Managing Autistic Burnout Resources

Hello fellow autistic people. I have just found out about another autistic advocate called Viv Dawes who specialises in burnout.  I know many of us in this community struggle with this so I thought I would share some of her resources on managing burnout:

The first link is for the 'Understanding Autistic Burnout Workbook':

https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/product-page/understanding-autistic-burnout-workbook

The second link is 'Understanding and Preventing Autistic Burnout Booklet'

https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/product-page/understanding-autistic-burnout-booklet-pdf

The Autistic Burnout Support Card - (similiar to 'I am autistic' card)

https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/product-page/autistic-burnout-support-cards-x-20

I hope these resources help you manage your 'spoons' (energy), engage in more autistic self care and ultimately prevent or recover from burnout.

Be kind to yourself.

  • I agree and it absolutely is.  School is where it starts for many and I really wouldn't want to underestimate this. 

    It's just that there are so many adults or late-identified people who've been hitting burnout for much of their lives or who have dropped out altogether and just cannot restart without support or robust advice and guidance and here, I think, there's a real gap in the market, even withint he autistic community.

    Within my family our youngest age of identification is 26.  Far too late for help and support at school.  Burnout has come yes, after a lot of difficulty with the mainstream education system, but then the major difficulties have continued and worsened with college, university and, if we get that far, the workplace.  And, if you have someone who has retreated to their room and avoids all contact as a result, you are simply desperate for information and help.

    I am that desperate person...

    i do have hopes for a consultation but, even here, our situation feels intractable and this might be as good as it gets.  :(   

  • I am glad you found the book and webinar useful. Unfortunately I don't know of any books/webinars that focus on the family experience of burnout, hopefully a one to one consultation might help you.


    I'd really like to see one that zooms in on the family experience though, and how to support in the case of chronic, severe burnout, especially in adults as so much of the material out there focuses on school-aged children.

    I suppose the reason why the focus is usually on school children is because the mainstream school environment is one of the main causes of autistic burnout in children.

  • I actually just bought that book plus recently attended one of her webinars.  Excellent and groundbreaking, I thought, given that this important subject isn't really covered much, generally speaking.  

    I'd really like to see one that zooms in on the family experience though, and how to support in the case of chronic, severe burnout, especially in adults as so much of the material out there focuses on school-aged children.  I could do with some anonymised case studies too.  This book is very short, unfortunately, although I absolutely take her point about  not wanting to add to the overwhelm for anyone currently experiencing burnout.  

    I might see whether I can have a one-to-one with Viv and, in the meantime, I also follow Kieran Rose, Kristy Forbes and Dora Raymaker as they're strong on this subject too.