Anxiety hovers over a person on the spectrum like a gray cloud. The world is very stressful, because uncertainty looms everywhere.
A lot of people with autism don’t really have any awareness of how stressed they are, how to recover, or how long it’s going to take to recover.
Anxiety is a real and serious problem for many people on the autism spectrum. I’ve heard this from parents, teachers and doctors, and I’ve also heard this from people with autism. Often, anxiety can lead to panic disorder and phobias.
Children with autism express anxiety or nervousness in many of the same ways as neurotypical children. This could mean separation anxiety, anxious worrying or social anxiety. These issues commonly affect both children with and without autism. However, social anxiety is especially common among kids with autism.
That said, one of the most important parts of an autistic’s life is figuring out what parts of their schedule are most stressful for them.
For example, many people on the spectrum become stressed in social situations and don’t know how to pinpoint the source. When you don’t recognize what’s causing the stress, you don’t have the tools to ask for help in finding a way to make the situation easier.
Helping an autistic discover the source of their stress and an awareness of how stressed they are, how to recover, or how long it’s going to take to recover, is among the most important steps toward a more productive life.
If you have any tips or suggestions on how you think people can better understand the stress felt by those on the spectrum, I’d love to get your feedback!
Thanks for reading.
— Paul
Rachel
I know we have a huge issue in our house, so luckily I know the sourse of anxiety, and the anxiety from this issue can be way too much for my younger son diagnosed as on the spectrum. His brother has a slew of emotional issues but never diagnosed with autism. Caleb is 10 his brother is 16. His brother is the aggressive type, always trying to rough house, and pull his brother out of his comfort zone (the 16 yr old is 6’2 and 198 lbs). He yells a lot and causes many loud exchanges between he and myself, obviously I try to keep the volume as minimal as possible, but this causes an enormous amount of anxiety for Caleb. He usually hides in the laundry room and paces back and forth counting his fingers. It breaks my heart. So I’ve gotten them both in therapy, a wonderful place that specializes in creative therapies. Caleb surprisingly loves it, and has opened up in a big way. The older one has serious issues inclkuding OCD and social anxiety/panic disorder, and this therapy has brought out, that he does these things to Caleb because it’s about control, the only thing in his life he can control. its teaching him to back off and find some new coping skills. Its been a long road but I am seeing huge results!!! But these creative therapies are fun for everyone! Adults, kids with autism, and teenagers with issues beyond just teen angst benefit from this type of therapy. Not boring talky talky therapy. Theres some talking of course, but I reccomend this approach if it is something you or tour loved one can tolerate. Its amazing to watch it unravel the jumble of anxiety that happens so frequently to those on the spectrum and those who care for them.