Autistic shutdowns (whether it be autistic temporary partial shutdown, autistic extended systems shutdown or autistic catatonia) are an often under-discussed aspect of autistic life in which, one minute, an autistic person might be cruising along, not a care in the world, and then the next we may…
stop.
Thankfully, in most circumstances we can be right as rain in only a few hours but, the experience without an explanation can be a terrifying prospect – especially in instances where the rate that we run out of steam becomes…
more
and more
…
frequent.
So, what actually is an autistic shutdown? What is autistic catatonia and what can be done to ease the impact of a shutdown/catatonic episode?
[to skip to the answers of any of the above questions, please click the bold red text]
What Does an Autistic Shutdown Look Like?
The winds of change can often feel like a hurricane for autistic people as our minds, which favour regularity and routine, are knocked about in an endless sea of possibilities.
In many cases, an autistic person can react to this by essentially ‘rebooting’ in fight or flight mode (otherwise known as a meltdown). However, in other instances, we may appear to freeze; as though the alteration has knocked us too far off course and we can’t find our way back.
This, as you might have guessed from the title, is known as autistic shutdown and it’s essentially when our minds have battened down the hatches during a tornado of change and, on the inside, we await for things to pass, in what autism guru: Temple Grandin describes as a ‘self-imposed sensory deprivation’ (but more on that later).
Due to the seemingly comatosed state that an autistic shutdown will present as, they are often perceived as autistic people being hard of hearing or flat out rude. However, a quick trip to any hearing or language specialist will right this misconception, proving that, no, autistic people in shutdowns aren’t being disobedient, it’s just that we can’t hear you through our sensory shields.
So, what actually goes on when the blinds go down?
What Are the Different Types of Autistic Shutdown?
Autistic people may appear cool as a cucumber when in shutdown mode (as though we have entered a Zen-like state of tranquillity and powered down for the time being). However, not all is how it seems as, unlike an autistic meltdown which sees the mind reboot our bodies, a shutdown will see our minds rewire our senses, to protect us from what is causing the distress.
According to Autism: An Inside-Out Approach, this can result in one of two autism shutdown subdivides:
- Temporary Partial Shutdown
- Extended Systems Shutdown
Both of which may seem preferable to the destruction that is a meltdown, but don’t let this deceive you into thinking that they don’t have strengths and weaknesses of their own. For example:
Temporary Partial Shutdown:
Usually more common in autistic people who can be considered at the more independent part of the spectrum, a temporary partial shutdown is when an autistic person loses some or all of a basic function during moments of distress. This presents itself as involuntary modulation of the senses, which is basically a fancy way of saying that the brain reroutes power to whatever it deems necessary, to isolate an individual from a problem.
In some circumstances, temporary partial shutdown can be as simple as blocking out sound when noise is causing a sensory disturbance, but It can just as easily be taking our voice away if the brain believes we need to focus on reflecting and not projecting.
During this kind of shutdown, autistic people can become increasingly agitated, as we will still be conscious of the outside world but unable to interact with it.
Extended Systems Shutdown:
On the other hand, extended systems shutdown is where an autistic person’s brain thinks it’s better than its senses and, in a technique similar to how my year 8 art teacher graded my homework, it will recognize the effort we’re trying to put in and couldn’t care less.
This results in somewhat of a head in the sand approach, as our minds adapt the idea that what we can’t process can’t hurt us (something which, as a side note, ostriches don’t actually do).
Under these circumstances, shutdowns may be a calmer experience for those around but, for the autistic person, we can become deaf or blind to the thing which is causing stress and therefore do not move out the danger zone. For this reason, sometimes an extended systems shutdown can feel like I am escaping to Club Tropicana, whilst other times I feel like I’ve been left at the Bates Motel.
What Is Autistic Catatonia?
So far we have only discussed shutdown as it has more commonly become known within the autism community. However, these kinds of shutdown are actually more of an informal term which describes an experience similar to the real deal: Autistic Catatonia – a condition which can start between the ages of 10-19 where, inexplicably, our batteries drain faster than usual and we become periodically immobile or dazed during moments of function.
Although not much has been studied regarding catatonia in autistic people, it has been theorized (here), that during these episodes in which an autistic person will slow or stop it may be that either:
- Our responses hit half speed as a result of sensory function and motor ability colliding
- Our rituals, obsessions and routines have garnered top billing in our mind and everything else is a slow second thought
Catatonia is not exclusive to people with autism though, as it also exists in some people with schizophrenia and Tourette’s syndrome – although in non-autistic iterations a person with catatonia may become more active instead of less so.
Furthermore, despite autistic catatonia presenting itself much later than most autistic quirks, it’s hereditary origin indicates that it still very much a part of the spectrum and not something we catch. While this does mean that the condition can be unavoidable, it also means that it can be prepared for.
Support and Treatment for Autistic Shutdown/Catatonia
When dealing with a distressing shutdown or a challenging bout of catatonia, there are very few steps that an autistic person can take from the inside out – except maybe ride it out and hope for the best. However, for those who are on the outside, there are one or two techniques which can (and should) be implemented to support and comfort an autist entering a shutdown.
In many cases, moving an autistic person to a place of safety or a sensory-friendly room should often be your first port of call – but do keep in mind that interrupting any flavour of an autistic shutdown could result in a switch to an autistic meltdown, which can cause involuntary violent actions.
Under these circumstances, speaking to the autistic person and trying to ease any thoughts around what may have caused the shutdown is a great way to offer reassurance, without putting yourself in harm’s way. But remember that a shutdown can often be about finding ‘self-imposed sensory deprivation’, so don’t push us further into ourselves by bombarding us with new information.
Over in academia, the overwhelming lack of research behind shutdowns and autistic catatonia does mean that psychological solutions are not exactly fool-proof. Yet, for those who are seeking to limit lengths of episodes, there’s no harm in booking therapy sessions to try and locate and eliminate what an individual’s triggers may be.
Furthermore, there are some who believe that the cause of catatonic states may be as a result of those pesky antipsychotics. This means that, if an autistic person is taking any regular medication and experiencing a catatonic state then, no matter how new the symptom, or how long the medication has been prescribed, it could be that your dosage needs some fine-tuning.
Carry on the Conversation:
Shutdowns are so understudied within autism that much of the information taken today comes from only 1 or 2 sources. As such, if you want to contribute to the understanding, I encourage you to share your personal or second-hand experiences of autistic shutdown, as well as any good practices for dealing with them, in the comments below.
Additionally, if you would like to read more about how autistic people regulate and process our senses, check out this article titled: Autism and Emotion Recognition: What is INTEROCEPTION?
As always, I can be found on Twitter @AutismRevised and via my email: AutisticandUnapologetic@gmail.com.
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Thank you for reading and I will see you next week for more thoughts from across the spectrum.
