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According to Dr. Amittah Shah, what the autistic community calls “autistic shutdowns” are short catatonic episodes.
What we call “autistic burnout” is “catatonic-type breakdown,” that can result in full autistic catatonia.
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“3. Catatonia as shutdown
Autistic children and adults can show a temporary shutdown of social interaction and communication at times of acute severe stress and anxiety, such as exams. In these cases, the individual gets back to normal as soon as the stressful event has passed. Many autistic individuals experience prolonged periods of shutdown, or show shutdown with other aspects of catatonia-type deterioration. Shutdown can affect the autistic individual in different ways. They may withdraw totally from the external environment, may be unable to communicate or respond, curl up in a ball, or engage only in self-initiated repetitive actions. Some individuals with the shutdown episodes may not show any movement difficulties associated with catatonia or may show these intermittently.
4. Episodic/lifelong catatonia-type difficulties
In many high functioning autistic individuals, catatonia may not always be a deterioration or breakdown, but can be a chronic or episodic difficulty in initiating movements and activities. This is beginning to be recognised as we get contacted by high functioning autistic individuals who are themselves linking their difficulties in initiation with catatonia. It is likely to become better recognised and as being a lot more prevalent as awareness increases and affected individuals come forward to seek confirmation of diagnosis of their difficulties and help and support which would have been denied to them previously. Autistic individuals who experience this ‘episodic’ catatonia are likely to be turned away by professionals and services due to disbelief. This is due to their ability to function at a high level and very well at other times in spite of problems in initiation which almost ‘paralyse’ them temporarily.”
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Catatonia, Shutdown and Breakdown in Autism _ A -- Amitta Shah.pdf
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