9. common co-occurring experiences

differences in mortality for autistic vs non autistic people

autistic people live on average 6 years less

but this study has no info on causes of death

how many GPs have no formal autism training and what’s the impact of this

40%

limited knowledge on how to give proper healthcare to autistic people

what are some barriers to healthcare access

early barriers = lack of predictability, sensory issues

communication mismatch

healthcare avoidance

what is the SPACE framework, what does it say will help

sensory

predictability

acceptance

communication

empathy

what percentage of autistic people also have ADHD, anxiety, and depression

ADHD - 28%

anxiety - 20%

depression - 11%

do autistic people get diagnosed with other mental health issues more

yes but this might not be fair

autistic symptoms can often be confused with symptoms of other conditions

define camoflaging

the coping strategies that autistic people develop to fit in with a largely neurotypical world

what are the 3 subscales of camouflaging that are measured by the CAT-Q

masking - portraying a non-autistic persona, actively hiding autistic traits

compensation - actively compensating for difficulties in social situations like mimicking body language or forcing eye contact

assimilation - trying to fit in with others like rehearsing scripts or hiding special interests

who scores the highest on the CAT-Q

females, gender diverse people, late-diagnosed people

why does camouflaging happen

because people don’t accept autistic traits in society

how does camouflaging change based on environment

participants camouflage less when there were autism-affirming cues

what did a longitudinal study of camouflaging show

camouflaging is associated with mental health difficulties

define autistic burnout

a syndrome that comes from chronic stress without appropriate support

need to have long-term exhaustion, loss of function, reduced tolerance

how can burnout be solved

peer support

reducing masking

setting boundaries

asking for help

what is AuDHD

people who have autism and adhd

how many people have audhd

28%

levels of camouflaging in people with auDHD

they camouflage more than adults with just ADHD

how common are learning difficulties in people with autism

1/3

why are those with learning difficulties often excluded from research

hard time ensuring informed consent

what is AFAB

assigned female at birth

what are things ABFAB autistic people have more

higher bmi

menstrual and reproductive health issues

pre-diabetes symptoms

explain some issues regarding giving birth based on the SPACE model

sensory - easy to feel overstimulated

predictable - need for facts and rapport with midwives

acceptance - feeling judged

communication - need for autism tailored comunication

empathy - feeling uncared for

how does autism relate to menopause

autistic women are suggested to have worse menopause symptoms and changed how the women felt about themselves