Shutdown

A shutdown can happen when you feel upset and cannot react to a situation.

A shutdown might feel like having a meltdown on the inside, but it looks different from the outside. Instead of yelling or crying or kicking, you might “freeze up”.¹

Watch a video explaining "Shutdown"

When experiencing a shutdown, it becomes hard to react to a situation the way you would like to.

Many autistic youth find that they cannot talk when they are in a shutdown. Some youth also find it hard to move. Others feel like they want to escape or just curl up into a ball.

Watch a video explaining "Autistic Shutdown"...

Download and create your own "Shutdown" plan

We hope that working through this handout will help you tell important adults in your life about your experiences and create a plan. This plan can be put into action at school, home or anywhere else that you might find helpful.

Download the handout

References

1. Phung, J., Penner, M., Pirlot, C., & Welch, C. (2021). What I Wish You Knew: Insights on Burnout, Inertia, Meltdown, and Shutdown From Autistic Youth. Frontiers in Psychology, 21. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.741421