11/07/2025
It's great that research is supporting the differences that go on inside the neurodivergent mind.
Accumulation of Stress Chemicals
Research has shown that many autistic people have greater levels of stress chemicals in their nervous system. Even when in a relaxed state, their systems have increased levels of stress chemicals. This is because their nervous system is continually taxed and drained throughout the day. Running on “high idle” wears it down and makes it more prone to overload. Most mild snags for us can be major stressors for autistic individuals. Most daily tasks at school take much more mental effort for autistic children.
For all of us, stress chemicals accumulate in the nervous system as we go through the day. For autistic children, these chemicals accumulate quickly. As the stress chemicals accumulate, eventually they hit the boiling point, setting off the brain's fight or flight response.
For most of us, we can feel when we are getting stressed and often pull back and/or engage in coping strategies to lower the stress chemicals. Our brains can sense the buildup of stress chemicals, cueing us that we need to pull back and take a break so that we do not reach overload. For autistic people, they often have poor internal body awareness (interoception) and do not feel the stress chemicals build up. Consequently, they may be unaware that they are getting stressed until they hit boiling point. Unfortunately, by that time, their coping skills have often collapsed.
This series on “Shutdowns and Meltdowns” can be found in the blue book, “Autism Discussion Page on the Core Challenges of Autism.”
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Bill+Nason
