What triggers Autism?

Post Reply New Topic

Hi, I'm helping a young man who suffers from problems because of Autism. We'll call him "Benny". He's got into trouble and difficulties at work and from what I can tell he has social difficulties and violent reactions when things get too much for him.

I'm not familiar with Autism but he has requested my help and so far doesn't want to talk to anybody else so I was wondering what triggers you and what helps you when that happens as it is all new to me.

Many thanks,

Hello, my name is robert. I am on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. When I was in school they put me on "special classes", I suppose is what it's called. The thing that made me upset and have a breakdown was when things were contradicted. Example: someone says they like fruit but next that same person says they dislike apples. Initially I will just get nervous and irritated but shortly after that I get sensory overload and I meltdown. The only way I would calm down was if I was left alone for an extended period of time and later giving the opportunity to explain what upset me without interruption. I hope this little bit of personal information gives you some insight on the topic. Dont hesitate to ask me further questions if you find it necessary.

I personally get triggered by injustices, such as seeing someone/ or being told off for something I did not do. Seeing anger or discomfort in others can also really make me freak out and meltdown.

Many people with autism have a strong sense of fairness, but their values and perception of situations are somewhat different than most people. If you want to know what triggers him, then I suggest you ask him yourself and then listen non judgmentally to his answers, even if they don't make immediate sense to you. Every thing he does will have a logical (to him) reason behind it. Most people on the spectrum are used to having their words and actions misunderstood which causes a lot of frustration and confusion for everyone. Just trying to understand him will go a long way.

In autism the stress response system is not properly regulated. This means that we stay in a state of stress for longer, and several stressors in a day can overload our system and result in a meltdown or some kind of freaking out, which is out of our control.
Different people have different stressors. They could be related to misunderstandings, or being treated unfairly, or being criticised for something out of our control. Could be things like being expected to pick up new work processes without proper instruction, misunderstanding the expectations of the role, or not picking up on unwritten rules of the workplace. All kinds of things.
In my personal experience, it helps to be allowed to go take a walk when I'm starting to get agitated, or listen to music in earbuds. Also to have a nominated colleague or mentor who I can go to and discuss whatever's making me anxious, someone who can talk me through it without judgement and without escalating the issue.
Hope that helps.

Hi,

Thank you very much for all your help with this. I really want to help Benny and understand him that bit more and all of what you put has been really useful and a real insight into the world of Autism as well. I was originally told by a colleague that if you had Autism you struggled with social difficulties but now I can see there is much more to it than that. I am really positive now that I can understand Benny that bit more and hopefully help support him rather than overload him with too much and cause a meltdown.

Thank you all very much for your assistance with this. It is most appreciated.

Thank you for being open to Benny's experience. Thank you for being a positive influence in the world that way.

My triggers are rewards given for quantity and not for quality. Rewards given for who a person knows and not what a person does. My trigger is when people don't understand me and dismiss my ideas. Thankfully I have supporters who understand and "translate" for others, but they only speak up in inclusive cultures. I'm on my own otherwise and that doesn't go well.

There is an orchid and dandelion theory of people (which corresponds to biology: hormone levels). A dandelion does ok in many environments. An orchid fails in a harsh environment but thrives in a supportive environment. I can go "beyond" in a supportive work environment, but in an unsupportive environment I am in constant stress and near meltdown.

Think of it as a stress overload. I get shutdowns which have the same causes as meltdowns, but pan out in a different way. My body starts to shut down as a re-action to excessive stress.

I am effected by the following (Bear in mind that it is only since joining this site that I have put two and two together as I have had a lifetime of not understanding or knowing what has been going on as I was never really able to explain my feelings and what was happening in ways that others like doctors etc could understand. I am now in the latter part of my 40's and on the list for an autism assessment.) :-
▪A general stress overload.
▪Significant unexpected change that means stress or large physical effort when I am not prepared and ready for it.
▪Certain smells like bleach and hospital smells, and other smells from certain paints and spray oils.
▪Someone suddenly shouting or a loud bang. While in itself this may just cause me to jump, if I am already stressed this could push me into a shutdown or certainly a partial shutdown.
▪Crowded rooms where many people are talking loudly at the same time. My school years were sometimes aweful due to this. I did not complain because I was shy and withdrawn, and also I would be told not to be silly, but if asked wh I had my hands clenched over my ears and why I was in tears trying to curl up I made up an excuse like "I have a headache". I would do all I could to avoid being hemmed into school halls if it was raining due to the noise overload sensitivity, and many afternoons in class I was soaking wet, as I would rather spend the day soaked throug then go through the torture the excessive sounds did to me. One sound would be fine. It was all the sounds at the same time... Just ordinary talking in a room by many at once can mean that I struggle to hear someone if someone speaks to me. I can hear them speak but I struggle to process what they say!

Others have other triggers like bright glistening lights (I am not sure if this is a trigger or not to me, but I do find that... Well. Yesterday I visited a beach. I found the warmth and there were at least 50 people there so the goings on etc... And my nephew who is at the age where he argues to get the last say, so it took me into a partial shutdown with so much going on (Nephew and I went back to get my Mum to join us and she did not want to go and all the stress of the change of plan made me have a partial shutdown due to all else going on as well (E.g. too much movement and noises at the same time)). So I had brought my coat and I asked for my coat as I tried to prevent myself from fully shutting down, as it is not a nice experience. I lied down on the concrete step/ledge thing my Mum was sitting on and put my coat over my head to shut out "The outside" but I made sure I had plenty of air. I also had my sunglasses on. It was all just enough to prevent a full shutdown and I had to wait there to recover.
Now often I would go into a meltdown but I go straight into a shutdown instead, so in effect I hardly ever get the meltdown experience. I used to get it until I was about six when I was told I could have killed a visiting child (A neighbours child) as I lashed out with a rollerskate in my hand while having this experience where I could not cope with a situation... (My parents thought they were temper tantrems which they may have been a mix of the two?) Anyway, after a severe telling off which did not work that well as I usually had to be carried upstairs to bed in the tantrum... But on this occasion it shocked me that I could have killed her, and from that moment on they turned into shutdowns instead...

But the triggers are the same.

But as to what triggers them. This can vary from person to person. Some it is a simple change of plan they had not expected. Others it could be the day is too hot and bright for them and they can't get to shade. Some it is too many noises at the same time, or too loud, or at the wrong pitch etc... Some, like me are effected with smalls and even tastes... Having certain food textures in ones mouth. Ooh. I have sensitive skin so I remove the labels (Clothes tags)... Scratchy tags etc can start the stress overload, especially if I then have another thing as well to deal with.
Also, if I have a haircut I have to go straightaway in the bath or shower to get rid of the hair and my clotjes have to have many washes, and even then I have to remove every cut hair left in them before I can wear them due to the skin sensitivity which can drive me mad! I can no longer go to a hairdresser as the journey home with scratchy hair ends stabbing into me is too much to handle! My skin objects too much!

anxiety or depression medication will really help. welbutrin helps me with focus and depression, and i think this might be depression turned outward.

autism is there, nothing triggers it, it will always be there---

there is a difference in the brain (physically- scans have shown this) developmentally---
something all autistic brains seem to have in common has to do with amygdala and hippocampus-
with aspergers the amygdala is more of an issue (emotional centre)

here is an article explaining this
https://www.dana.org/article/the-world- ... -syndrome/

so emotional unsteadiness can be a factor. this could go inwards (self-hatred, depression) or outward (aggression, violence seems to be, in this case). for example i have 2 sons with autism, one has level 1 one has level 3.
the child with level 1 is violent - was worse before i used many strategies to help him cope--
the one with level 3 has done self-injury instead when he was made to feel bad or when things are difficult for him..
or he is not being understood by others.. he bites his hands harder and harder, used to hit his head



i know 2 men who have ASD - for sure- they both would become violent when they got overwhelmed and felt too much pressure but did not know how to process or connect with their feelings nor how to express it. they would hit themselves, wall, throw things.

also had a boy in my class like that.

soothing + connecting with feelings + communicating them + being understood and working out the other difficulties as they come up might help. it is a process that isnt a cure things need to be maintained in this regard..
for example the person might feel overwhelmed by school, going shopping, tasks piling up and no idea how to do them (even if know logically, cannot carry it out) - that person with a bit of assistance to help them -eg someone accompanying them to help in a couple of tasks.. - could feel much calmer.

taking a walk daily
sensory relief (like times of the day laid out to help with that)
exerting energy
regulating SLEEP CYCLE (CAN USE MELATONIN or other things... melatonin is considered safe and over the counter supplement) as that can be a big issue with Autism in general

breathing (7 counts in hold 5 counts, breathe out 8 counts or 5 in 5 hold, 5 counts while breathing out) regulation helps immensely
due to the anxiety from things others might find innocuous--
we forget things like just breathing correctly--as all the overwhelm adds up and self-regulation is on standby.


here is an example of what the solution might entail
https://hbr.org/2013/11/emotional-agility


This is the single most helpful thing I have read and done for the overwhelm feeling (for me I would throttle my head, etc from the frustration, which is a form of violence , directed at oneself)


https://hbr.org/2016/11/3-ways-to-bette ... r-emotions


connecting with feelings daily is what my therapist recommended to me too (for depression)
as she said a key factor in psychological issues with autism--
can be not knowing what u feel and therefore not being sure why u feel scared, so u cannot untangle the thought processes and rationalize anything..
basically you are not in pace with yourself in the moment (brain is trying to cope with too many things )

so checking in daily, maybe multiple times a day, with feelings.
a chart can help
if it can reduce my old propensity for self-injury, it may help other forms of violence too
the chart in this link https://hbr.org/2016/11/3-ways-to-bette ... r-emotions
has helped IMMENSELY

more on point:
https://www.facebook.com/edutopia/video ... 5827194917
sensory relief to help with coping the rest of the day

blooiejagwa, your material selection and timing are especially spot on for the hard conversations I am having this week. Thank you so much for sharing!! !