Using Autistic Special Interests to Self-Regulate

We autistics have especially heightened nervous systems.

Most people can co-regulate their nervous system around others. That means if they’re in the presence of another calm person, it will help calm their own nervous system down.

Autistics don’t function quite like that. We are usually in a hyper-alert state around other humans, and so we do not co-regulate very well (unless with someone we know extremely well and are comfortable with).

We typically self-regulate our nervous systems better when we are alone and working on a task.

When I recently went through a stressful period of moving across the country, I turned to painting to help calm me down. I typically paint abstract art, but I needed something that would require more of my attention, and thus quite my mind more. My mind was overflowing with different questions, plans, and ideas about the move. None of this endless thinking was getting me anywhere. I needed to shut my brain off.

I knew the best way to do this was to challenge my brain with something fun. I decided to create political cartoon-style watercolor paintings of my husband. In political cartoons, you exaggerate the features of the individual and the style leans toward a cartoon, instead of realism.

Luckily, my husband is a good sport and didn’t mind me distorting his image over and over.