5 Common Everyday Things that Happen to Autistic Adults
People are all different.
Things that happen to one group of people might not happen to another.
People on the autism spectrum are unique and are prone to have diverse life experiences.
While one can call some of these occurrences challenging, the appropriate assistance and encouragement can make all the difference.
As a form of therapy for autism, social skills training, for instance, can help autistic people navigate everyday life.
It will help them understand distinct social settings and the social expectations associated with each social setting.
Feeling anxious is an example of everyday things that happen to autistic adults.
For those on the autistic spectrum, transitions can be particularly difficult.
This struggle with change is something that will most likely happen to them daily.
The sensory experiences of people with autism tend to have far-reaching consequences on their everyday life.
People with autism may have issues processing sensory information from their five senses (sight, taste, sound, touch, and smell).
Repetitive behaviors are another common occurrence that happens to autistic adults.
Repetitive behaviors can have a negative impact on communication and interaction with one's environment.
Read on to learn more about everyday things that happen to autistic adults.
Available Autism Counselors in Colorado
Bouts of Anxiety
An autistic individual may experience intense anxiety yet have difficulty expressing it due to their recognizable communication impairments.
Anxiety is one of the everyday things that happen to autistic adults.
Anxiety is a normal component of growing up, but studies show that autistic people often feel more anxious than their typically developing peers.
Social anxiety, OCD, hyper-vigilance, avoidance behaviors, rigid routines, and aversion to change are all manifestations of anxiety in an autistic person.
As a result of difficulties with social interaction, communication, and information processing, autistic people often thrive in routine, safe surroundings.
With the help of transition planning, adults on the autism spectrum may deal with the stress of transitions with considerably less difficulty.
A person on the autistic spectrum can better adapt to change if it is implemented in a familiar and comfortable way through transition planning.
Anxiety and stress can be mitigated via careful preparation, and negative behavioral outcomes caused by change can be avoided with proactive planning.
Sensory Issues
Those on the autistic spectrum often have trouble processing sensory information. It's also known as "sensory overload" in the medical community.
Someone with HFA may find that loud noises, crowds, bright lights, strong tastes, odors, and physical contact are all intolerable.
Because of this, going out to eat, see a movie, or shop can be challenging.
Even the simplest tasks can be extremely taxing for someone with sensory processing issues.
The easiest way to help an autistic person with sensory processing issues is to make some adjustments to their living conditions.
An autistic person's sensory processing can be evaluated by watching how they react to common situations and making adjustments to those situations as needed.
Difficulty Dealing With Change
Another example of everyday things that happen to autistic adults is the difficulty involved with dealing with change.
Autistic people may have a hard time adapting to new situations.
Many autistic people tend to feel comfortable in routine settings due to difficulties with social interaction, and information processing.
In addition to increased anxiety and sensorial processing impairments, restricted and recurrent interests can also make even little adjustments difficult.
It's necessary to think ahead and make adjustments to your regular schedule:
One thing that can help autistic people to prepare better for change is organization and planning.
However, some autistic adults struggle with executive planning problems.
The ability to plan and arrange one's activities is known as "executive functioning."
It's important to develop and adhere to a plan in order to see a lengthy project through to completion.
Autistic adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) typically have issues with executing complex tasks.
This can make even the smallest adjustments to one's schedule at home, school, or job challenging to handle.
Thus, such occurrences are likely to be among everyday things that happen to autistic adults.
Repetitive Actions
Maintaining a constant routine or keeping stuff ordered might help autistic people feel secure and predictable in their everyday lives.
When their regular pattern is disrupted, such as having to take a different route to work, they often don't react well to situations like that.
They may be so upset that they express anger.
Repetitive behaviors may have a modest to severe impact on the life of an autistic person.
These are more common at times of stress and may not be as noticeable.
Many autistic people struggle in their daily lives because their repetitive behaviors greatly affect them.
In such situations, those around them are likewise having difficulty engaging with them.
Finally, constrained and repetitive actions are not inherently harmful.
They may occasionally assist the individual in overcoming stressful conditions.
They can, however, be a hindrance in a person's daily life.
Emotional Dysregulation
Autistic people's feelings might be intense at times.
In some cases, they may appear to overreact, while in others, they may appear to underreact.
Many persons with autism struggle at times to control their feelings.
They may use unconventional methods of self-soothing when faced with overwhelming feelings.
A person's ability to regulate their emotions and process sensory information varies from person to person with autism.
An autistic adult may struggle to maintain emotional stability in the face of unexpected events.
This is because It can be difficult to move from one place or activity to another.
Thus, a person with HFA is likely to have a seemingly dramatic emotional reaction to any change in plans or disruption of their routine.
Some people with autism use avoidance of sensory input as a means of calming themselves.
Some autistic people also use increased sensory stimulation to control their feelings.
Conclusion
People with autism may benefit from therapy for autism if they deal with anxiety, stress at work, or feelings of being alone every day.
With the right support, navigating everyday life will become easier.
Everyday things that happen to autistic adults include; anxiety, sensory issues, difficulty dealing with change, repetitive behavior, and emotional dysregulation.
Resources
When you subscribe to the blog, we will send you an e-mail when there are new updates on the site so you wouldn't miss them.
Comments