06/01/2026
Compliance-based approaches often prioritise outward behaviour over inner experience. Over time, this can come at a significant cost — including increased stress, disconnection from the body, and Autistic burnout.
This is why our therapists will always practice from an interoceptive-based, child-led framework. We support children to understand their internal signals, build self-awareness, and develop regulation from the inside out — not through pressure to comply, but through safety, trust, and connection.
In April, so many of you joined us in getting curious about Autistic Burnout—what it really is, why it happens, and how to prevent it.
We explored how compliance-based environments can mistake masking for progress, even as a nervous system begins to collapse. What looks like “success” on the outside can often be deep exhaustion and self-erasure on the inside.
Through curiosity, we can begin to notice these early signals, honor the body’s need for rest and authenticity, and respond with compassion instead of compliance.
For more on Autistic Burnout check out our 6-hour on-demand course: https://www.kelly-mahler.com/product/aota-on-demand-course-autistic-burnout/
Image Description: Beige tile that says, “Under a compliance approach you may be reinforcing the early signs of a nervous system in collapse. Masking might look like progress-until it becomes AUTISTIC BURNOUT.”
