"Autistic inertia," does this concept ring a bell to anyone?

[Hazel_1914]

Reading over the Wikipedia article on autism spectrum disorder I encountered the phrase autistic inertia. It sounded like a somewhat more precise term for executive dysfunction which I am sure most of the readership is familiar with.

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Rapaport, H., Clapham, H., Adams, J., Lawson, W., Porayska-Pomsta, K., & Pellicano, E. (2023). ‘I live in extremes’: A qualitative investigation of Autistic adults’ experiences of inertial rest and motion. Autism, 28(5), 1305-1315. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231198916 (Original work published 2024)

The lay abstract is as follows:

‘Autistic inertia’ is a term used by Autistic people to refer to difficulties with starting and stopping tasks. However, there has not been much research on Autistic inertia. The research that is available on Autistic inertia has mostly focused on the negative aspects of inertia, rather than on the possible benefits of needing to continue tasks. In this research, we wanted to understand more about Autistic people’s experiences of inertia and to work out what things might influence these experiences. Autistic and non-Autistic researchers spoke in-depth to 24 Autistic adults. We identified four key ideas from people’s responses. Autistic people spoke about their inertial ‘difficulties moving from one state to another’ and described how these challenges affected them ‘every single day’. While they experienced inertia as ‘the single most disabling part of being Autistic’, people also described the positive aspects of inertia, including the joy they felt when completely immersed in a task. Our Autistic participants emphasised that inertial difficulties are experienced by everyone, the intensity of these task-switching difficulties might be especially challenging for Autistic people. Our findings also reveal how Autistic inertia can be seen both as a disabling and as an enabling condition.

Here is the link I used to access the article:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613231198916


And there is an awfully relatable graph here: the shame, self-loathing, and whatnot are pretty close to my daily experience. I agree with the comment in the general premise of this article that (at least for ASD-1) this might be the single most disabling part of being autistic. Pushing through without triggering a shutdown or more 'tism problems is the hard part; I have no viable strategies to cope with this like a functioning human being so instead I don't. I have willpower. I can function. Give me something to do and I will set a hand to it until it is done, but why in the world do I also freeze up and stop so badly?

 

[FayetheADHDsquirrel]

It reminds me of how distressed I would feel at my retail job when they started pulling us off of tasks about every time we would be close to finishing something and send us somewhere else to start a new project or help someone else finish theirs. It felt even worse if someone said I did a good job, because I didn't feel like I had. How did I do good? I left my assignment unfinished and did a different one. At that point, no matter how hard, fast, and accurate I worked I would feel distressed and like a lazy slob or something because I was so close to finishing my assignment and then just went off to some other department when I had plenty of time to finish my task if I just stayed there and did it. Sure a manager had told me to, but that didn't make me feel better. I think I oftentimes worked even harder in hopes of making it back to finish the original tasks and would grumble against myself while I worked for leaving my area.

 

[Angular Chap]

Interesting, thanks for this. I had an analogy for starting and stopping tasks being like a freight train: a lot of effort to get going, but also a lot of effort to stop once in motion. But the idea of autistic inertia is the perfect description.

 

[vergil96]

Others always described me as having inertia, but I don't see it as a drawback. Not everyone is a multitasker.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Probably why during a lot of my career I was left alone.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

"Autistic Inertia"...definitely a thing in my life. Difficulties with quickly switching from one thing/thought to the next.

At work...constant interruptions...phone and text, people trying to get my attention. I get quite distressed with the phone ringing...like it's an automatic outburst of expletives. I really have to hold my tongue around people. You'd think after 40 years I'd be used to it...NO. At least with a text or a personal interaction, I can choose when to respond.

At work...during a respiratory/cardiac emergency..."code" situations...I am great at my role within the team. I am NOT great at running the codes because I have to keep track of 4-5 people, the patient, the timer, the monitor, and the code algorithm...that quick flipping back and forth with my attention is incredibly challenging for me.

Driving with the wife...I've already committed to a route, then she blurts out new directions just as we are coming to the road intersection. Bloody Hell! Then she has the gall to be surprised and angry when I get grumpy with her.

When I was in high school and college football (American football)...I was definitely a "north and south" runner with the ball. I was not going to be the one to juke you out of your shorts with fancy maneuvers...NO...I was the one that was going to put my head and shoulders down and run your sorry butt over. LOL!

Overall, every day little things...I tend to have a high amount of focus, and if you are trying to grab my attention you'll probably have to be bold and persistent...then I will get grumpy with you. LOL! Better off just leaving me alone.

Autistic hyper focus is a blessing and a curse.

 

[thejuice]

Some people who claim to have 'hyperfocus' might actually just struggle with the inability to switch tasks and continue on despite negative consequences. Labelling it hyperfocus can be something of a fashionable 'spin' on a negative trait. The 'autism is my superpower' trope.

 

[Outdated]

I've been thinking about this thread for a couple of days now and I think that Wenn Lawson's theory of Monotropism explains a lot.

In short, neurotypical people only devote about 50% of their mental focus on what tasks they are currently doing, the other 50% is devoted to whatever's going on around them including social activity. By comparison most autistic people will devote more than 90% of their focus on whatever current task they're doing and have very little left for anything else.

Explanations

 

[Tiffany Kate]

I think monotropism also explains why I can listen to someone or look at them, but not both. And why I loathe video "explainers" unless it really needs to be video. My employer has jumped on the band-wagon of "everyone wants video!" so even things that should really be done as a text document (so it's easy to refer back to) is now done as video.

Also, for those who are visual learners, video often isn't visual learning because the information is all in the audio, with the visual element just being distracting (but not informative) imagery.

But yes, I have trouble starting and stopping stuff, so "inertia" in the physics sense makes total sense to me.

 

[Shevek]

I can relate. I used to marvel at a boss I had who could switch tasks instantly if I had to interrupt him.

 

[Captain Caveman]

For me, the problem is crossing roads where once I start to cross I can't stop or suddenly change direction or change the speed of my walking... It has come close a few times!

Oddly when driving it does not effect me. Is when walking or running etc I had the issues. Why I used to cycle everywhere before driving because it didn't effect me when I cycled, but effected me if I ran, jogged or walked.
Yet with driving or cycling I am not effected, so the brain uses different paths according to what one does? It is interesting!

 

[Shevek]

Maybe this covers some things I thought might be signs of being mildly bi-polar. Around age 20, I was sleeping up to 15 hours at a time, three or four times a week while making artistic stuff. I always wanted to finish a piece in one session, because if I slept on it I'd come back with more good ideas and lose more money before I was satisfied.

 

[Shevek]

For me, the problem is crossing roads where once I start to cross I can't stop or suddenly change direction or change the speed of my walking... It has come close a few times!

Oddly when driving it does not effect me. Is when walking or running etc I had the issues. Why I used to cycle everywhere before driving because it didn't effect me when I cycled, but effected me if I ran, jogged or walked.
Yet with driving or cycling I am not effected, so the brain uses different paths according to what one does? It is interesting!

Before the edits, you were going on about troubles with bicycle brakes. Talk to a good bike mechanic - there are lots of low-effort options now. The worst possible situation is wet chrome rims with ordinary rubber pads.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Before the edits, you were going on about troubles with bicycle brakes. Talk to a good bike mechanic - there are lots of low-effort options now. The worst possible situation is wet chrome rims with ordinary rubber pads.

Talk to myself.

Worst was steel wheels with chrome rims with leather brake blocks. Death traps when those get saturated with water after several minutes of cycling.

 

[Hazel_1914]

Talk to myself.

Worst was steel wheels with chrome rims with leather brake blocks. Death traps when those get saturated with water after several minutes of cycling.

I see you also have an antique bicycle...

 

[Captain Caveman]

I see you also have an antique bicycle...

Used to have a 1926 bicycle but I gave it away as had to downsize due to a house move.

The bikes I kept are from the 1980's to 1990's, as these are the ones I liked best as it was the best in practical technology without getting gimmicky, and also the nicest to ride if one happened to get a good quality manganese molybdenum steel alloy frame such as 531.