#i dont ‘shutdown’ very often at all and its usually accompanied by a lot more dissociation so im not really sure what this is

[perce]

maybe that bad news was just like, a final straw, and this is a mild emotional shutdown? cant tell

[pastelacrylics]

Shutdown/meltdown vs. sensory overload vs. panic attack?

I've struggled with this one too. Its weird and hard to decipher. I tend to categorize them based on cause, outward symptoms, and severity.Sensory overload (while miserable) is what I consider the least severe. Everything feels too much but you can still function enough to leave and/or get the input to stop. This generally comes before a meltdown or shutdown.Meltdowns/Shutdowns are like realllllly bad sensory overloads, plus a level of exhaustion from communication and other people. This is a double whammy when it comes to causes, and is generally unsolvable without stimming and waiting it out. This leads to acting out or being unable to interact. Panic attacks are from anxiety attacks (a sense of dread) that just won't go away. Once it's a panic attack and not an anxiety attack, you've hit the point that you think you are dying, you can't breathe, and it feels like a freaking heart attack. Anxiety attacks are similar, heart racing and pounding, difficult breathing, but you aren't quite calling 911 over them. They are caused mainly by internal stuff, no sensory input you can just shut down. These can also lead to meltdowns or shutdowns, if its from other people and communication exhaustion mixed with anxiety, which I know they sometimes can be. I hope this helps! 

So my sister has lots of things, one being autism, and when she has meltdowns, she hits her head. Now.. Okay, it wouldn't be so bad, but she has these plastic 'Yo-Kai Watches' (if you know what those are), and she hits her head with those, and has cracked them before. I'm really worried she might hurt herself, but any reasoning I try to give she doesn't understand. Any advice on what to do?? Because I really don't want her to hurt herself...

It sounds like she is stimming during these meltdowns! I know that redirecting one urge to do a dangerous, self injurious, or destructive stim into a less bad one can help her, and ease your anxiety. Next time she starts melting down, help guide her to a soft area like a couch or bed, and she can rock and hit that instead. You can also try finding stim toys or comfort items that she likes, and it will help her use other things to self regulate when coming down from a meltdown.

If you can figure out the cause of the meltdowns (usually noise/ lights/ other easily decipherable sensory input), getting rid of and preventing the cause will also help insure this happening less.

I'm newly diagnosed so I don't know much about my autism yet, but what do autistic burnout feel like? or what are their symptoms? because I'm not sure if this is what I'm experiencing or if it's something else...

((As a mod I would personally leave this question to someone else, but I really hate leaving things blank or without an attempt because I've had so many years of being taught not to, so I guess I'll try)

Autistic burnout is the feeling of exhaustion when it comes to having dealt with many social interactions and people. Generally for me its just a lethargic feeling, and I don't want to do anything and I enter a shutdown of sorts. A lot of the time I find it is personally accompanied by an anxious feeling.

Sorry if you've already gotten a question like this before but what are the main traits for diagnosing autism?

I dont personally know a lot about professional diagnosis's, but I know that for my self diagnosis I looked at loads of research that basically boiled down into three big groups, and one "other" group.

-Social issues         This could include issues with communication or eye contact, or general         misunderstandings and a lack of real friends and connections. -Sensory issues        This includes being sensitive to noise, light, touch, taste, textures in general,         or being so insensitive that you seek out anything to enrich your life with       new/different sensory experiences. -Self stimulatory behaviors       Stimming can mean lots of different things, but hand flapping is particularly      common, as is spinning, rocking, or other "fidgets" -An "Other" category        A need for routines, executive dysfunction, and other traits that are       attributed to your autism would fall into this category. I would google any       traits you are personally wondering about, along with "autism" and see if it      falls into this category.

What is the difference between autism, ADHD, and asbugers ( forgot how to spell that sorry)??

Aspergers is no longer considered a separate diagnosis from Autism anymore, as they both fall under "Autism Spectrum Disorder", the new label under the DSM5.

Because of that, I can't tell you much about the old differences between those two, but I know that Aspies were basically just "higher-functioning" (less obvious) Autistics.

ADHD and the similar ADD, OCD, and SPD are all cousin disorders of Autism, having many (but not all) of the same traits. With ADHD in particular, it means that there will be very few social issues in comparison. Mainly, the issues will be in compulsions, hyperactivity, need for routine, easily distracted, and social issues will be confusion over not following the whole conversation. ADHD is often times accompanied by executive dysfunction, or the inability to do certain tasks, and you generally won't even understand why.

what are some examples of autistic social difficulties?

-Not being able to make eye contact (or being uncomfortable at all with it) -hyperempathy (or being able to feel what others are feeling) -general confusion -sarcasm going over your head -taking things too literally -answering people out of turn or when they aren't expecting you to -not talking when you are expected to -talking too much/ not taking turns in conversation -talking about "uncomfortable" topics (such as being very observant and talking about things you weren't told by the person and them shifting away)

Is it possible to become/appear less autistic as you grow older?

As you develop more and more coping mechanisms and stims, and learn from others what is or is not "socially acceptable" you may appear less autistic. It is part of growing up autistic in a world that doesn't entirely fit to you. This is common, but not everyone goes through it. If you appear less autistic, it doesn't mean you've become less autistic, just that you've changed how you deal with the world around you.