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What is Autistic Joy?
Autistic people often experience emotions more intensely than non-autistic people. While intense emotions can sometimes be challenging, they also bring unique and profound moments of happiness. Autistic joy is a feeling of intense happiness and excitement that Autistic people experience. This blog post is a celebration of Autistic joy and the experiences that bring these happy feelings.
Examples of Autistic Joy
Some examples of activities and experiences that can cause feelings of Autistic joy include:
Interests and hobbies
Spending time with special people or animals
Sensory experiences
Time in nature
Happy stimming
Autistic ways of socialising
We asked our members to share what Autistic joy means to them. This blog post shares the responses they gave. You will also find members’ photos representing Autistic joy sprinkled throughout.
Interests and Passions
As Autistic people, spending time on our interests can lead us into a monotropic happy flow state. Allowing ourselves time to get swept up into our passions can feel like the stresses of everyday life fall away, giving us an opportunity to recharge and regulate. When we hyperfocus, hours can easily whizz past - and as the say goes, ‘time flies when you’re having fun’.
Some examples of our members’ interests include:
Animals and birds
True crime
Arts and crafts
Bikes
Science
Sharks
Fairies
Holistic health
Photography
Our members also find sharing their interests rewarding, both online and in-person:
“I’ve managed to become a fairly prominent musician/vlogger/podcaster in recent years, despite my challenges. I enjoy it.”
“Sharing a special interest with someone … and them finding genuine joy in it too. When you often feel so misunderstood it is really joyful when in that moment someone just gets you & is on the same word of the same sentence of the same paragraph of the same page.”
Of course Autistic people’s interests are varied and unique, and this is just a small selection. But immersing ourselves in our interests, whatever they may be, can be a route to Autistic joy.
Sensory Joy
Pleasant sensory experiences can be absolutely blissful for our Autistic bodyminds. Engaging our senses can give our thinking minds a rest and for some can feel almost like a psychedelic experience. There are many different sensory experiences that can bring us joy, and each Autistic person will have their own individual preferences.
Sometimes sensory joy can come from spending time in nature:
“My joy comes from different things. From a sensory place, I find complete joy in being in or around water; swimming, floating and letting my body reconnect with itself and my brain. The sounds of the sea caressing the pebbles as the tide moves out, (I feel I can hear them all singing) but also the dramatic thunder of stormy seas against the rocks.”
Music can also bring us sensory joy and lift our mood:
“Music also brings immense emotional joy, from warm harmonies to a soul melting bass line that fills every part of my being more that words ever could.”
“Discovering a new favourite song and listening to it on repeat fills me with delight. I’ve created a playlist of all my previous earworms. Listening to it on shuffle means every single song gives me that feeling you get when your favourite tune comes on the radio and is guaranteed to put me in a good mood.”
Cosy experiences such as sitting by a fire can also bring us sensory joy:
“Sitting outdoors by a fire, watching the flickering flames, listening to the crackle of the wood, and the smell of smoke is a delicious multi-sensory experience I never get tired of. Hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows is the cherry on top.”
Connection
Our members reported experiencing Autistic joy through connection - with people and with nature. Finding someone we click with, who ‘gets’ us and is on the same wavelength, can be very special. Spending time in nature and feeling a connection to something greater than ourselves can be both relaxing and joyful. Another way to feel connection is spending time with pets and other animals.
One of our members loves foraging for mushrooms and has written this beautiful piece, which we include in full here:
Foraging for mushrooms in an autumn forest
I’m walking that soft, narrow path, along that magic edge, that border between worlds.
I duck into the forest, leaving the city, the roads, the noise behind.
The fast-paced, cost-effective, performing world disappears and the calm, timeless swaying of the forest lies before me.
The trees soften the light, muffles the noises and I feel my entire being relax, unclench, let go.
No longer tense, anticipating, guessing.
I can walk at my own pace, breathe in my own time and feel with all my senses unscathed.
Deep sigh.
Release.
I love the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, and one of my greatest joys is foraging for mushrooms in our nearby forest.
I feel my whole being going into that wonderful state of consciousness, where my vision becomes so effortlessly focused on detail, as if a switch has been flicked on.
The forest floor is no longer a uniform carpet of golden leaves alone, it is now covered in an intricate pattern of a hundred different shapes and a hundred different nuances of gold, yellow, orange and brown. Every single leaf standing out, every twig, pebble and cone.
Then that rush of excitement through my whole body, when I spot the first shape of a mushroom, and the joy when it turns out to be one for the basket, destined to be part of a wonderful meal.
The sturdy boletes, heavy in my hand, my favourites, I feel so rich. The curly chanterelles, so glamorous and artistic, I feel so fancy. The horn of plenty, looking like something the devil left behind, I feel so brave.
The edible ones are carefully placed in the basket, the others admired where they are, undisturbed, untouched.
I imagine their vast mycelium reaching far and wide, aiding the growth, health and voices of the forest, like an invisible, underground guardian of the living world.
I can lose myself for hours, floating in a state of utter contentment. The sounds, the smells, the feeling of the cool air on my face, the taste of the berries I pick, it all fills me with so much happiness.
It is pure and utter joy.
This story of foraging for mushrooms gives us a detailed example of how connecting with nature brings deep joy to Autistic individuals, highlighting how important spending time in nature can be for emotional well-being.
Here are some further examples our members gave of Autistic joy through connection:
“The absolute engulfing of emotion when I am in the Highlands of Scotland- the vastness, the high skies and the solitude is wonderful and I feel at peace and in awe at the same time. But I also get joy from being with people I can connect with, so perhaps belonging in place and safe space is key for me.”
“Gazing at the moon makes me feel a peaceful sense of connection and gives me an awe-inspiring awareness of the vastness of the universe. It reminds me that we are all part of nature and its slow, gentle rhythms.”
Being Unique
We can also gain Autistic joy through pride in our Autistic identities and embracing our full selves without shame.
“Autism has enabled me to do things others would fear to do. I’ve recently redecorated the whole house and painted it in colours that I enjoy and make me feel good. Since accepting my autism, I am understanding who I am as an individual and don’t feel the need to understand what is trending like the rest of society. It makes me feel free to be me.”
Being proud of being Autistic shows the world that we are not disordered or defective, we just want to be accepted as we are, and supported to be our unique and wonderful selves.
Celebrating Autistic Joy
Celebrating Autistic Joy is not intended to dismiss or ignore the challenges that come with being Autistic. Instead it is an act of resistance against the idea that autism is a 'tragedy' and that autism needs 'treatment' or a 'cure'. By embracing joy, we affirm our full humanity and reject harmful stereotypes. Celebrating the joy in our lives also gives us positive energy and drive to fight for our rights and create a more inclusive world.
If you are an Autistic parent in the UK and would like to share your stories of Autistic joy with others, please join our Facebook group.
Further Resources
Written by: Zoe Williams, Autistic Parents UK volunteer
Reviewed by: Tanya Adkin, Autistic Parents UK trustee
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