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Slow Processing Speed in Autistic Adults

Adult Autistics, I heard you loud and clear.
I recently wrote an article about slow processing speed in Autistic children. Many of you wanted me to highlight that slow processing is not something we outgrow—it can stay with us into adulthood.

This post explores how slow processing shows up in adult life, and how the reactions of non-Autistics can affect us.

What is processing speed?

Processing speed is the time it takes to become aware of, mentally process, and respond to information we’ve just heard or seen, or the time it takes us to complete any kind of task. Literally everything we experience passes through this system. We then decide how, or even if, we should respond.

It’s important to understand that slow processing is not the same as being intellectually slow. Autistic adults with slow processing can fall anywhere along the continuum of intelligence, from intellectual disability to highly gifted.

Why does slow processing happen?

Slow processing can impact us in different ways, and it often links to sensory processing:

Slow visual or auditory processing means it can take extra time to interpret what we see or hear and then decide how to respond.

Intolerance of the unexpected can slow us down because Autistic people like to know what to expect and what is expected of us, and sudden events can leave us unsure of how to react.

Black-and-white thinking can also cause delays, since firm rules don’t always adapt easily to new or unexpected contexts, leaving us uncertain about how to act.

Sensory overload makes responding harder when too many people are in our space, too much noise surrounds us, or the environment is visually overwhelming.

Anxiety can hijack our thinking brain after a shock, leaving us slower to act while we manage the emotional response.

Everyday examples for adults

Slow processing can show up in all kinds of ordinary adult situations:

In relationships, a partner may ask you a question, but you need time to think through possible responses, and as you pause, they grow impatient and demand an answer, which interrupts your processing and forces a mental reboot.

As an Autistic parent, morning routines can unravel when the unexpected happens, such as one child being anxious and unable to dress, another losing homework, and the bathroom being occupied, which slows your processing as you try to manage everything at once.

At work, a one-day crash course on new software may leave you with nothing retained if you process best through one-on-one teaching and hands-on practice, which forces you to spend evenings reteaching yourself with visual supports.

With auditory processing, you may not catch everything that’s said, and hearing only part of an instruction—like “eat the yoghurt in the fridge” instead of “don’t eat the yoghurt in the fridge”—can lead to confusion and conflict over an honest mistake.

With motor planning, having your arms full of groceries, mail, and an umbrella can leave you frozen when the keys fall, as your brain sorts out what to do first, and while practising motor skills can help, you can also choose to work with an occupational therapist to improve your ability if that feels right for you.

With emotional impact delay, a coworker might tell you she could lose her mortgage renewal, and you respond with, “That’s too bad,” only to realize several days later the full gravity of what she shared, that she might lose her home, and you brushed it off.

With decision-making, choosing between restaurants, job offers, or even baby names can take a long time as you weigh outcomes in detail, worry about the “right” choice, and never feel fully confident in your decision.

Navigating Expectations and Processing Differences

Slow processing becomes a problem when people who don’t understand this common Autistic experience ridicule us, rush us, or make negative comments. Do they want things done right, or do they want them done quickly?

I don’t believe we should bend ourselves to the whims of non-Autistics, but we should be aware of our processing abilities. When we are, we can steer away from employment that requires tasks to be done with speed when that is a struggle for us.

In the meantime, we can use strategies that make our own lives easier while the NTs catch up. After all, we spend far more time considering their needs than they ever spend considering ours. Remind me again who lacks empathy?

Strategies that can help

* Encourage loved ones to learn what slow processing speed actually is. It’s not about intelligence. It’s about how we process information in our brain.

* If safe, tell your employer what supports you need (e.g., one-on-one teaching instead of lecture-only training).

* Tell partners, family, and friends not to rush you. Rushing forces a reboot and slows things down even more.

* If there are motor skills you specifcally choose to improve, practice them until they become automatic, or work with an occupational therapist if you want professional support.

* Most importantly: don’t let anyone rush you, shame you, or gaslight you for needing more time. You’re an adult now, and bullies need to grow up already.

❤️❤️❤️

Sharing the Autism positives for Autism acceptance month ❤️❤️

The Devastating Effect of Parental Alienation on Children Anger, guilt, grief, disconnection, and low self-esteem.

Albert Einstein once wrote on a chalkboard:
9 x 1 = 9
9 x 2 = 18
9 x 3 = 27
9 x 4 = 36
9 x 5 = 45
9 x 6 = 54
9 x 7 = 63
9 x 8 = 72
9 x 9 = 81
9 x 10 = 91
Suddenly chaos erupted in the classroom because Einstein made a mistake. Obviously, the correct answer to 9 × 10 isn’t 91. And all his students ridiculed him.
Einstein waited for everyone to be silent and said:
“Despite the fact that I analyzed nine problems correctly, no one congratulated me. But when I made one mistake, everyone started laughing. This means that even if a person is successful, society will notice his slightest mistake. And they'll like that.
So don't let criticism destroy your dreams. The only person who never makes a mistake is someone who does nothing."

Break the cycle. 🙏

https://www.getinflow.io/post/adhd-burnout

ADHD Burnout: You’re Exhausted For a Reason — Here’s Why Your fatigue is real. Let’s talk about why this so-called ‘high-functioning’ ADHD often leads to burnout.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/23/nhs-to-give-therapy-for-depression-before-medication-under-new-guidelines