Autism and Maladaptive Daydreaming
Description:
Why autistic people often escape into intense fantasy worlds - and how maladaptive daydreaming can be both a protection and a burden—a look at the special triggers and functions.
Related
Trauma and maladaptive daydreaming - a survival mechanism? (10)
Dissociation or maladaptive daydreaming? What are the differences? (9)
Maladaptive daydreaming vs. psychosis: What's the difference? (8)
Teaser (Lead)
Social overload, sensory overload, the difficulty of staying in the here and now - for many autistic people, maladaptive daydreaming becomes a strategy for escaping an overwhelming world. But escaping into inner worlds can become a trap.
Autism and maladaptive daydreaming: the safe parallel world
First, read the detailed main article [Maladaptive daydreaming - understanding, treating and overcoming it]
or
The overview "Maladaptive daydreaming - causes, symptoms and help". This themed article examines the relationship between autism and maladaptive daydreaming.
1 Autism-specific triggers: Why fantasy is so attractive
People on the autism spectrum often experience the world as sensory and socially overwhelming. Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) offers a retreat with clear rules - something that the real world rarely provides.
Typical triggers in the context of autism:
Social overload: after stressful interactions, MD serves as a "reset" to recover from the complexity of social codes.
Sensory overload: Loud noises, bright light or unexpected touch can trigger the urge to escape into a controllable inner world.
Monotony and underchallenge: In routine activities or in situations that are not cognitively demanding, the imagination provides the missing stimulation.
Emotional regulation: Difficulties in recognising or controlling one's own emotions are compensated for by the clear emotional scripts of daydreams.
2. Special features of daydreaming in the autism spectrum
In contrast to ADHD or trauma-associated MD, daydreaming in autism often has specific characteristics:
Highly structured: the fantasy worlds are highly regulated, with detailed action sequences and recurring rituals.
Special interests as drivers: Personal special interests (such as specific series, historical epochs, or technical processes) often flow seamlessly into daydreams.
Repetitive movements (stimming): Many sufferers combine MD with atypical self-stimulation, such as rocking, hand flapping, or rhythmic movements, which deepen the trance state.
Social rehearsal: Social situations are acted out in the imagination - an attempt to rehearse unsafe social terrains in a safe space.
3. function and dysfunction: from safe space to isolation
Functional as a short-term strategy:
MD can help autistic people recover from overwhelming situations, sort out emotions and temporarily discard internalised masking.
Dysfunctional as a permanent solution:
If daydreaming takes up so much time that everyday tasks, social participation or self-care are neglected, the strategy becomes maladaptive. The danger:
Increased social withdrawal
Missed learning opportunities in real social behaviour
Difficult differentiation from dissociative states
4. Differentiation: autism, MD and overlaps with other phenomena
Compared to dissociation: In contrast to dissociative emptiness, MD in autism is usually an actively controlled process with emotional involvement.
In contrast to ADHD, while the urge to stimulate is in the foreground in ADHD, autism is often about reducing stimuli and establishing order and predictability.
Compared to psychosis, the daydreams are consistently recognised as self-generated. There is no recognition of reality.
5 Therapeutic approaches: Specific and autism-friendly
Therapy for autistic people with MD should take the following points into account:
Do not fight the fantasy, but integrate it: Recognise daydreams as a resource and channel them into regulated paths - e.g. through creative writing or planned "daydream breaks".
Sensory and social relief: Low-stimulus retreats and clear communication rules in everyday life reduce the pressure to escape.
Structuring aids: Visual daily plans and timers help to separate times for daydreams from times for coping with reality.
Train emotion regulation: Alternative coping strategies, such as sensory tools (e.g., weighted blankets, noise-cancelling headphones) or skills from Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), can help reduce tension.
Autism competence: Therapists should be familiar with the special features of the autism spectrum and understand that MD is often a logical - albeit problematic - adaptation strategy.
6th case study: Finn - order in the head, chaos in the world
Initial situation:
Finn (19, autism diagnosis) often feels overwhelmed in lectures and social settings and flooded by sensory stimuli (light, babble of voices).
Since puberty, he has spent several hours a day developing highly detailed fantasy worlds based on his special interest in underground railway networks. In these daydreams, he is the Director of Operations of a perfectly functioning, predictable transport system.
The daydreams are accompanied by rhythmic rocking, giving him a sense of control and competence that he lacks in his everyday life as a student. At the same time, he neglects lectures and social contacts.
Therapy approach:
Autism-specific coaching: Finn receives help in structuring his everyday study routine (e.g., sitting on the sidelines, adjusting his break schedule) and uses noise-cancelling headphones to reduce sensory overload.
Integration of special interests: Instead of prohibiting daydreaming, it is channelled: Finn begins to plan a fictional underground railway network as a creative project, first as a drawing, later on the computer.
Controlled daydreaming times: Using timers, he allows himself two daily "daydream breaks" of 20 minutes each to create mental order. These are integrated into the daily schedule.
Social skills training: In an autism group, Finn practises social interactions in a protected environment, which takes the pressure off him to try them out in his imagination in advance.
Result after 6 months:
Finn's daydreaming time has decreased from 4-5 hours to around 1 hour a day, which he consciously uses to regulate himself.
Thanks to better structuring and sensory relief, his stress levels have dropped significantly.
His project "Fictitious underground railway network" has become a creative hobby that he pursues in a controlled manner - without it dominating his everyday life.
FAQ
Is maladaptive daydreaming an autism trait?
No, it is not a core feature of autism, but it is a common comorbidity, as it fits with the peculiarities of stimulus processing and emotional regulation.
Can MD also be positive in autism?
Yes, as a short-term regulatory strategy and source of creativity. It becomes problematic when it becomes a permanent escape from reality.
What should you do if you suspect both phenomena?
An autism-competent diagnosis can provide clarity. Therapists should be familiar with both phenomena.
Does medication help?
There is no medication for MD. However, concomitant illnesses such as anxiety or depression can be treated with medication, which can indirectly reduce daydreaming.
Where can I find help?
In the case of autistic traits and MD, medical practices with autism expertise or specialised outpatient clinics are the first port of call.
Important: Autism is a form of neurodiversity, not a disease.