Do you sometimes feel that conversations take a lot of effort?

Have you found it challenging to understand what others mean at times?

Many Autistic people prefer to communicate in a clear, direct, precise, and thoughtful way, but can find indirect communication, mixed messages, or implied social cues tiring or confusing.

Many Autistic people find communication with other Autistic people more intuitive, while indirect language, body language, and implied social signals from non-autistic people can be harder to read.

Do you prefer meaningful conversation over small talk?

Many Autistic adults are more comfortable with conversations that feel purposeful and detailed over conversations that rely heavily on social small talk, especially when discussing subjects they care deeply about. Many Autistic people can enjoy depth, honesty, and substance, and may find surface-level social chat draining or hard to maintain.

Do you feel you have to put a lot of effort into coming across a specific way in social situations?

Many Autistic adults describe that masking might involve hiding their natural responses, suppressing movement patterns, rehearsing social scripts, mirroring neurotypical behaviours associated with certain emotional responses, or carefully managing how they come across in order to present themselves in a way that may be expected.

Do you feel things very deeply, especially when it comes to other people, animals, injustice, or unfairness?

Many Autistic people care intensely. You may be highly affected by other people’s distress, feel deeply moved by cruelty or inequality, or have strong values around justice, honesty, and doing the right thing. This depth of feeling can be a real strength, but it can also be emotionally taxing when you are repeatedly exposed to conflict, suffering, or people whose values feel very different from your own.

Do you reach a point where stress can feel so intense that your body and processing ability seem to shut down or become hyper-reactive?

Many Autistic people experience periods of overwhelm when too much builds up at once. This can be triggered by sensory overload, sudden changes, emotional stress, social pressure, or simply too many demands without enough recovery time. For some people, overwhelm comes out visibly through crying, agitation, restlessness, increased stimming, or self-injurious behaviour. For others, it looks more like shutting down, going quiet, losing the ability to speak clearly, or needing to completely retreat. These responses are not chosen or performed — they are signs that a person’s nervous system has been put under more strain than it can manage.

Do you feel more settled when life feels familiar, structured, or easy to anticipate?

Many Autistic people are helped by routine, sameness, and knowing what to expect. Predictability can create a sense of safety and reduce the mental load of everyday life. Unexpected changes, vague plans, or having to constantly adapt can feel disproportionately stressful, even when other people seem unbothered. This need for consistency can also show up in daily habits, preferred ways of doing things, and food choices, with some people gravitating toward familiar meals, environments, or routines that feel manageable and reliable.