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Autistic Burnout Network

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The understanding, recognition and acceptance of autistic burnout by professionals working with autistic adults and children, is vital for the well-being of autistic people. Burnout can lead to serious mental health problems and can significantly impact their quality of life, education, employment, relationships, as well as their mental and physical health. There is an increasing awareness, mostly thanks to the autistic community, namely advocates such as Keiran Rose, Judy Endow, Kristy Forbes and others (who have been talking about it for years) and also due to vital research carried out by people such as Dr Dora Raymaker, Dr Samuel Arnold, Julianne Higgins, Jane Mantzalas and others.

Autistic burnout is too commonly misdiagnosed as depression or even personality disorders, such as EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, also known as Borderline Personality Disorder). This can be a devastating misdiagnosis and can lead to support that causes more harm to the autistic individual. Many autistic people are also missed and misdiagnosed with things like EUPD or BiPolar before they eventually get an autism diagnosis (too often identified once they reach crisis), which can be many years later. Dr Judy Eaton talks about this and has published her book  'Autism missed and misdiagnosed' https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/judy-eaton/autism-missed-and-misdiagnosed/9781839974601/
 
Researchers such as Dr Samuel Arnold and Julianne Higgins and others are working towards recognised criteria, so that autistic burnout can be diagnosed (and I assume possibly even included in DSM-VI even). Arnold and Higgin's (et al) research paper "Investigating Autistic Burnout-Final Report" (2022) includes preliminary criteria https://www.autismcrc.com.au/sites/default/files/reports/3-076RI_Autistic-Burnout_Final-report.pdf and they continued their work in "Towards the measurement of Autistic Burnout" (2023) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613221147401









 
 
My aim for this network of neurodivergent professionals, is to promote the understanding of autistic burnout and to create a place where neurotypical professionals working with autistic people (for example GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists, teaching staff including SENCos, legal representatives, therapists, etc) can come for the information and training they need to understand and recognise autistic burnout and learn how to best support and advise the individual. Those providing this information and training will be neurodivergent professionals with a vast array of experience.

If you are a neurodivergent professional (GP, doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, researcher, teacher, etc), have a good understanding of autistic burnout and want to join the network (to help spread understanding and recognition amongst other professionals working with Autistic people) please complete the registration form below. I will invite everyone to occasional virtual meetings to get to know each other and start putting content together and plan training packages.
 
If you are a professional working with autistic (or otherwise neurodivergent people) and want to get a better understanding of autistic burnout, please fill out the form - for non neurodivergent professionals. Once the ABN is running training or conferences about autistic burnout, you will be made aware of this.

I look forward to meeting you soon




 

Recent research regarding autistic burnout 

'Measuring and validating autistic burnout' Mantzalas et al (2024)

'Towards the measurement
of autistic burnout' Arnold et al (2023)

'Confirming the nature of autistic burnout' Arnold et al (2023)

Aims of the ABN

Joining ABN is for neurodivergent professionals ONLY
Parents. professionals and individuals please register for your interest in the conference further down the page

Neurodivergent professionals please register to join the Autistic Burnout Network using this form.

For neurodivergent professionals ONLY who have a good understanding of autistic burnout

Thanks for registering.

Please register here if you are not neurodivergent yourself but you are a professional working with neurodivergent people and want to better understand autistic burnout
(You will be contacted once we have training provided by the ABN or conferences running about autistic burnout)

Thanks for submitting.

Autistic Burnout Conference Spring 2025

The Autistic Burnout Network is thrillled to announce a conference dedicated to autistic burnout in Spring 2025 (date TBC). Those attending will hear from lived experience professionals, on subjects such as:

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  • Being missed and misdiagnosed

  • The impact of being multiply marginalised

  • School trauma, autistic children and young people

  • Puberty and menopause

  • Undetected co-occurring conditions such as EDS, PoTs etc 

  • Monotropism, interoception and burnout

  • The science behind burnout and the nervous system

  • What do we mean when we talk about recovery?

  • When burnout is extreme - neurodivergent people, addiction and the criminal justice system

Professionals, parents and individuals wanting to learn more about autistic burnout, please register your interest in attending the conference here:

Register your interest in attending the Autistic burnout conference 2025 here. We will keep you updated

The ABN experts on autistic burnout

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