The Ultimate Guide to Autistic Burnout

by Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP, Debra Bercovici, Eva Silvertant

Take a deep dive into autistic burnout—a phenomenon that affects many autistics and carries with it severe risks of suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety. ‘The Ultimate Guide to Autistic Burnout’ summarizes and explains the most current research on the topic and provides you with the tools to identify and recover from autistic burnout safely.

The book is written by adult autistics and is based on research clinical experience and the lived experience of autistic people Researched and written by Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht ND RP (an authority in adult autism), neuroscientist Dr. Debra Bercovici PhD, Eva Silvertant, and Kendall Jones; and brought to life by award-winning graphic designer and illustrator Eva Silvertant BDes—making it a valuable resource for clinicians and the autistic community alike.

The book pulls together a scattered field and presents actionable information with a very compassionate and patient-centered approach – Dr. Kathy Murphy, neuroscientist; late-diagnosed AuDHD.

The book takes the reader through the causes, diagnostic criteria, co-occurrences, and risk- and protective factors, and offers resources for prevention and recovery by incorporating the latest research and personal stories from many autistic contributors.

The book is divided into a clinical version and a non-clinical version—making it relevant to healthcare professionals, autistic individuals, educators, and anyone curious about autism.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2024

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came at the exact time I needed it, when there seemed no other resources or expertise available on the subject. It contains exactly what you need to understand and measure autistic burnout, as well as comprehensive, realistic strategies and resources to work through it and advocate for yourself with friends and family. What’s more, the book doubles as a clinical resource to up-skill health professionals, who tend to lack the skills necessary to recognise adult or high masking autistics, let alone support and treat burnout. A copy of this book is therefore an incredible resource to share with and refer to in sessions with your doctor or therapist to get the right kind of help.

[Kony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that this book exists! The construct of autistic burnout is not yet recognized by the medical establishment, but Dr. Engelbrecht et al. make clear that it can and should be. This book is so well organized, well researched with clear citations, and supported by real-life stories contributed by autistic people.

Reading the clinical sections gave me a clear sense of the factors that can cause, aggravate, and alleviate autistic burnout, as well as a general roadmap for recovery and prevention. The stories contributed by autistic people brought the clinical information to life and allowed me to see myself reflected in others' experiences.

My most valued takeaways: (1) Acceptance of my needs/limitations is the key to recovery. (2) Changing my environment is the key to prevention.

One star docked because a copy edit is needed.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so helpful in making me understand the links between autistic burnout, depression and suicide as well as how treatment differs when autistic burnout is the cause. This book has given me hope and workable strategies.

[Nyx Lewis-Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful little book for understanding and explaining autistic burnout.

(With a contribution from yours truly in the "Autistic Burnout Stories" section.)

[kaka H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about the book.

What I love:
- There are both clinical and accessible versions.
- The book has a lot of references and statistics.
- It’s a good starting point for someone unfamiliar with the concept of autistic burnout.
- The book is neuro-affirming and very inclusive.

What can be improved:
- THE LAYOUT. The book looks like a low-effort, printed Word document. As an autistic reader, the lack of structure and visual clarity is painful. Please, hire a professional designer and editor. A book deserves proper formatting.

- It’s more like a handout than a book. The book is really short and feels more like an outline than a full exploration of the topic.

- Inconsistent use of personal pronouns.

- It costs 30–40% more than comparable books, without offering 30–40% more value.

- The book feels overpriced considering the shallow content and low production quality. You can get almost the same information from their website.

- I love extra readings but THE REPEATED “go to our website” notes are low key annoying. If the info belongs in the book, put it in the book. If it doesn’t, don’t use the book as an advertisement. This isn’t standard practice in publishing. It makes the book feel unfinished.

Conclusion:
I think the book is overpriced given the limited depth of the content and the overall quality, especially since most of the information is already available on their website. While it is organised, it’s not particularly insightful or helpful for navigating autistic burnout. The unprofessional layout design also works against it.

I appreciate the effort behind this project and genuinely hope the authors continue publishing, with better editorial and design support, this could become a fantastic resource.

[Russell McOrmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a personal connection to this book, so it was a different experience than reading other books.

I am currently recovering from Autistic Burnout. I only accepted that I’m Autistic, and this was overlapping with falling into fairly serious Autistic Burnout. Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht, one of the authors of the book, is who I went to for an Autism Assessment to confirm for me that I was autistic, as even in burnout I still felt I was an imposter.

I contributed my own story to the book, hoping my story can help others recognize their own situation.
https://mcormond.blogspot.com/2024/07...


I read the non-clinical version first, and then circled back to read the clinical version.

The clinical version was refreshing to be reading something written for a clinical environment that was neurodivergent affirming. The language focused on the environmental model of disability rather than the medical model. In other literature aimed at clinicians there is far too much focus on individuals, and claiming that individuals are the problem.

[Stephani Jahn, PhD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book featuring sections for clinicians and Autistic people themselves. Practical information, great to share with clinicians and for people in burnout to reference to better understand their experience. It's surprisingly concise besides the repetition between the sections for the different audiences.