Adult ASD
Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder
Our approach to diagnosis and therapy:
Frequently Asked Questions
What does autism look like in adults?
Autism in adults often looks different than the stereotypes many people are familiar with. Rather than obvious social or communication difficulties, adults may experience chronic sensory overload, social fatigue, difficulty interpreting unspoken expectations, or challenges with emotional regulation. Many autistic adults appear highly capable on the outside while feeling overwhelmed internally.
Adults may struggle with bright lights, noise, crowded environments, or unpredictable schedules. Social interactions can require significant mental effort, leading to exhaustion after work, social events, or conversations. Emotional experiences may feel intense or difficult to regulate, especially during stress or change. These experiences are not deficits—they reflect a nervous system that processes information differently.
Can adults be diagnosed later in life?
Yes. Many adults are diagnosed in adolescence or adulthood, often after years of feeling “different,” misunderstood, or chronically overwhelmed. Some seek evaluation after a child is diagnosed, while others recognize patterns through burnout, anxiety, or repeated relational challenges.
A later diagnosis can bring a sense of relief and validation. It helps explain lifelong experiences, reframes past struggles, and provides language for needs that may never have been acknowledged. Rather than labeling someone, diagnosis often supports self-compassion and clarity.
How does autism affect emotional regulation and the nervous system?
Autistic nervous systems tend to be highly sensitive to internal and external stimuli. This means emotions, sensory input, and stress responses may escalate quickly and take longer to settle. What looks like “overreacting” from the outside is often a nervous system reaching capacity.
When overwhelmed, adults may experience shutdown (withdrawal, numbness, exhaustion) or meltdown (emotional outbursts, tears, anger). These responses are not intentional—they are signals that the nervous system is overloaded and needs support, predictability, or recovery time.
How does therapy help adults with ASD?
Therapy for adult ASD focuses on understanding and supporting the nervous system rather than trying to change core traits. Clients learn how autism shows up uniquely for them, including sensory needs, communication patterns, and stress responses.
Therapy may support:
Nervous system regulation and recovery from burnout
Identifying and accommodating sensory needs
Emotional awareness and regulation skills
Reducing shame from years of masking or misunderstanding
Developing self-advocacy and boundaries
Processing co-occurring anxiety, depression, or trauma
Rather than “fixing” autism, therapy helps adults build lives that fit their neurotype.
What is masking, and why does it matter?
Masking refers to the effort many autistic adults make to hide traits in order to fit social expectations. This can include forcing eye contact, suppressing stimming, rehearsing conversations, or ignoring sensory discomfort.
While masking may help someone function socially or professionally, it often comes at a cost: chronic exhaustion, anxiety, loss of identity, and burnout. Therapy helps adults recognize where masking is draining them and explore safer ways to be authentic without sacrificing stability or safety.
Is therapy neurodiversity-affirming?
Yes. Neurodiversity-affirming therapy recognizes autism as a natural variation in human neurology, not a disorder to be corrected. The goal is not to make someone appear “less autistic,” but to support well-being, autonomy, and self-acceptance.
Therapy centers the client’s values and lived experience, helping them determine what supports, accommodations, and skills are genuinely helpful for their life.
Can therapy help with relationships and communication?
Yes. Many autistic adults want meaningful relationships but struggle with miscommunication, unmet expectations, or sensory and emotional overwhelm within relationships. Therapy can help clarify communication preferences, strengthen boundaries, and increase mutual understanding with partners, family members, and coworkers.
This may include learning how to express needs directly, navigate conflict safely, or recover from social fatigue without guilt or shame.
Does adult autism often include anxiety or trauma?
Anxiety commonly co-occurs with ASD, often due to chronic sensory overload, social pressure, unpredictability, or years of feeling misunderstood. Many autistic adults also carry relational trauma from repeated invalidation or pressure to conform.
Therapy addresses anxiety and trauma through nervous system regulation, self-understanding, and accommodations that reduce ongoing stress. When the environment becomes safer and more supportive, anxiety often decreases significantly.
What does progress look like in therapy for adult ASD?
Progress does not mean becoming someone else. Instead, it often looks like:
Greater self-understanding and self-compassion
Reduced burnout and emotional overwhelm
Improved regulation and recovery after stress
Clearer communication and boundaries
Increased sense of agency and autonomy
Living in ways that align with one’s needs and strengths
Therapy helps adults move from survival to sustainability.
