Navigating Autism: How to Identify and Cope with Personal Triggers

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts how an individual communicates and experiences the world. Autistic behaviors may include intense and limited interests, repetitive behaviors, sensory sensitives and difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions. 

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Autistic individuals may experience meltdowns. A meltdown is an intense and involuntary reaction to the challenges that autism presents, like intense sensory experiences, navigating tricky social situations and emotional dysregulation.

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In mental health circles, a trigger refers to an event or feeling that causes a strong emotional response. Neurotypical and neurodiverse individuals alike have triggers, and everyone’s triggers are different. A neurotypical person may feel sadness or nervousness when being confronted with one of their triggers. For autistic individuals, however, being exposed to a trigger can lead to a meltdown. 

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Meltdowns are stressful and incredibly unpleasant to experience. For autistic adults, meltdowns will happen occasionally, but having a better understanding of individual triggers may help them prevent meltdowns when possible.

Although there are some triggers that are common for autistic individuals, every person has their own set of triggers.Some autistic adults may be especially bothered by sensory stimuli, while others may not be bothered by sensory stimuli. Some autistic people may have a very hard time communicating with others, which leaves them feeling triggered and dysregulated. Other autistic people, however, may be hyperverbal and talk about their feelings ad nauseam. 

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For example, I happen to be a hyperverbal autistic woman. I don’t find it difficult to discuss my feelings or current needs. However, I have an extremely hard time eating in restaurants because smelling dozens of different meals at once and listening to constant chatter overwhelms my nervous system to the point of a meltdown.

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Given the diverse range of triggers and traits, it is important for an autistic individual to identify their triggers. 

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How can I identify my triggers?

Identifying what triggered a meltdown while it’s happening can be tricky, if not impossible. Therefore, it may be helpful to use the time immediately before and after a meltdown to piece together what triggers may have occurred. 

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What to do before a meltdown

Before a meltdown starts, you may feel anxious or agitated. This is called the “rumble stage.” During this stage, you might start seeking reassurance or performing self-regulating motions. Stimming, rocking back and forth, and pacing are all examples of self-regulatory movements. During this stage, it may be helpful to examine your environment and try to identify a potential trigger. 

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Is the music really loud? Are you in a large crowd? Are you trying to socialize with someone and feel like it’s not going well? 

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If you can identify what’s making you uncomfortable, you can try alleviating that problem. For example, if loud music makes you feel overstimulated, you can try using noise-canceling headphones or finding a quieter space. If the crowd is overwhelming, you can excuse yourself to the restroom or leave the situation entirely. If you are socializing with someone and do not feel like it is going well, excuse yourself to the bathroom or find someone you are very comfortable with.  If those interventions make you feel better, and the feeling of an impending meltdown subsides, then you’ve likely identified a trigger.

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What to do after a meltdown

If you do have a meltdown, you can examine the situation once you’ve recovered. What was happening in the moments before your meltdown? Have you had a meltdown in similar situations before?

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You can also enlist the help of your family members and friends. If they’ve been around you during situations where you’ve gotten triggered, they may be able to offer insight. 

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For instance, my mom was the first to notice that tight clothing triggers me. I often felt agitated when we were out together, and she realized that I would almost always get dysregulated if my shirt sleeves were tight or restrictive. It may be helpful to ask your loved ones for their input since they might notice things that you don’t. 

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Documenting triggers

If you and your loved ones are having difficulty identifying triggers as they occur, using a journal can be helpful. On days when you have had, or almost had, a meltdown, try jotting down a few sentences about the circumstances surrounding it. Over time, you may be able to thumb through the pages and identify patterns. 

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Maybe a portion of your meltdowns occurred on days when you got stuck in traffic. Therefore, driving during rush hour may be a trigger, and you can adjust your commute to avoid heavy traffic to the best of your abilities. 

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Extra help identifying personal triggers

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Identifying personal triggers and understanding your specific autistic experience can feel daunting. It can be tricky to even know where or how to start. Prosper Health has developed a worksheet to help autistic individuals make sense of their experiences and identify tricky or triggering situations. 

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Completing the worksheet, and taking time to reflect on the insights it provides, may be a good first step toward identifying personal triggers. 

Though every autistic individual may have their own triggers, some triggers are quite common among neurodiverse individuals. These triggers often include sensory sensitivities, changes in routine and communication difficulties.

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Sensory sensitivities

Many autistic people experience sensory input intensely. For an autistic person, loud music playing in a grocery store can feel overwhelming and physically painful instead of just annoying, like it may feel  for a neurotypical person. An autistic individual who’s sensitive to smell might feel completely overwhelmed by the mixed aromas in a restaurant, whereas a non-autistic person may not even notice more than the smell of their meal. 

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These sensory triggers are overwhelming and frustrating, and they can cause a meltdown or other intense emotions in autistic people.

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Changes in routine

Consistent routines are incredibly important for autistic adults. Routines allow autistic people to reduce stress, build emotional resilience, establish predictability, and incorporate more independence into their lives. Deviating from normal routines can be extremely distressing. 

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A change in routine can refer to any disruption, large or small––like an unplanned doctor’s appointment if they’re not feeling well, a last-minute cancellation or even having to take a different route to work or school. Because routines are so comforting and such an integral part of the autistic experience, unexpected disruptions are triggering.

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Communication difficulties

Sometimes, autistic people find it hard to express their needs or wants. This can be because they are nonverbal or nonspeaking or because they struggle with alexithymia, which makes it difficult to express emotions. No matter the cause, feeling like you can’t make people understand what you want or need is frustrating. That frustration can be overwhelming, triggering a meltdown.

It’s rarely possible to avoid triggers entirely. We live in a world that is loud and crowded and built with the neurotypical population in mind. Therefore, it’s important for autistic individuals to have some coping skills in their toolkit for moments when they’re inevitably facing one of their triggers. Some of these tools include self-regulation, therapy, and support groups. 

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Self-regulation for autistic adults

Autistic people tend to have a harder time with self-regulation than their neurotypical peers, and those difficulties are more pronounced during triggering moments. There are, fortunately, techniques that can help autistic individuals self-regulate, such as:

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• Deep breathing: Taking long, deep breaths helps calm the nervous system. In challenging moments, deep breaths can quell feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. Sometimes, it’s helpful to visualize blowing bubbles, tracing a square, or inflating a balloon. 
• Stimming: Stimming is short for self-stimulatory behavior, and refers to a variety of behaviors that stimulate the senses. Stimming is often soothing and grounding for autistic adults. It comes in many forms, including rocking back and forth, fidgeting with an object, hand-flapping or even repeated vocalizations. 
• Managing sensory input: Because autistic people are likely to have heightened sensory input, it’s important for you to feel empowered to personalize your sensory experience when possible. Noise-canceling headphones and sunglasses can reduce unwanted input, while weighted blankets or comfort items can stimulate pleasant sensory responses. Seeking feel-good input and eliminating overwhelming input are great ways to regulate.
• Low-impact exercise: Gentle exercise is a wonderful way to soothe the nervous system. Walking, stretching or dancing to a fun playlist are all good regulatory exercises.
• Feeling empowered to walk away: Sometimes, the best way to self-regulate is to simply leave the stressful situation––and that’s okay. 

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Therapy

One of the best ways to develop coping skills is to work with a neurodiversity-affirming therapist. A therapist who specializes in helping neurodiverse clients can help you identify your individual triggers and collaborate with you to develop personalized coping skills. 

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Neurodiversity-affirming therapists may use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help you cope with your triggers and adapt CBT techniques to better suit neurodiverse experiences.

The right therapist can help you better understand why you feel triggered and what to do about it. They are also a steady source of support during challenging times and can help you identify and meet other mental health goals.

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Support groups

One of the best resources for autistic individuals is other autistic individuals. The reality of living with autism is that the world is designed for neurotypical people, and it’s complicated and isolating to navigate that. Support groups allow you to socialize and connect with other folks who share your neurotype while also giving you access to coping skills that have been tested and approved by other autistic people. 

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To find support groups, ask your therapist (if you have one) or use online search tools. 

Because communication difficulties are a common trigger, autistic individuals may wish to improve their communication skills. Sharpened communication skills provide an in-the-moment way to ask for help during a meltdown, and reduce the likelihood of a meltdown occurring because of communication differences.

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Strategies for autistic adults to improve communication 

Feeling like you’re unable to communicate is frustrating and can lead to meltdowns. It’s a bit of a vicious cycle: having a hard time communicating can be a trigger, and feeling triggered can make it harder to communicate. 

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Improving communication skills can help prevent that initial feeling of frustration. Some tips include:

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• Practice: Practice communicating with loved ones. Talk about feelings and triggers during calm moments so you feel comfortable doing so. Then you may feel more prepared to discuss your needs during stressful moments.
• Work with a therapist: An affirming therapist can help you identify and improve upon specific communication challenges. 
• Develop a ‘code word’ to be used with family and friends: When feeling triggered, it can be hard to express what’s wrong and what you need. An established code word to mean “I’m feeling overwhelmed and may need help or need to leave” is a great way to diffuse situations. (For example, as a child pre-diagnosis, I didn’t understand what it meant to feel overstimulated. I best equated it with feeling “itchy.” As an adult, I know I can tell my loved ones that I’m feeling “itchy,” and they know that I’m feeling overstimulated and need help.)

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Strategies for families and friends

Family members, friends and other supportive people also play a role in communication. There are ways that neurotypicals can more effectively communicate with their autistic loved ones. 

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• Speak clearly and concisely: Autistic people tend to be direct and literal communicators. Therefore, when interacting with an autistic adult, neurotypicals should try to use specific language, emphasize the necessary information and avoid metaphors or vague phrasing. In short, say what you mean and avoid hiding information between the lines.
• Allow time for processing: Some autistic individuals process verbal information at a slower pace. When speaking, pause and allow some time for processing before proceeding. 
• Offer visual or written communication if needed: An autistic adult may require visual or written communication, especially when feeling triggered. If an autistic loved one struggles to express themselves, you can offer pictures or other visual aids. Or, instead of insisting on verbal communication, allow them to send a text message. 

Everyone has triggers––autistic and neurotypical people alike. For autistic people, however, triggers can lead to meltdowns. Meltdowns are an extremely unpleasant and exhausting part of being autistic. Being able to identify and cope with individual triggers can help autistic adults prevent and avoid some meltdowns. 

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If you’re having trouble identifying and coping with your personal triggers, Prosper Health is here to help. Prosper Health provides virtual therapy for autistic adults, covered by insurance. Our expert clinicians incorporate evidence-based therapies into our sessions, tailoring all care to the unique needs of autistic adults. With Prosper’s support, managing triggers is possible. Fill out the form below or give us a call to start today!