Tips for young autistic people navigating everyday life

Topics mentioned: autism and mental health, ADHD and mental health, sleep problems, self-care

About: An autism diagnosis helped Hassnat take better care of himself and his mental health. He shares tips for other autistic young people navigating daily life.

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My name is Hassnat and I was diagnosed with ADHD at 14 and autism at 19. I can assure you it’s been a real struggle, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. In my darkest days when I felt life wasn’t worth living, I hung on to every last bit of hope I could muster. My questions were answered when I was diagnosed with autism – it explained what was happening to me and why I’d struggled all this time.

With my story, I’d like to give some tips to anyone with autism. These are things that help me cope with daily life, change, and living in a neurotypical world.

I would always copy other people to fit in and feel a sense of belonging. But connecting with autistic voices online helped me find my community and people like me. I stopped trying to be like everyone else when I came across an influencer on Instagram called The Spectrum Girl. I found someone who I could completely relate to as she posts so much about her experience of autism. I would highly recommend following her. She always brightens my day by posting so much funny, helpful and entertaining content.

I struggle with bright colours, bright lights, and sudden change, so I create my own ‘autistic space’. This has light colours, lights which are not too bright, and a picture outside the space to show what the space looks like. It’s a space where I can go and recharge. I also ‘unmask’ here when I’m feeling burnt out after masking my symptoms. There is also sufficient space for me to ‘stim’ and experience sensory joys like shadowboxing and hula hooping. I would recommend having a safe space that suits your needs as well.

Autistic people often need more time. Allow yourself extra time to do things, whether that’s listening to instructions, communicating, carrying out daily tasks, managing change etc. You are well within your right to take as much time as you want, and no one can take that from you.

It’s important to find what works for you, but some things that help me are:

Many autistic people have difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep or feeling refreshed after sleeping. Some sleep aids that can help with this include weighted blankets, blackout blinds and lavender spray.

Music can be a game-changer for difficult or low moods. Listen to a favourite piece of music for an instant mood lift or to help you relax and feel calmer. I often listen to the same music multiple times as it gives me a sense of predictability.

Sometimes frustration and overwhelm can be difficult to communicate to teachers and family. For me, this can make me feel even more frustrated and my response is to withhold breath and/or hyperventilate. This is why knowing deep breathing techniques is essential – I know I can use these during difficult times to help me feel calm again.

I hope my tips help you find your own ways of navigating everyday life. Remember, there’s no rush and no one right way – trust yourself and celebrate you, just as you are.