Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder that affects social interactions, behavior, and more. People with this disorder are either low functioning (less capable of living a normal life without assistance) and high functioning (capable of leading a normal life without assistance. People with high functioning autism tend to have a higher sense of self-awareness regarding their disorder, and therefore understand that they are different from their peers, making their anxiety levels spike during social interactions (Hollander & Burchi, 2018). People with low functioning autism may also experience this, it depends on each individual’s situation.

Knowing this, it is important to find ways to regulate this triggered anxiety. Here are 3 simple ways to do so:

1. Utilizing weighted blankets or lap pads. Doing this has a number of benefits for people with autism who are struggling with anxiety. One being that it engages the parasympathetic nervous system helping calm a person and in turn reduces their anxiety (Alescia Ford-Lanza, 2017).
2. Implementing self-soothing strategies. Self-soothing strategies are anything that can be used to regulate anxiety levels in the moment. Some examples include counting to ten, deep breathing, and visualization. While self-soothing it is important to remember that you are trying your best and your current goal is to calm down so you can continue with your day.
3. Playing with fidget toys. Although some might think it is immature to be playing with a toy, fidget toys are actually very common among autistic teens and adults as well. Even other neurodivergent individuals utilize them to hone their focus and better complete daily tasks. Fidget toys are designed to provide a sensory stimulus that grounds a person or allows them to multitask without being a significant distraction from the task at hand. They also allow energy to be spent on something else.

Here is a link to 20 fidget toys best suited for people on the autism spectrum:

https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/fidget-toys-for-anxiety

References:

Alescia Ford-Lanza. (2017). The Ultimate Guide to Deep Pressure Therapy. Harkla; Harkla. https://harkla.co/blogs/special-needs/deep-pressure-therapy

Alescia Ford-Lanza. (2019, June 6). 10 Tips To Help Calm Anxiety in Kids with Autism. Harkla. https://harkla.co/blogs/special-needs/calm-anxiety-in-kids-with-autism

Hollander, E., & Burchi, E. (2018, March 26). Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. Adaa.org. https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/anxiety-autism-spec trum-disorder#:~:text=internalizing%20symptoms%2C%20such%20as%20depression

Vallejo, M. (2024, April 29). 10 Best Fidget Toys for Kids & Teens with Anxiety. Mental Health Center Kids. https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/fidget-toys-for-anxiety

Written By: Carmela Gonzalez, Mental H2O Youth Resource Writer