An Autistic shutdown happens when an Autistic person gets so overstimulated and stressed, they can no longer process their surroundings.[51] It’s the quieter, more interior counterpart to an Autistic meltdown, which tends to involve more crying, self-harm, or outward aggression. Shutdowns are essentially a way of dissociating from one’s surroundings. It can look like falling asleep very suddenly, becoming unresponsive, or just kind of zoning out (which is how it presented in Crystal’s case). Crystal suspects that had she been an Autistic boy, her shutdowns would have been viewed
