Welcome to Episode 5 of Season 5 of the Yellow Ladybugs Podcast series.

This episode describes how autistic burnout is different from everyday exhaustion—and how it often goes unrecognised in autistic girls and gender-diverse young people. Burnout can build slowly over time, especially when young people are constantly masking, trying to meet expectations, or pushing through overwhelm.

We talk about what burnout really looks like, why it happens, and how we can support recovery and prevention through a more realistic, neuro-affirming approach to self-care.