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ASD Journal

Autistic Burnout in Adults — Can THC Ease Exhaustion, or Does It Deepen It?

Autistic burnout is a state of deep physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that many autistic adults experience — and it is quite different from ordinary tiredness or clinical depression. It often follows prolonged periods of masking (hiding autistic traits to fit in), sensory overload, and social pressure, leaving a person feeling hollowed out and unable […]

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ASD Journal

Routine and Predictability in Autistic Adults — How THC Affects Focus and Daily Structure

For many autistic adults in the UK, routine and predictability are not simply preferences — they are essential tools for managing daily life. A consistent structure helps reduce anxiety, support decision-making, and create a sense of safety in an often overwhelming world. In recent years, there has been growing interest in cannabis use among autistic […]

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ASD Journal

Autism and Sensory Processing — How THC Changes the Way Adults Experience Overstimulation

For many autistic adults, the world can feel relentlessly loud, bright, and overwhelming. Sensory processing differences — meaning the way the brain receives and responds to information from the environment — are a core feature of autism. These differences are not a side effect or occasional inconvenience; they shape daily life in profound ways. Sensory […]

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ASD Journal

Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults — Does THC Help or Make It Worse?

Social anxiety is one of the most common conditions that occurs alongside autism in adults. Research suggests that up to 50% of autistic adults experience significant social anxiety, making everyday interactions genuinely overwhelming rather than simply uncomfortable. It is important to understand that social anxiety disorder (SAD) and autism-related social difficulties are not the same […]

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ASD Journal

Autistic Adults and Emotional Regulation — How THC Influences Meltdowns and Shutdowns

Emotional dysregulation — difficulty managing and responding to emotions in a measured way — is one of the most challenging aspects of life for many autistic adults. Unlike neurotypical emotional responses, autistic emotional dysregulation is rooted in neurological differences that affect how the brain processes sensory input, stress, and social information. Two distinct responses often […]

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Articles

Research

Research Projects currently recruiting families from ASD-UK: +How do parents and children manage feelings of uncertainty? Why is the research being done? Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience high levels of anxiety. One of the key elements of this anxiety can be difficulty tolerating uncertainty. This is when a child assumes that an […]

Current Research

Current Research Click here to look at the research projects currently recruiting ASD – UK families

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Articles

Information for parents

Information for parents This Information page can also be downloaded here. You are being invited to take part in a project to set up a UK research family database of children recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We are including children with a diagnosis of autism, atypical autism, autism spectrum disorder, pervasive developmental […]

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The Research Team

Dr Faye Wolstenhulme

Dr Faye Wolstenhulme Programme Administrator for the Autism Spectrum Database-UK project and the Autism Spectrum, Adulthood and Ageing project As Programme Administrator, I co-ordinate the day to day running of the database, as well as liaising with our network of clinical partners to support recruitment to the study.  

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The Research Team

Dr Alex Petrou

Dr Alex Petrou Research Associate for the Adult Autism Spectrum Cohort-UK project and the Autism Spectrum Database-UK project I am interested in autism spectrum conditions in adults and children with a special interest in social communication difficulties and mental health. My first degree was in Psychology from the University of Birmingham in 2008 followed by […]