The Autistic Burnout Network was founded by Viv Dawes (www.autisticadvocate.co.uk) in 2023, due to the concerns about the lack of understanding regarding autistic (and other neurodivergent) burnout especially amongst professionals working with neurodivergent people. Viv wanted to create a network of neurodivergent people with lived experience of burnout, to help educate, train and support professionals who do not have lived experience.

There has been an increasing awareness over the last 10 years mostly thanks to the amazing work of advocates such as Keiran Rose, Judy Endow, Kristy Forbes and others and also due to vital research carried out by people such as Dr Dora Raymaker, Dr Samuel Arnold, Julianne Higgins, Jane Mantzalas and others.

Autistic and other neurodivergent burnout has been (and still can be) too commonly misdiagnosed as depression or even personality disorders, such as EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, also known as Borderline Personality Disorder). This can be a devastating misdiagnosis and can lead to support that causes more harm to the autistic individual. Many autistic people are also missed and misdiagnosed with things like EUPD or BiPolar before they eventually get an autism diagnosis (too often identified once they reach crisis), which can be many years later. Dr Judy Eaton talks about this and has published her book ‘Autism missed and misdiagnosed’ The understanding, recognition and acceptance of autistic burnout by professionals.

Researchers such as Dr Samuel Arnold and Julianne Higgins and others are working towards recognised criteria, so that autistic burnout can be diagnosed. Arnold and Higgin’s (et al) research paper “Investigating Autistic Burnout-Final Report” (2022) includes preliminary criteria The understanding, recognition and acceptance of autistic burnout by professionals. and they continued their work in “Towards the measurement of Autistic Burnout” (2023) The understanding, recognition and acceptance of autistic burnout by professionals.

Our AIMS

Our aim for this network of neurodivergent professionals is to promote the understanding of autistic and other neurodivergent burnout and to create a place where:

1. Professionals working with autistic and other neurodivergent people can find accurate information and good quality lived experience training they need, in order to understand and recognise autistic and other neurodivergent burnout.
2. Professionals can learn how to best support and advise the individuals they are working with and supporting on what helps neurodivergent individuals with recovery from burnout.
3. Those providing this information and training will be neurodivergent professionals with a vast array of experience, including lived experience of burnout and recovery.

You can join if you are a neurodivergent professional, such as a GP, doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, mental health professional, therapist, researcher or teacher for example and have a good understanding of (and maybe lived experience) of autistic and other neurodivergent burnout.

If you are a neurodivergent professional but do not have a professional qualification you can also join, this includes neurodivergent activists, authors, advocates and creatives.

If you are a professional who is not neurodivergent and are working with autistic or other neurodivergent people and want to get a better understanding, please fill out the form for non-neurodivergent professionals.