What Does Autism Feel Like?

Despite all the knowledge that’s been gained about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in recent years, it may still be challenging for people to understand what it feels like to be affected by the neurodevelopmental disorder.

Neurotypical individuals take for granted a lot of the things that challenge people with autism on a daily basis. This might include having trouble with regular communication; struggling to fit in and/or experiencing extra anxiety in social situations; and experiencing sensitivity to some stimuli, such as loud noises, strong smells and bright lights.

While it’s impossible to experience exactly what it feels like to have autism, gaining additional understanding about what it might feel like for someone on the autism spectrum can help others accept and support them better.

Let’s take a closer look at what autism feels like, as well as how that might impact someone’s daily life.

Table Of Contents

The Rollercoaster of Emotions

Autism can feel like you’re on a rollercoaster at times. The world around you may feel overwhelming, as you have trouble understanding how to communicate with others and how to complete everyday essential tasks.

At the same time, you might easily feel stressed and anxious when you hear a sudden loud noise, or bright lights flash. You might become overly concerned and feel extra pressure if even the smallest change to your normal daily routine changes.

And while all this is going on, you might feel immense frustration as you have trouble expressing the emotions you’re experiencing to others so that you can get the help and support that you need.

It’s not like this all the time, of course. There are days when you might feel great and very confident. If you had a good day at school or performed very well at an applied behavioral analysis (ABA therapy) session, you might have a big smile on your face and feel happy.

All that can turn around quickly, though, if any of the above situations happens — which unfortunately are part of typical days. For instance, you might feel great leaving an ABA therapy session, only to be thrown off by a driver beeping their horn as your parents are driving you home.

What People with Autism Need from Others

If you’re able to put yourself in the shoes of a person with autism, based on the description above, you can see how everyday life can sometimes feel overwhelming. You can see how a child on the autism spectrum might easily feel as if they’re alone, which could cause them to feel anxious and depressed.

The practical question, then, is what do people with autism need from other people?

A simple answer is that they need what other neurotypical individuals need — love, compassion, understanding, acceptance, guidance and support. They need the people who are around them on an everyday basis to be there for them, helping to calm their nerves if they’re feeling stressed, to sympathize with them and make them feel better if they’re overwhelmed.

Ultimately, what this takes is an understanding of what the individual’s specific abilities and challenges are. After all, autism is a very diverse developmental disorder that affects every person differently.

How one person with autism feels, and what they experience, may be dramatically different than what someone else with autism feels and experiences. By knowing the specific challenges that the individual faces, and what works well to support them, you’ll be able to be there for them in a meaningful way.

How ABA Therapy Supports Children With Autism

ABA therapy is the leading treatment for children on the autism spectrum. That’s because it’s a science-based approach to learning and behavior that helps individuals with autism build the social, communication and daily life skills with which they’re most commonly challenged by.

A major advantage of ABA therapy is that it is catered to each individual. ABA therapists will take the time to learn each patient’s unique challenges and needs, and then customize the ABA therapy treatment program to them.

At the same time, it’s a treatment plan that will also integrate parents, caregivers and anyone else who interacts with the patient frequently. By doing this, they can help to emphasize what’s learned during sessions throughout the day, so that the lessons learned “stick.”

Blue Gems ABA Administers Compassionate ABA Therapy

Compassion and understanding are two of the most important characteristics you can display to support children on the autism spectrum. While you may never truly be able to know what autism feels like, you can certainly help to support those on the autism spectrum as best you can.

At Blue Gems ABA, our licensed and experienced therapists administer ABA therapy to each patient on a one-to-one basis with compassion, understanding and patience. Our goal is to help children with autism live happy and fulfilling lives.

To learn more, please contact us today.