For practitioners working with autistic clients, particularly those who are autistic, it’s vital to understand the profound impact of autistic burnout and how acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) principles can be applied effectively to support recovery.
What is autistic burnout?
Autistic burnout is not simply an extension of depression or anxiety, although these may be part of the experience or labels a client has received. Rather, autistic burnout is a multifaceted process that can affect every aspect of a person’s life. The term is used to describe the intense physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion that can occur in autistic individuals, often as a result of prolonged stress, sensory overload, and/or the cumulative effort of masking or camouflaging autistic traits. It is not an official diagnostic label but is widely recognised and discussed within the autistic community and by practitioners who work with autistic individuals.
Clients in burnout often report heightened sensory sensitivity, making environments that were previously manageable, feel overwhelming. Executive functioning may feel significantly impaired with forgetfulness and difficulty managing daily tasks become the norm. Everyday expectations, even small ones, can feel crushingly overwhelming.
Social interactions can become especially draining, leading to an increased need for solitude. Physical health can also be impacted: autoimmune or autonomic issues may worsen, chronic pain may intensify, and fatigue can become deep and unrelenting, unaffected by even extended periods of rest. Autistic clients will often describe feeling more than just tiredness; but a bone-deep exhaustion that lingers despite any amount of sleep.
Applying ACT to support recovery
As ACT practitioners, we are trained to help clients move towards a life aligned with their values, often by addressing experiential avoidance. This approach remains vital for clients experiencing autistic burnout, but it needs to be adapted to their current capacity.
One of the key challenges for ACT therapists is recognising that recovery from burnout often requires scaling back, not leaning in. The instinctive response might be to encourage clients to re-engage with life: to connect with others, to step towards their values, to resume meaningful activities. However, for someone in autistic burnout, the path forward often involves doing less, not more.
The importance of scaling back
Encouraging clients to scale back can feel counterintuitive, but it is essential. Recovery from autistic burnout requires reducing demands and pulling back from expectations, both external and self-imposed, that are no longer manageable. This can be uncomfortable for both the client and the therapist, as it may feel like stepping away from progress. However, it is a necessary step towards healing.
To stay connected to their values during this period of reduced activity, clients can focus on low-demand, low-effort ways of finding meaning. For example, if connection is a core value, this might mean sending a brief text to a loved one rather than meeting in person. If creativity is important, it might mean engaging in a simple, soothing craft rather than a complex or time-consuming project. The aim is to remain aligned with values in ways that feel sustainable and manageable in the midst of burnout.
As ACT practitioners, supporting neurodivergent clients through burnout requires a nuanced approach that respects their limits while helping them remain anchored to their values. Scaling back is not simply avoidance; it’s a compassionate and strategic step towards recovery. By adapting ACT principles to meet clients where they are, we can help them navigate the challenges of autistic burnout and move towards a life that feels meaningful and authentic, even at their lowest point.
To explore these ideas in more detail Dr Jennifer Kemp is joining us for a practical, skill-based workshop in March 2026. This session will equip you with the tools and insights to support your neurodivergent clients in recognising, alleviating, and preventing chronic burnout, and is part of a our more comprehensive neurodivergence series which also covers living authentically and rejection sensitivity dysphoria.