Emotional regulation deficits in autism spectrum disorder: The role of alexithymia and interoception.

Ben Hassen et al. (2023) compared the adults with autism to two control groups. One group studied technical subjects. The other studied health or humanities.

Everyone filled out three short surveys. The surveys measured alexithymia, emotion regulation, and interoception. Alexithymia means trouble naming your own feelings. Interoception is sensing body signals like heartbeat or hunger.

The autistic adults scored worse on all three measures. They had more alexithymia, weaker emotion regulation, and poorer body awareness.

The gaps were large. Autistic adults scored about one standard deviation below controls on each skill.

Taylor et al. (2017) saw the same pattern in preschoolers. Kids with autism used fewer helpful emotion strategies with teachers. Together the studies show the problem starts early and lasts into adulthood.

Nuebling et al. (2024) pooled 97 studies and reached the same conclusion. Their meta-analysis says screen every autistic client for emotion dysregulation. Nour’s 2023 data is one fresh brick in that big wall.

Bölte et al. (2008) looked at autistic adults too, but used heart-rate and skin sensors. They found mixed signals: less arousal to sad pictures, more to neutral ones. Nour’s self-report method is simpler for clinics. The two studies do not clash; they just measure different slices of emotion life.

If a client cannot name feelings or notice body cues, standard coping-skills lessons may flop. Start with quick alexithymia and interoception screens. Then add body-based tools like heartbeat counting or emotion-color cards. These steps can raise the odds that regulation training sticks.