Confirming the nature of autistic burnout.
Autistic adults confirm burnout is exhaustion plus withdrawal, but length differs and misdiagnosis is common.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Arnold et al. (2023) asked 141 autistic adults to rate the Higgins definition of autistic burnout. The survey listed exhaustion, withdrawal, and skill loss. Participants said whether the words matched their own episodes.
The team also asked how long burnout lasted and if doctors had missed it for something else.
What they found
Almost everyone agreed the definition fit. Episode length swung from days to years. Many said clinicians had called it depression or anxiety instead.
The wide range shows burnout does not follow a single clock.
How this fits with other research
Higgins et al. (2021) wrote the Higgins definition that this paper tested. The 2023 survey is the follow-up check that says the definition rings true in a larger group.
Mantzalas et al. (2024) took the next step and built a 27-item screening tool. Their work stands on the 2023 finding that the construct is real.
Schoondermark et al. (2025) later gave the tool a cut-off score for women outpatients. Each paper extends the last like Lego blocks.
Why it matters
You now have proof that the Higgins signs make sense to autistic adults. Use the list when clients say they feel stuck, tired, and unable to mask. Expect timing to vary and rule out depression first. Track episodes so you can spot triggers and show progress.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Autistic burnout is something autistic people have been talking about for a while (see #AutBurnout and #AutisticBurnout on social media). Recently, researchers published two different definitions of autistic burnout. We wanted to test these definitions. We wanted to confirm the duration and frequency of autistic burnout. That is, how long and how often do people get autistic burnout? We surveyed 141 autistic adults who had autistic burnout. We used descriptive statistics, content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis to analyse the survey responses. Autistic adults strongly agreed with the definition published by Higgins et al. How long and how often people get autistic burnout was not clear. Participants told us they have both short and long episodes. Participants told us that autistic burnout leads to exhaustion. They needed to withdraw from being with other people. They needed to stay away from autism unfriendly places. Many had been misdiagnosed as having depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or other conditions. We need increased awareness of autistic burnout. Autistic people need more help. More research is needed, we need to have bigger studies to understand autistic burnout.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2023 · doi:10.1177/13623613221147410