An autistic shutdown is when an Autistic person retreats from their surroundings, often causing some form of overwhelm. In some cases, an Autistic person can recognize the overwhelm and may initiate a shutdown on their own, while other times, it is unintentional.

A shutdown is a coping mechanism that Autistic people use when there are too many sensory or emotional stimuli. Other shutdowns can be caused by pure exhaustion from masking or processing the stimulus around them.

Shutdowns vs. Meltdowns

Autistic shutdowns are the quiet counterpart to meltdowns, which are often much louder and are frequently misunderstood as tantrums. Meltdowns can be from severe stress, emotional overwhelms as well as sensory overloads.

“A meltdown is a loss of control — usually as a result of sensory or emotional overwhelm. These are not tantrums as they are not purposefully motivated towards seeking support.” –CAPTAP

Both are equally distressing to experience, and neither is something that the Autistic person can control when, where, or how long they happen.

Shutdowns vs. Burnout

Shutdowns are often precursors to autistic burnout. Shutdowns can be more sudden, while burnout is a more extreme version that can result in a complete loss of function and an extreme need to rest.

Signs of an Autistic Shutdown

Feelings of impending doom from no discernable source frequently supersede a shutdown. It is important to remember that everyone with autism is different. Some Autistic people may never experience shutdowns, while others can experience them frequently, including multiple times a day.

Physical Signs of an Autistic Shutdown

1. Increased stimming (including pacing or shaking)
2. Experiencing aches and pains (tension headaches)
3. Exhaustion: The body feels heavy, may move slowly, or need to lie down
4. Difficulty regulating temperature and feeling hot or cold suddenly
5. Becoming non-verbal, having restricted speech, or unresponsive
6. Increased clumsiness and loss of motor skills
7. Not wanting to be touched
8. Loss of ability to mask
9. Blank expression
10. Cloudy vision
11. Racing heart
12. Crying

Emotional Signs of an Autistic Shutdown

1. Feeling numb
2. Detached or distant
3. Experience dissociation
4. Difficulty regulating emotions
5. Feeling off but not knowing why
6. Slower processing, potentially combined with racing thoughts
7. Loss of patience and increased frustration, anger, or irritability
8. Struggles to articulate or express emotions and is often misunderstood as apathy

Behavioral Signs of an Autistic Shutdown

1. Increased distress from their environment
2. No or decreased interest in their environment
3. Inability to make decisions or effectively communicate
4. Staring into space or looking past everything (this means the Autistic person has retreated inside themselves and is stuck inside their head)
5. Self-isolation

Triggers for Autistic Shutdowns

Every Autistic person is different and will have different triggers. Shutdowns can often be avoided by creating a stable environment. However, it is impossible to predict all triggers, which can vary daily.

Some common triggers may include:

1. Lack of sleep
2. Disruptive work, school, or home environments
3. Sensory triggers (auditory, tactile, visual, olfactory, gustatory, or movement)
4. Inconsistency in routines (which may include the rise of unexpected or unpredictable events like catching a cold, a death, a car problem, moving, changing jobs, births, marriages, etc.)
5. Increased stress (or increased co-occurring conditions like anxiety and depression)
6. Chronic pain, illnesses, or other disabilities
7. Needs that are not being met
8. Lack of control

Shutdowns can be Harmful

Shutdowns aren’t fun and are distressing. For an Autistic person who regularly experiences shutdowns, they can have long-lasting effects that impact overall health.

Physical Health

Frequent migraines, extreme exhaustion, gastrointestinal issues, and mobility difficulties.

During shutdowns, if an Autistic person has to continue with their tasks and cannot rest, sensitivity to environments can increase and hinder the ability to work, grocery shop, or use public transportation.

Shutdowns can also limit or completely stop an Autistic person from managing their house, including the ability to clean, cook, or pay bills, and have those tasks temporarily halted.

Self-care during shutdowns can be hindered, leading to a lack of personal hygiene and grooming, which becomes too burdensome.

Emotional Health

Going through a shutdown is exhausting, even if that shutdown involves sleeping. Shutdowns can cause an increase in stress and isolation. They can also lead to developing mental health struggles such as anxiety or depression, and if the person already has these, they can be made even worse.

During shutdowns, communicating needs, making decisions, or replying to texts can be too much because thinking can be too overwhelming, and speaking or advocating for themselves may be impossible.

Social interactions may become strained if the person cannot maintain friendships or work relationships. In school, an Autistic person may lose focus and miss large parts of classes, coursework, and more.

How to Support Yourself During a Shutdown

If you are autistic, preparing for a shutdown before it happens can be a great way to help mitigate the severity of a shutdown. Try to be aware of your triggers and eliminate as many as possible.

Of course, unexpected triggers can never be prepped for; however, having a safe place is important. If you cannot have a safe place, carrying tools and accommodations like stimming tools, noise-canceling headphones, and sunglasses can help. Dedicated sets of these for different areas like your car, workplace, and home may be necessary to ensure you are never without accommodation.

Access to stress management techniques can help you navigate shutdowns, overwhelms, meltdowns and prevent burnout.

Supporting an Autistic Person During Shutdown

This can be difficult as it may be hard to understand what the Autistic person is experiencing; however, what is essential is employing empathy to realize that while you may not be able to understand exactly, you may be able to help.

Both a supporter and an Autistic person can ensure they have a sensory safe-place. This can be a room at home or even a nook in an office space that is safe to retreat to without sensory overwhelm.

It is important to understand that Autistic people have bodily autonomy, and you never want to take a lack of response to touch them without consent. Touch can be overwhelming, so ensuring that you have consent to touch, hug, or even guide is essential. If you don’t have clear consent, don’t touch them.

Also, if a person cannot communicate with you, accept this. It is important not to add to the overwhelm by pressuring them to respond, which could trigger a more intense shutdown or turn it into a meltdown. They are not purposely ignoring you in this moment, and despite wanting to communicate, they may not be able to physically form words to speak.

Giving space is key. Sometimes, you may be unable to help directly, so don’t let this upset you. Don’t shame or blame them. Shutdowns aren’t fun and aren’t a choice but a survival method, even if the person feels the shutdown coming and seemingly “chooses” to allow themselves to shut down

Final Thoughts

Autism is different for everyone, and every shutdown, even within one person, can look different every time. Shutdowns can last from minutes to hours or more, and recovery can take anywhere from minutes to hours or more.

This list isn’t intended to diagnose someone as autistic if you experience these things because neurotypical and neurodivergent brains have a lot of crossover with experiences. The difference comes in during the frequency and severity of those experiences.

The key isn’t to try to fix autistic shutdowns because, while overwhelming, they are designed to protect the Autistic person from being pushed beyond their limits.

Autistic people aren’t broken.

Allow time for healing and regulating.

Have empathy.