Why familiarity and predictability matter?
- Life changes can be exciting but also daunting.
- Change can bring positives, such as new opportunities or flexibility.
- Even positive changes can feel overwhelming and cause anxiety.
- Research suggests many autistic people find uncertainty particularly stressful.
- Anxiety may increase when sensory sensitivities or other stressors are involved.
Familiarity helps autistic people feel safe. This is important to understand because it challenges the common misconception that autistic people are “rigid,” “inflexible,” or “intolerant of uncertainty.”
Autonomy is essential, many difficulties arise because other people’s structures and sensory environments can feel unsafe. This anxiety makes it harder to process information, or “read between the lines.” Predictability and clear information reduce this anxiety. When life feels structured and safe, autistic people can focus on their strengths and thrive.
There are many types of changes and transitions that happen every day, during the school term, across the year, and throughout life. Some autistic people find uncertainty so stressful and upsetting that they do everything to avoid it, for example refusing school or going to social events.
It’s not only major changes that affect autistic people—small changes can also have a big impact. Wherever possible, these changes should be considered and planned for. At the very least, it’s important to recognise that coping with change and transition can increase stress and anxiety for autistic people and their families.
Common preferences for order and routine
Autistic people are all different, but many prefer:
- Set routines and rituals – eating the same meals, doing tasks in the same order, using favourite items, taking the same route.
- Order and organisation – toys lined up, collections arranged neatly, schedules unchanged.
- Detailed information – knowing the order of events, who will be present, what time things happen.
- Clear, precise rules – predictable systems that make sense and are followed.
‘Insistence on sameness’, ‘inflexible adherence to routines’, or ‘ritualised patterns of behaviour’ are negative sounding descriptions in the autism diagnostic criteria. However autistic people often describe them positively because they help with:
- Self-regulation and calming
- Managing energy levels
- Coping with change
- Reducing anxiety
- Making life feel predictable
Benefits of routines
- Lower anxiety and make the world feel safe
- Give a sense of control, especially for children
- Help manage daily tasks and transitions easier – link daily life skills and transitions in school
- May reduce behaviours that challenge by creating clear expectations and personal responsibility – link to parenting
- Routines and rituals can provide comfort and stability. If they support an autistic person’s wellbeing, it’s important to respect and maintain them.
When can routines become an issue?
- Routines that are too rigid can cause distress when changes happen
- Obsessive routines may indicate obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and need extra emotional health support
- Strict routines can affect relationships or social opportunities in a negative way
Practical strategies to support change and uncertainty
Find out about the change
What does it involve? When will it happen? Who will be there?
Prepare ahead for the change
Add changes to a calendar or planner
Explain what will stay the same
Use visual supports
Visual timetables, charts, social stories link to visual schedules
Photos of new places or people
Physical prompts
Visit new locations in advance
Plan for flexibility
Create a “plan B” and “plan C” for unexpected changes
Give warnings
Tell the person about changes as early as possible or in response to individual needs
Show changes visually (e.g., print a new route)
Parents/carers try to stay calm too
Anxiety can be contagious—model calm behaviour
Keep your promises
Involve the autistic person
Include them in planning and decision-making. Autistic people need autonomy
Allow time to process information
This builds trust
Below are a couple of possible visual examples that may help to process and manage the change using visual support:
Reasonable adjustments
Reasonable adjustments aim to remove barriers and ensure that autistic people are supported fairly, enabling everyone to participate effectively and benefit from services and opportunities. They are not optional extras – organisations are required to provide them under law. This might include planning safe spaces to carry out rituals or routines, written instructions, flexible routines, or visual support tools.
Click here to find out about reasonable adjustments at work for autistic people.
Click here for an employment check guide for autistic people.
Summary
Familiarity, predictability and routine can help autistic people feel safe and reduce anxiety. Routines are not negative—they often serve an important purpose. Support is needed when routines become rigid or changes cause distress. Preparing ahead, using visual and physical prompts, and involving the autistic person can make change easier to manage.
