The October Crash: Why Autistic Students May Struggle More Now

At times, in schools, there is a unilateral decision to “push” an Autistic student “a little further”, “just a bit outside of their comfort zone”.

This decision is frequently made on the fly, perhaps through a staff member’s "hunch" that a student doesn’t need continued access to a support that may or may not be on their IEP.

I see this often.

It concerns me always.

A Story About Taking Away Support

I remember a student, Joshua, a third-grader who was sitting at his desk, shoulders tight, pencil hovering above the page when I walked into his class during writing time.

The para who used to sit beside him and scribe his words had been moved to “support the whole class,” and now she floated around the room, checking on everyone.

“Two more sentences,” the teacher said gently but firmly.

Joshua didn’t answer. His jaw clenched; his breathing shortened. A moment later his pencil flew.

Two weeks later, in an IEP meeting called by the school to “address Joshua’s behaviors” I realized that adults saw Josh’s actions as problem behaviors.

As the OT working to support Joshua, I saw nervous system overload in a student who was working too hard at school.

The thing is . . . as adults, we don’t know what Joshua experiences or feels as he sits in the classroom—what sounds his brain filters, whether the lights flicker too sharply for him, or whether his shirt material itches until his body screams too much.

What we could and should suspect instead is that he isn’t refusing to participate in school. He is trying to survive in an environment that doesn’t align with his nervous system.

And if you are wondering if we should “never” push students – yes, that’s true, we shouldn’t “push” them because “pushing” implies forcing someone out of their comfort zone and school should always be a place where students feel both safe and autonomous.

What I DO suggest is that we prioritize our objectives and intentionally choose our actions to ENCOURAGE and GUIDE them, ensuring that our PRIORITY is to advance student learning and engagement in school.

Why October Hits Autistic Students Hard

 

The first few weeks of school often go smoothly. Everyone is fresh, polite, and hopeful. But for many Autistic students, that “honeymoon” depends on masking—suppressing natural regulation needs and social communication differences to blend in.

Masking takes energy. By October, that energy is gone. What looks like regression isn’t regression at all. It’s burnout—the point where a child’s nervous system says, no more pretending.

The Real Issue: A Lack of Fit

When an Autistic student struggles, the problem isn’t the child. It’s a lack of fit between who they are, how they process the world, and what the environment demands of them. I go deep into the concept of “lack of fit” in my Insight to Autism courses for OTs, parents, and other professionals – and this is a very important concept to understand and address if you work to support an Autistic student.

School success depends on fit. And most crises—meltdowns, shutdowns, refusals—are signs that the fit has broken down.

Two Kinds of Demands That Push Kids Past Their Capacity

1. Environmental Demands

The sensory and social landscape of a classroom can quietly drain energy all day long:

·       Lighting, echoing hallways, noisy lunchrooms

·       Sitting still for long stretches

·       Unpredictable bells and transitions

·       Group work, forced eye contact, or unclear social rules

·       No quiet space to reset

These are not minor annoyances; they’re steady pulls on the nervous system.

2. Teaching Demands

Teaching demands include both instructional approaches and task expectations:

·       Lessons without visual aupports

·       Copying from the board while listening

·       Writing while thinking and organizing ideas

·       Motor-involved tasks (handwriting, cutting, drawing)

·       One rigid “right” way to show learning

When Joshua was told to “write on his own,” it wasn’t independence—it was overload.

Writing Isn’t Just Writing

Writing demands fine motor control, visual-motor coordination, working memory, language retrieval, emotional regulation, and postural stability. When any of those systems are taxed, writing becomes an impossible ask. It’s not a motivation problem; it’s a capacity problem.

The Sensory Science

Research confirms that autistic individuals experience sensory processing differently.

Baranek et al. (2019) found that sensory hyperresponsiveness and difficulty filtering input directly affect classroom participation.

MacLennan, O’Brien, & Tavassoli (2022) highlighted that tactile and interoceptive sensitivities influence stress responses during academic demands.

These differences aren’t preferences. They’re neurological facts.

Red Flags of Masking Burnout in October

By mid-October, many students begin showing subtle but serious signs of nervous-system fatigue. These are not behavior problems—they’re warning lights:

·       Increased irritability or tearfulness over small things

·       More “refusal” or avoidance behaviors

·       Physical complaints (stomach aches, headaches)

·       Declining handwriting or fine-motor stamina

·       Zoning out or staring through lessons

·       Sudden drop in social engagement

·       A once-happy child now exploding over tiny demands

When these signs appear, it’s not that a child is giving up—it’s that the environment has stopped fitting.

What Helps

·       Co-regulation first – Connection before correction. “I see this is hard. Let’s take a breath together.”

·       Flexible options – Typing, dictation, drawing, or shared note-taking all count.

·       Reduce motor load – Larger paper, shorter tasks, writing breaks.

·       Environmental supports – Quiet corners, predictable transitions, reduced noise.

·       Energy protection – Build recovery time between high-demand tasks.

·       Redefine independence – Independence isn’t doing it alone; it’s having the right support.

The Takeaway

Autistic students don’t melt down because they’re defiant. They melt down when demands exceed their nervous-system capacity and supports haven’t evolved to match.

When a pencil flies, it isn’t defiance. It’s communication.

The question isn’t “How do we stop this?”

It’s “How do we create a better fit?”

What small change tomorrow could make school feel safer for one Autistic child?

More from Dr. Lisa Marnell and Kids Master Skills . . .

This fall Dr. Lisa launched an AOTA-approved professional development entitled, "Insight to Autism for School-Based OTs"!

This self-paced, online course provides 8 AOTA Contact Hours (0.8 AOTA CEUs) and walks OTPs through a process to bettter understand their Autistic students, support them in schools in ways that align with their Autistic neurobiology (enabling them to feel less stress and experience better quality of life), and show them how to optimize Autistic students' learning while also guiding teachers, staff, and admin to adopt neuroaffirming practices!

Check out Dr. Lisa's professional development at this picture link!

And if you are a parent, teacher, or other school professional, you can take Dr. Lisa's course tailored for you! Learn more about a course for you at this picture link!

If you want to learn more ways to support your autistic students, watch my FREE MasterClass that offers you proactive supports for sensory sensitive children and teens.

Register and watch it HERE: https://www.kidsmasterskills.com/ 

Also, do you have my 10 Neurodiversity-Affirming posters? Download them HERE! 

As always, feel welcome to touch base with me by e-mail at KidsMasterSkills@gmail.com

I would love to hear about your successes, your struggles, your feedback, and any questions or comments you have! Let me know if this post was helpful.

References:

Baranek, G. T., Little, L. M., et al. (2019). Sensory features in autism spectrum disorders: A focus on sensory processing and integration. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience.

MacLennan, K., O’Brien, S., & Tavassoli, T. (2022). A systematic review of sensory processing differences in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

MacLennan, K., O’Brien, S., & Tavassoli, T. (2022). Sensory reactivity differences in autistic adults: An examination across modalities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(8), 3445–3457. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05186-3