Dysregulation is caused by an overabundance of stimulation from our environment.
Neurotypical brains go through a process called synaptic pruning. This is where the brain decides which branches on each synapse to keep and which to prune or do away with.
Autistic brains do not do this. They absorb more information and stimulation from the environment, and therefore have more to process. This is why autistic people often experience dysregulation more intensely than nonautistic people, they have a lower threshold for outside stimuli because their brains are taking in twice the amount of information.
When we become dysregulated, it’s often due to overstimulation. But how we react to that stimulation can help us regulate ourselves. For example, when our brains are overstimulated, we move our bodies and voices in ways that help our nervous system calm down. These behaviors can be seen as stimming.
Stimming is one of many behaviors that help us regulate ourselves. It’s a behavior that has been stereotyped as exclusive to the autistic community, but let me ask you...
Have you ever bounced your leg while sitting at your desk?
Have you ever seen a puppy and needed to clap your hands and squeal because it was just so stinking cute?
Have you ever watched The Price Is Right and noticed how many people get caught up in the excitement?
In his book Uniquely Human, Barry Prizant says, “I have never seen an autistic person do something that I haven’t seen a so-called neurotypical person do.” When he receives skepticism about this claim, he asks his audience to name a behavior that they would consider definitive of autism.
He gets many repetitive answers:
Repeating phrases over and over again:
Have you been around a 4-year-old recently who wants ice cream? Have you been stuck in a car with a teenager who keeps asking how much longer the drive will be?Talking to yourself when no one’s around:
Have you ever talked to yourself while driving in the car? Or in the shower?Rocking back and forth:
Do you pace or rock on your heels while giving a presentation? Or is that just me?
All humans exhibit the same behaviors when nervous or trying to regulate themselves. The difference is that you may not have witnessed these behaviors as persistently or as intensely.
Dysregulation isn’t a choice or a behavior problem, it’s the body and brain trying to cope with more input than it can manage. The more we understand this, the better we can support those experiencing it.
~Chloe