About autism
Clear, respectful information about autism for adults. It covers the senses, masking, autistic burnout, and waiting for an NHS (National Health Service) autism assessment. Each topic is explained further down this page.
What is autism?
A different way of being human
Autism is a difference in how a person's brain develops and works. It affects how people communicate, socialise, respond to what their senses pick up, and experience the world. It is not a disease or a disorder to be fixed.
Autism is lifelong. Autistic people are born autistic, and stay autistic all their lives. It cannot be cured, because it is not an illness. Autistic people have different strengths, challenges, and ways of experiencing the world compared to non-autistic (neurotypical) people.
Key characteristics
While every autistic person is different, some characteristics are common.
Social communication
Social interaction, communication style, and the reading of social rules work differently.
Sensory processing
Sound, light, touch, taste, smell, and other sensory input can register far more, or far less, than they do for other people.
Repetitive behaviours
Stimming, routines, special interests, and a need for predictability are often part of daily life. Stimming means repeated movements or sounds, such as rocking or hand-flapping, that can help a person feel calm or focused. Special interests are topics a person cares about deeply, often for a long time.
Focus and attention
Deep focus on special interests and close attention to detail sit alongside difficulty with executive function. Executive function means planning, starting, and organising tasks.
Waiting times
Waiting for an NHS autism assessment
In the UK, far more people need an autism assessment than NHS services can currently see. Services are under a lot of pressure, and many people wait years. NICE is the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. It writes health guidance used by the NHS in England. NICE recommends that an assessment starts within 13 weeks of a person being referred for one.
people waiting in England
NHS England Autism Statistics, March 2026
waiting longer than NICE recommends
waits of several years are widely reported
NICE recommended maximum
What SensoryShore offers while you wait
SensoryShore is a free website with a questionnaire you can use now, while you wait. Your results describe your own patterns in plain words. You can download a report and prepare a letter to take to your GP (general practitioner, your family doctor). SensoryShore is not a diagnostic tool and does not diagnose autism or any other condition.
Sensory processing
Sensory processing: more than five senses
Most people learn about five senses at school: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Autism research often adds more, such as balance and movement, and body awareness. Body awareness means sensing where your body and limbs are without looking. Many autistic people are more sensitive, or less sensitive, than other people in some of these areas. Some are both, at different times. The NeuroProfile questionnaire looks at six areas: sound, sight, touch, smell and taste together, balance and movement, and body awareness.
Sight
More sensitive: bright lights can hurt, fluorescent lighting can bring on headaches, and cluttered spaces can feel overwhelming. Less sensitive: a person may look for bright, busy, or colourful things to watch, and prefer well-lit places.
Sound
More sensitive: a person may cover their ears at loud noises, and find it hard to concentrate with background noise. Less sensitive: a person may look for loud music, or not notice when sounds are too loud.
Smell
More sensitive: strong smells can make a person feel sick, and they may notice smells other people cannot. Less sensitive: a person may look for strong scents, or not notice bad smells.
Taste
More sensitive: a person may eat only a small range of foods, and some food textures can be hard to eat. Less sensitive: a person may look for strong flavours and intense tastes.
Touch
More sensitive: light touch can feel unpleasant, and some clothing textures can be hard to wear. Less sensitive: a person may look for firm pressure or touch, and may not notice pain.
Balance and movement
More sensitive: movement, such as on escalators or in cars, can make a person feel dizzy or sick. Less sensitive: a person may look for movement, such as spinning, swinging, or rocking.
Body awareness
A person may have a less clear sense of where their body and limbs are. They may bump into things, sit or stand in unusual positions, find it hard to plan movements, or look for strong physical pressure.
Inner body signals
Interoception means noticing signals from inside your body, such as hunger, thirst, or pain. A person may not notice hunger or thirst until it is extreme, may find emotions hard to name, or may notice pain late.
Why sensory differences matter
Sensory differences are not preferences. They are a basic part of how many autistic people experience the world. A sensory profile is a picture of how you respond to what your senses pick up. Knowing yours can help you set up spaces that work for you, and explain your needs to other people. It can also help you notice sensory overload early. Sensory overload means your senses are taking in more than you can cope with.
Inner body signals (interoception) are described here to help explain autism. The NeuroProfile questionnaire does not score them separately. It scores the six areas listed at the top of this section.
Masking and burnout
The hidden cost of fitting in
Many autistic people mask their autistic traits to fit in. This takes enormous energy and can lead to burnout.
What is masking?
Masking (also called camouflaging) is when autistic people hide or suppress their autistic traits to appear neurotypical. This can include:
- Forcing eye contact despite discomfort
- Suppressing stims (hand-flapping, rocking, etc.)
- Planning and rehearsing what to say before a conversation
- Imitating others' gestures and expressions
- Hiding sensory sensitivities
- Resisting the urge to talk about special interests
Key point
Masking is not the same as being polite. It means actively hiding how you naturally are, to meet non-autistic expectations. This can come at a high personal cost.
Autistic burnout
Autistic burnout is deep, long-lasting exhaustion of the body and mind. It can build up over time from:
- Sensory overload over months or years
- Masking and hiding autistic traits for a long time
- The strain of planning, starting, and organising tasks in a world not built for you
- Running out of energy for social contact, especially contact you did not choose
- A lack of understanding, and of practical changes that would help
Burnout warning signs
These can be signs of autistic burnout:
- Extreme fatigue that sleep doesn't fix
- Loss of skills you used to have
- Inability to mask even when you want to
- Increased sensory sensitivities
- Feeling emotionally numb, or having feelings that change suddenly and strongly
- Complete withdrawal from activities
Burnout can be serious. If you recognise these signs, please speak to your GP or a mental health professional. Recovery usually needs a lot of rest and fewer demands. If you are in crisis or in danger, use the services under "Crisis resources" further down this page.
Common traits
Autistic strengths & challenges
Autism brings both strengths and challenges. Every autistic person is different — this is not a checklist.
Strengths
- ✓ Attention to detail
- ✓ Deep focus on special interests
- ✓ Honesty and directness
- ✓ Logical consistency
- ✓ Pattern recognition
- ✓ Loyalty and fairness
- ✓ Unique perspectives
Challenges
- • Social communication differences
- • Sensory sensitivities
- • Executive function difficulties
- • Difficulty with change
- • Difficulty planning and coordinating movements
- • Differences in noticing hunger, thirst, pain, and other inner body signals
- • Vulnerability to burnout
Autism is a difference, not something to fix
SensoryShore does not see autism as a disorder to be fixed. We see it as a difference in how a person experiences the world. The aim is to help you understand yourself better, and work out what changes would help you. Autistic people do not need to be "less autistic". The world needs to make more room for autistic ways of being.
Other conditions
Conditions that often happen alongside autism
Autistic people often have other conditions as well. These conditions are separate from autism, but they often happen together.
Anxiety disorders
Anxiety is very common among autistic adults. It can include anxiety about social situations, constant worry about many things, or strong fears of particular things (phobias).
Depression
Depression is more common among autistic adults. It is often linked to masking, burnout, or not getting the understanding and practical changes they need.
ADHD
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It often happens alongside autism. Both can make planning, starting, and organising tasks harder.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a group of conditions that affect connective tissue. Connective tissue supports the skin, joints, and other parts of the body. These conditions are more common among autistic people than among other people. They can cause very flexible joints (hypermobility), pain, and tiredness.
Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia is also called developmental coordination disorder. It affects how a person plans and coordinates movement. A person may seem clumsy, or have low muscle tone (muscles that feel looser than usual).
Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition that affects the gut. It can cause stomach pain, bloating, diarrhoea, and constipation. Digestive problems are common among autistic adults. Researchers are studying possible links between the gut and the brain.
Important: Having another condition does not make you "less autistic" or "more autistic". Each condition is separate, and needs its own recognition and care. SensoryShore does not check for anxiety or depression. If you notice signs of either, speak to your GP.
Next steps
What you can do
If you suspect you're autistic
- Learn more about autism from autistic sources
- Take the free NeuroProfile questionnaire to understand your own patterns (it does not diagnose autism)
- Ask your GP about a referral for an autism assessment
- Connect with autistic communities for peer support
- Self-acceptance matters whether or not you pursue a formal diagnosis
If you think someone you know may be autistic
- Learn about autism from autistic perspectives
- Share information gently, without putting pressure on them
- Ask how you can support them, and what changes would help
- Respect their right to make their own choices, and what they know about themselves
- Do not push them to seek a diagnosis, or to tell other people they may be autistic
If you're recently diagnosed
- Take time to process — no rush to tell everyone
- Learn about autistic adults' experiences
- Connect with autistic communities
- Think about what practical changes would help you, at work, at home, or elsewhere
- Recognise that you're still you — autism is an explanation, not a change
Crisis resources
SensoryShore is not a crisis service. It has no helpline, no support service, and no one to talk to. If you are in crisis, please contact one of these services:
- If you or someone else is in danger now, call 999
- For urgent help that is not an emergency, call NHS 111
- To talk to someone at any time, call Samaritans free on 116 123
- If you would rather text than call, text SHOUT to 85258 (Shout is a free text service)
These services are not run by SensoryShore.
Learn more about SensoryShore
You can read more about SensoryShore below, or start the free NeuroProfile questionnaire while you wait for an assessment.