One autistic adult describing different "levels" of meltdowns told me that they may simply be overwhelmed during a mild meltdown - emotionally and with sensory overload - and be internally overtaken by a flow of uncomfortable emotions. They can result from stimuli like bright lights, annoying sounds, darkness, new places, overwhelming smells, large crowds, background chatter, scary and unexpected social interactions, unfamiliar people, all of those all at once, and much more. What are temper tantrums, and what causes them?ÄȘutistic meltdowns are, as one study puts it, "intense responses to overwhelming situations". This also very much depends on the extent to which their life circumstances meet their needs - including whether they have the right support network. While functioning labels exist in the context of autism spectrum disorder, the very same person can thrive (and be considered "high functioning) in one period, and crash (and be considered "low functioning) during another point in life. Autistic people also nearly always have sensory sensitivities, a strong need for routine or sameness in their lives, and a need to engage in "stims" (repetitive behaviors or motions that help regulate emotions). Since non-autistic people make up the overwhelming majority, this causes challenges. All autistic people are unique, but it would usually be accurate to say that having an autistic neurology makes it hard to communicate with non-autistic people. Autism spectrum disorder - also simply called autism - is a neurological condition that results in radically different brain wiring.
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