - Autistic burnout (2018)  
• KarlettA - Audio blog My autistic burnout and recovery (2018)