Parents of children on the autism spectrum have all experienced it. One moment your child appears to be fine, and the next, they tend to be going further into the characteristics that define where they fall on the spectrum. It always raises the question, “What makes autism worse?”
There are many factors that can exacerbate autism symptoms. Some of them may be environmental, while others may be sensory. Let’s look at some of the factors that can make autism worse.
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1. Too much exposure to sensory experiences
Sensory experiences are some of the easiest ways to worsen autism symptoms. Sensory overload and hypersensitivity can make autism worse due to sensory sensitivities.
Lights can be too bright, and noises can be too loud. Taste, smell, and touch can also lead to a sensory experience that makes autism symptoms worse. Children can experience increased agitation and anxiety or choose to withdraw and become isolated.
The best way to help your child in these situations is to identify the sensory triggers and provide them with a sensory-friendly environment.
My youngest son is hypersensitive to sound. Loud noises can often lead to him screaming and covering his ears to protect himself. At home, we will turn down the sounds as best we can or take him outside away from the sounds if we are working on something in the home.
While out and about, we will use noise-canceling headphones to help muffle sounds so he can experience life without becoming overwhelmed. Find what works best for your child to be sensory-friendly.
2. Changes in routine
Children with autism tend to prefer routine over spontaneity. They thrive on predictability. Any sudden changes can make autism worse, as they may have difficulty coping with the disruptions.
Unfortunately, changes to routine are a part of life, and it’s up to us as parents to help our children manage these changes. If it’s a once-in-a-while situation, find a way to keep everything as familiar as possible while going through the routine change.
Every October, my wife and I like to throw a Halloween party. Our younger son loves his routine and people in the house who usually aren’t there can lead to a wild change.
If he’s familiar with the people, he’ll try to stay up longer and be a part of the crowd. If they aren’t too familiar, he’ll want them to stay away from him.
When we first threw a party, we weren’t aware of how to keep his routine mostly familiar, and he was up all night long due to the disruption.
Over time, we’ve learned to set him up with a television show and his favorite food and drink. He’ll usually go to sleep, although he may stay up later than normal and still wake up earlier than normal.
If this is going to be a change that your child must accept nightly, then you can implement it a little bit at a time. Start with one small part of the change until your child becomes familiar with it.
Once that change is accepted, you can introduce another small change. Eventually, the new routine will take hold without making your child’s autism symptoms worse.
3. Social expectations and pressure
Social interactions can be troublesome for people with ASD. Many autistic people don’t have the best social skills and may struggle with eye contact or keeping up a conversation. This can lead to increased isolation and worsen autism symptoms.
Social skills training programs can help improve these interactions. These programs can help the person recognize social cues, improve communication skills, and work on techniques for problem-solving.
Helping people recognize these social triggers can lead to them managing autism symptoms on their own and not make autism worse.
4. Social isolation
Social isolation has also been known to make autism symptoms worse. On top of social expectations and pressure, people on the spectrum may also find it difficult to connect with others. Joining in events or trying to make friends can be a challenge.
This can lead to depression, battles with anxiety, and other mental health struggles. Parents can provide a supportive environment for their children experiencing isolation by reaching out and encouraging them to make connections through their interests.
My older son struggles to make friends. When he sees kids outside playing, he doesn’t want to go out and try to play with them. He likes to play, but speaking to someone he doesn’t know well can often worsen his anxiety.
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Using his interest in sports, music, chess, and the outdoors, we were able to help him overcome his anxiety and make friends. When we discussed enrolling in scouts, he jumped at the opportunity because he loves hiking, camping, and fishing.
We enrolled him in several different sports until he found the one at which he excelled. He plays in chess tournaments and has made friends through chess. Appealing to interests can help children overcome social isolation.
5. Harsh discipline strategies
Anyone over a certain age has heard from older family members about how a discipline style from their parents worked for them and will work for others. However, every child reacts differently to discipline. For kids with autism, harsh discipline can worsen autism symptoms.
Children with autism may not understand why they are being punished so severely. This makes autism worse because the child may essentially double down on the challenging behaviors that got them punished in the first place.
This can trigger harsher punishments from parents as well as defiance and meltdowns from the children.
Unfortunately, this is a trap I’ve fallen into in my own parenting. My older son may understand the need for punishment but may not understand why it’s so severe. He starts lashing out because, in his mind, he’s being over-punished.
My father served in the military, and his punishments stuck whether I actually learned from them or not. I’ve learned to adjust my punishments for my son based on the situation. He still needs to be disciplined, but I can do a better job helping him understand why a harsher discipline was chosen.
6. Experiencing emotional stress
Many children with autism struggle with emotional regulation. They may lash out in fear, anger, or frustration when things aren’t going their way.
While everyone is susceptible to emotional outbursts, children with autism may have a heightened sensitivity to emotional struggles. A supportive environment can go a long way in helping reduce anxiety and address emotional stress.
Parents can help their children recognize sensory stimuli and employ coping strategies. We have used emotional regulation techniques with my older son when emotional stress sends him into sensory overload.
We have used:
- deep breathing exercises,
- deep pressure hugs,
- five senses (countdown 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, etc.),
- physical activity.
When he’s overwhelmed, these techniques have helped alleviate anxiety and physical symptoms while calming his autistic behaviors.
7. Masking the symptoms
Many individuals with autism feel the need to mask their symptoms during social interactions in an effort to fit in with society. They will hide or change aspects of themselves to conform to neurotypical expectations.
Research has found masking tends to increase anxiety and depression among the autistic community.
Supportive environments can help individuals with autism manage symptoms of masking. Encouragement can help them be themselves more often instead of trying to fit into a box to seem “normal.”
Coping strategies can help them reflect their true selves and can also improve social skills as they accept who they are in front of others.
8. Suppressing stimming behavior
Many individuals with autism will stim in an effort to calm themselves. Stimming often includes repetitive behaviors when they may be experiencing sensory overload.
For my younger son, this includes biting on a chewie to ensure he doesn’t end up biting himself or others. But suppressing stimming makes autism worse.
Individuals with autism need sensory input from stimming to help cope with a situation. Suppressing that behavior often leads to it being replaced with a different stim. The new stim may not be as easy to manage as the first.
Suppressing stimming can also lead to more behavioral difficulties for individuals with autism. It can lead to mental health struggles and cause your loved one to withdraw and isolate more.
A medical exam from a healthcare professional can rule out physical causes. Gastrointestinal issues, food sensitivities, and processed foods have been linked to stims in the past. Dietary changes could address the stimming behavior.
Removing sensory stimuli and redirecting stimming behaviors can also lead to a reduction in the behavior. Plus, stress management tools can help your loved one avoid sensory overload that may contribute to stimming.
Knowing what makes autism worse makes a huge difference
Individuals with autism may struggle because it is a complex disorder. However, you can help make their lives easier by knowing what makes autism worse. You can recognize what may worsen their symptoms and help them avoid those triggers. If the worsened symptoms have already been triggered, you can help guide them to a supportive environment where they can calm down and cope with the triggers.
Seeking advice from healthcare professionals may help you recognize what is autistic behavior and how you can help your loved one if it is becoming a worsening symptom.
Life is hard for everyone and can certainly be harder for individuals with autism. But, working together, the entire autism community can help make the world a better place for our loved ones on the spectrum.
FAQs
Q: What do individuals with autism need?
A: While individuals with autism may have specific needs, three universal needs for anyone on the spectrum are safety, acceptance, and a sense of support.
Q: Does autism get worse with age?
A: According to research, autism itself does not get worse with age. However, that research also found that certain symptoms become more challenging as individuals with autism grow older.
Q: Does autism improve with age?
A: Much like getting worse, autism spectrum disorder does not improve with age. However, research has found autism symptoms can improve over time through therapies and support.
Q: What things overwhelm autistic people?
A: According to research, sensory overload and sensory processing issues can lead to individuals with autism feeling overwhelmed. This often leads to anxiety and meltdowns.
References:
Sofie Boterberg, Tony Charman, Peter B. Marschik, Sven Bölte, Herbert Roeyers, Regression in autism spectrum disorder: A critical overview of retrospective findings and recommendations for future research, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Volume 102, 2019, Pages 24-55, ISSN 0149-7634, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.013.
Waizbard-Bartov, E., Ferrer, E., Heath, B., Rogers, S. J., Nordahl, C. W., Solomon, M., & Amaral, D. G. (2022). Identifying autism symptom severity trajectories across childhood. Autism Research, 15(4), 687–701. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2674
Waizbard-Bartov, E., Ferrer, E., Young, G.S. et al. Trajectories of Autism Symptom Severity Change During Early Childhood. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 227–242 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04526-z
