Why autistic people need to prioritise self-care
Higher risk of burnout
- Managing sensory input, social expectations, and masking uses energy.
- Autistic burnout makes even basic tasks feel overwhelming.
- Self-care helps prevent burnout and supports recovery.
Executive function differences
- Planning, starting tasks, and switching between tasks can be harder.
- Self-care routines reduce decision fatigue and make daily life easier.
Sensory needs
- Everyday environments can be overwhelming (noise, lights, smells).
- Self-care includes creating sensory-friendly spaces and calming strategies.
Interoception differences
- Some autistic people do not notice body signals like hunger, thirst, or tiredness until they are extreme.
- Self-care routines and prompts help meet these needs before they become health risks.
Mental health vulnerability
- Autistic people are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and stress.
- Self-care activities like rest, sensory regulation, and special interests support emotional wellbeing.
Physical health risks
- Poor self-care can lead to dehydration, constipation, infections, and malnutrition.
- Prioritising self-care protects physical health and reduces long-term risks.
Social and emotional wellbeing
- Self-care includes connecting with others in ways that feel safe and comfortable.
- This helps reduce isolation and supports confidence.
What does healthy self-care look like for autistic people?
Supporting your wellbeing as an autistic person means respecting your own pace, boundaries, and communication style, even when they differ from others. Choosing the ways you prefer to keep in touch, creating sensory‑friendly tools and planning recovery time, and making space for special interests can all help you stay regulated. It’s also important to care for your body in ways that feel safe—using comfortable utensils, keeping a list of “always safe” foods, and relying on easy meals without shame. Building a supportive network, asking for reasonable adjustments, and connecting with autistic or wider neurodivergent communities can strengthen your network. A personalised self‑care toolbox, alongside flexible routines and daily anchors can make everyday life more manageable and reduce stress when plans change. Click here to view our article about daily life skills for autistic people.
Self-advocacy
Self-advocacy means deciding what you need and asking for it with confidence.
It includes:
- knowing your profile of strengths, needs, and preferences
- requesting reasonable adjustments at work, education, health, and social care
- carrying a short “about me” note or phone document with key needs and communication tips
- bringing a supporter to appointments
- asking for information in writing and in plain English
Some people may need an advocate to speak up for them, help them express their wishes, challenge decisions, and attend meetings or write letters on their behalf.
These services are especially helpful when a person finds it hard to understand information, communicate their views, or make choices because of disability, mental‑health needs, or other communication barriers.
They are also important when someone has no family or friends available to support them, or when decisions about their care, rights, or safety are being made.
Advocacy services give people independent support to help them understand information, make decisions, and have their voice heard in health or social‑care situations. See resources in everyday life
What is self-neglect?
Self-neglect is when a person finds it hard to meet their basic needs over time.
This can include:
- eating and drinking enough
- going to the toilet regularly and safely
- washing and oral care
- dressing for the weather
- taking prescribed medication
- managing sleep
- keeping living spaces safe and hygienic
- paying bills or opening post
Self-neglect becomes a problem when it affects health, safety, dignity, or daily life. It is not a choice. It often results from unmet needs, stress, burnout, or barriers in the environment.
Why self-neglect can be more harmful for autistic people
Increased health risks
- Autistic people are already more likely to have poorer physical and mental health.
- Ignoring basic needs can quickly lead to dehydration, constipation, infections, malnutrition, and dental problems.
- These issues often go unnoticed due to interoception differences.
Impact of sensory and executive function challenges
- Sensory sensitivities can make self-care tasks harder.
- Executive function differences make planning and starting tasks difficult, so neglect builds up quickly.
Mental health vulnerability
- Poor self-care worsens anxiety and depression, creating a cycle of stress and withdrawal.
Social and environmental barriers
- Services may lack autism-friendly adjustments.
- Missed appointments or unsafe living conditions can trigger safeguarding concerns.
Faster escalation during burnout
- Energy drops sharply during burnout.
- Even small tasks feel impossible, so neglect becomes severe quickly.
Hoarding: why it can happen and risks to consider
Autistic people appear more likely than the general population to experience hoarding‑type behaviours. Autistic people may be more susceptible, although the motivations are usually rooted in regulation, interests, sensory needs, and executive‑function differences.
Autistic adults often describe these behaviours as ways to manage emotions, provide comfort, support special interests, or maintain predictability, rather than being driven by the distress‑about‑discarding seen in classic hoarding disorder. Hoarding behaviours also appear in younger autistic people, particularly those with anxiety.
In more severe cases, hoarding may lead to trip hazards, blocked exits, hygiene issues, pest infestation, missed bills or fire risks, like risks seen in hoarding disorder generally.
Support ideas:
- Small, time-limited sorting sessions
- Visual categories and labelled containers
- Prioritise safety zones
- Respect autonomy and special interests
Click here for more information on hoarding.
Spotting when self-neglect needs extra support
- Rapid weight loss or dehydration
- Persistent constipation or urinary infections
- Unsafe living conditions
- Missing medicines
- Withdrawing from contact
If any of these situations are occuring then you should seek further support
For practical first steps, supports to aid self-management and mindfulness activities
Click here for our article about Executive Functioning skills.
Click here for our article about mindfulness for autistic people.
Summary
Autistic people need to prioritise self-care because daily life can involve extra challenges that increase stress and reduce energy. Healthy self-care includes respecting boundaries, sensory regulation, food safety, routines, and self-advocacy. Self-neglect can be more harmful for autistic people because of health risks, sensory and executive function challenges, and burnout. Practical supports are often needed to help self-care easier. It is important to start small, focus on individual needs, and seek help when needed.
