Lightbulb Moments: Being Autistic

An article for professionals
By Laura Buckland Mason

One of my biggest realisations about being Autistic occurred in 2016, when I attended a discussion group about Autistic inertia – difficulty stopping and starting activities (Buckle et al., 2021). Hearing others sharing their experiences was life-changing for me, both in terms of understanding how Autistic inertia affected me, as well as finding out that it was something that many other people struggled with. Finding ways to reduce the challenges that it causes has made a significant difference to my life, as has finding out that I’m not alone in experiencing it.

Finding community and having the opportunity to share experiences is beneficial for Autistic people. Spending time with others who share similar experiences and ways of being, particularly in environments which are tailored to meet Autistic people’s needs, can offer valuable chances for connection (Sinclair, 2022). Research into Autistic people’s experiences of how interacting with other Autistic people improves their quality of life suggests that spending time with other Autistic people is widely regarded as a positive experience (Watts et al., 2024). Interaction with other Autistic people can allow for opportunities to give and receive advice, learn about oneself and realise that our experiences are shared with others (Botha et al., 2022). Participants in Thriving Autistic’s Discovery Programme have stated that taking part has increased their belonging, connection and confidence (Discovery Evaluation Report, 2025).

Newly diagnosed Autistic people, or those who are considering whether they may be Autistic, as well as the professionals, family members and friends who support them, may have a deficit-based view of autism, influenced by the diagnostic criteria for autism. Hearing about Autistic people’s experiences, challenges and joys can provide a different perspective, as well as reduce feelings of isolation.

When we made Lightbulb Moments: Being Autistic we wanted to share some of our experiences of being Autistic, with a focus on aspects of being Autistic that are less commonly known and often not directly reflected in the diagnostic criteria, but are shared by many Autistic people. This built on a recurring theme from the Discovery Programme of “I thought it was just me” (Discovery Evaluation Report, 2025). These experiences are an important part of our lives, and may bring joy, challenges, or a mixture of the two. 

Many of the aspects referenced in the animation relate to a monotropic way of thinking, where the brain “concentrates its resources in a few interests and concerns” at a time (Murray, 2019). Intense interests can be a source of great joy (Murray et al., 2005), but difficulties with changing plans and redirecting focus are a challenge for many Autistic people.

Some Autistic people experience alexithymia, which includes difficulty recognising and distinguishing between different emotions (Kinnaird et al., 2020). Regardless of whether or not the Autistic person can recognise them, emotions – both the Autistic person’s and other people’s – may be experienced very intensely, which can lead to overwhelm and distress. Many Autistic people also have anxiety disorders (Nimmo-Smith et al., 2019), which can greatly detract from their quality of life and lead to feelings of isolation and hopelessness.

The diagnostic criteria for autism refer to difficulties with social communication and interaction, but the way that these difficulties can affect Autistic people may be less widely known. When Autistic people are overwhelmed, they may be perceived as being aggressive or rude, when they are actually just overloaded and struggling to cope. Many Autistic people report that they experience stigma as a result of being Autistic, and that they feel that other people do not understand them (Botha et al., 2020).

When Autistic people don’t have chances to interact with other Autistic people, they miss out on valuable opportunities to share experiences, give and receive advice and find community. For me, like for many other Autistic people, realising that something that I experience was not “just me” was life-changing. 

Although many aspects of being Autistic can be challenging, being aware that other people have similar experiences and that there are also many positives can improve people’s self image and make their lives more pleasant. We hope that Lightbulb Moments: Being Autistic will help Autistic people worldwide to realise that their experiences, struggles and joys are shared with others, and that they are not alone. 

References

• Botha, M., Dibb, B., & Frost, D. M. (2020). “Autism is me”: an investigation of how Autistic individuals make sense of autism and stigma. Disability & Society, 37(3), 427–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2020.1822782
• Botha, M., Dibb, B., & Frost, D. M. (2022). ‘It’s being a part of a grand tradition, a grand counter-culture which involves communities’: A qualitative investigation of Autistic community connectedness. Autism, 26(8), 2151–2164. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221080248
• Buckle, K.L., Leadbitter, K., Poliakoff, E., & Gowen, E. (2021). “No way out except from external intervention”: First-Hand Accounts of Autistic Inertia. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631596
• Kinnaird, E., Stewart, C., & Tchanturia, K. (2018). Investigating alexithymia in autism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Psychiatry, 55, 80–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.09.004
• Murray, D., Lesser, M., & Lawson, W. (2005). Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism. Autism, 9(2), 139–156. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361305051398
• Murray, F. (2019, January 19). Starting points for understanding autism. Medium. Retrieved August 31, 2025, from https://oolong.medium.com/starting-points-for-understanding-autism-3573817402f2
• Nimmo-Smith, V., Heuvelman, H., Dalman, C., Lundberg, M., Idring, S., Carpenter, P., Magnusson, C., & Rai, D. (2019). Anxiety Disorders in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Population-Based Study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(1), 308–318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04234-3
• Sinclair, J. (2022). Cultural commentary: Being Autistic together. In Developments in neuroethics and bioethics (pp. 99–128). https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.dnb.2022.08.002
• Watts, G., Crompton, C., Grainger, C., Long, J., Botha, M., Somerville, M., & Cage, E. (2024). ‘A certain magic’ – Autistic adults’ experiences of interacting with other Autistic people and its relation to Quality of Life: A systematic review and thematic meta-synthesis. Autism, 29(9), 2239–2253. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241255811