Investigating autistic burnout

Autistic burnout is commonly described by autistic people – in everyday conversations, on social media (eg. #AutBurnout) – but thus far neglected as a topic of academic research. Online accounts link autistic burnout to autistic ‘camouflaging’, or ‘putting on my best normal’. It is linked anecdotally to the high rates of associated health conditions. Yet lack of research on this topic means we know virtually nothing about its causes, correlates or consequences. Autistic and non-autistic researchers will co-produce an initial study to understand autistic experiences of burnout and develop a working definition. We will use this definition to follow-up using Autism CRC’s large dataset the Australian Longitudinal Study of Autistic Adults (ALSAA) to explore risk factors.

This project has:

1. Conceptualised and defined autistic burnout
2. Identified scale and risk factors of autistic burnout using ALSAA data (or a separate online survey if timelines did not align), including an indicative prevalence rate and risk factors of autistic burnout, leading to clinical recommendations and public awareness
3. Translated research findings into accessible materials (such as infographics and /or visual snapshots) to disseminate and promote positive emotional health for autistic adults, and awareness for autism researchers and clinicians.