Autism: Strategies for coping with change and uncertainty
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Being stuck in a traffic jam for longer than expected…being cancelled on last minute …a timetabling change out of the blue…unexpected roadworks…a lost package in the post…a surprise email…train delays…an unanticipated meeting…starting a new job…starting a new course…adapting to marriage, love, loss, parenthood!!!
Life is full of never-ending, unforeseen changes and transitions.
Despite providing many opportunities for growth and excitement, change, for many of us, can often be anxiety-inducing, irritating and unwelcomed. Research suggests that change can be particularly challenging if you are autistic, as individuals who are autistic often favour consistency, order and familiarity. Nevertheless, change is a constant in life and therefore, we can all benefit from developing skills to help us learn to take it in our stride, thrive during transitions and live with greater ease.
In this article we’ve compiled some useful, practical strategies and suggestions to increase your confidence in coping with changes and make facing life’s uncertainties a little less stressful.
What is autism?
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Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition which causes differences in the way you behave and experience the world. Autism is defined as a spectrum condition, meaning that despite all autistic people displaying core characteristics, the expression of these characteristics differ widely between individuals. Many people try to mask their autistic traits in order to fit into particular settings and so they often outwardly appear not to be struggling.
Autistic people may display repetitive behaviours and interests, experience challenges with communication and in social situations and experience sensory sensitivities and sensory processing differences. More significantly, autistic individuals may also have a strong preference for order, predictability and routines. These differences can make facing uncertainty and adjusting to changes incredibly stressful and so people may try to avoid change altogether.
Autism and change
We are all affected differently by changes. You can be disturbed by experiencing big changes such as major life events, or subtler changes, such as a change in routine, a change in the order in which things are done, or a change in plans. Like much of the neurodiverse community, autistic individuals often struggle with transitions, such as moving from school to work, adapting to the adult world and managing changes in work and family life.
Autistic people may respond to change by:
- Attempting to resist it
- Isolating
- Feeling physically unwell
- Becoming aggressive
- Experiencing anxiety
- Experiencing meltdowns
- Displaying repetitive behaviours
If you are autistic, in order to cope with uncertainty, you may prefer routines and rituals to calm your anxieties and to help you prepare and plan ahead of time. Changes whether positive, or negative may still be overwhelming and cause a lot of distress.
Why change may not be such a bad thing
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We have evolved to be threat-based, that is we are primed to constantly look for threats in our environments. This negative bias means that sometimes when we encounter change we focus on the negative impact it may have on us, but doing this means that we may miss the many ways change can improve our lives. It is through change and adversity, that we are able to grow, learn and develop! Trying to fight change is like standing in the ocean trying to hold the waves back. The only way we can flourish, move forward in life and reach our potential is through accepting and acknowledging change as part of our existence and working with it, rather than trying desperately to resist it. So let us all learn to embrace change!
Tips for managing change and uncertainty
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Though the evidence on ways to cope with change and uncertainty for people with autism is sparse, there is some research and anecdotal evidence around strategies and tips which you may find helpful. We have outlined some of these below.
10 tips for preparing for change
1) Practice: You can grow familiar with things such as routes by practising travelling to new locations in advance.
2) Plan: Make multiple alternative plans in order to cope with unexpected changes. This takes the pressure off having to make on the spot decisions and helps you discover alternative ways to cope with the same situation.
3) Participate: Ask to be involved with decision-making around changes.
4) Research: Research about different environments to prepare for any sensory issues you may experience.
5) Ask questions: If you’re unsure about something, asking questions will help you clarify details and clear up any uncertainties.
6) Find out about the change: Ask about what is going to happen in advance so that you can plan and prepare for any changes. Ask questions such as ‘what does the change involve and when is it likely to take place?’
7) Resource audit: Make a list of skills and abilities which may help you when going through a change, or transition.
8) Use a calendar: If a change is taking place on a particular day, writing it on a calendar so you can see when it will happen may help you come to terms with the change and reduce your anxiety.
9) Add time: Leave early, or start tasks well in advance in order to adjust to any unexpected changes.
10) Seek support: Speak to others who have faced similar changes, or transitions, such as a mentor, friend, or family member. They may be able to provide you with information on what you may experience and advice about ways to manage.
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10 ways to care for yourself before, during and after change
1) Calming techniques: Practise anxiety management techniques, such as mindfulness, relaxation exercises, self-talk and deep breathing. This can help you cope with stress and lessen the emotional impact of challenges.
2) Pause: When an unexpected change occurs, pause, take a few deep breaths, acknowledge your feelings and ground yourself before deciding how you are going to move forward. This may stop you from responding reactively from a place of anxiety.
3) Self-Care: During stressful transitions try to distract yourself with an activity which you find soothing, for example listening to your favourite music, or playing games online.
4) Be kind to yourself: Being hard on yourself may only increase your anxiety and reduce your ability to cope with changes.
5) Maintain routines: When going through a period of change it’s important to reduce additional stressors and so keeping other aspects of your life/routine familiar can be important. Therefore, you may find it helpful to continue taking part in activities you enjoy and maintaining your regular sleep cycle and exercise routine.
6) Challenge your thoughts: Ask yourself what you really fear about the change and whether there are any facts to back up your fears.
7) Reframe your thoughts: Focus on the reasons the change, or transition is a positive thing. What opportunities may it present? What positive ways may it change your life, or enable you to grow?
8) Healthy coping mechanisms: Try activities which help you to manage emotions and process feelings around change, such as journaling, painting and spending time in nature.
9) Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms: Try to stay away from things which may cause you to become dysregulated such as alcohol, or drugs.
10) Accept change: Change cannot be avoided and some changes cannot be controlled, so learning to accept change as part of life, instead of trying to resist it, is vital. This attitude shift can lessen your anxieties around change and make challenges easier to approach with greater confidence.
Summary
All of us can learn to better adapt to and ultimately accept change. Above, we’ve highlighted some of the reasons why embracing change can be wonderfully transformational, by encouraging personal development and helping improve your quality of life. We understand that change can be very destabilising for those with autism and with that in mind we have outlined a variety of strategies that can be employed in order to mitigate some of the turmoil and anxiety caused by facing uncertainty and help you feel more comfortable managing daily challenges and changes.
Why not set a goal to try out one of these strategies this week?
Links you may find interesting
Click here to learn more about autism
Sources
- Neurodiversity and change: https://differentlywired.co.uk/neurodiversity-and-change
- Times of change: https://nhsdorset.nhs.uk/neurodiversity/living/change/
- What is autism: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/what-is-autism
- Coping with change: https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/resources/coping-with-change
- Coping with change: https://www.nest.scot/learn/topic/coping-with-change
- The benefits of familiarity and predictability for autistic people: https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/autism-space/health-and-lifestyle/autism-coping-with-change-and-transition/#:~:text=Prepare%20for%20the%20change,and%20help%20accept%20the%20change.
- Autism: Sudden changes and how to manage them: https://www.asdtoday.com/post/autism-sudden-changes-and-how-to-manage-them#viewer-3mme7
- Dealing with change as an autistic young person: https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/blog/dealing-change-autistic-young-person
- Managing change: https://employmentautism.org.uk/managing-change/
