Autistic Catatonia

Autistic catatonia is a movement and behavior condition that can show up as: immobility, rigid posture, extreme slowness of movement, difficulty initiating intentional actions, repetition of movements (echopraxia), sudden or worsened mutism, and, in severe cases, unresponsiveness to stimuli. It's significantly more common in autistic people than in the general population — estimates range from 12% to 17%.

Autistic catatonia is often mistaken for regression, burnout, or a worsening of autism itself — and can go undiagnosed for years. It's more common during adolescence (a high-stress transitional period) and in autistic people with higher IQ (who may have learned to compensate in ways that obscure the catatonia).

The most effective treatment includes low-dose lorazepam (a benzodiazepine), which often brings dramatic improvement. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used in severe, treatment-resistant cases. Identifying and reducing the stressors that trigger episodes is equally important.