‘Autistic joy’ describes the all-encompassing, very intense feeling of joy and excitement that many autistic people experience. This may be over things which seem small to other people (but definitely aren’t small!). The joy completely absorbs us in that moment. It can feel very intense and radiate throughout our whole body. We often release this feeling through stimming.

Autistic joy can feel like:

being flooded with warmth, like sparks travelling through your body
your surroundings melting away and the joy being all you can focus on
being completely consumed by the feeling of joy
like every part of your body is tingling
needing to move and stim to release the feeling
the intensity can also feel overwhelming or exhausting

Some common precipitators of autistic joy:

Unfortunately, many autistic people have experienced being told that we are ‘too much’ or to ‘calm down’, and have been asked in a critical way why we are so excited over something so small. Comments like these can make us feel ashamed of our instinctive response to joy and of our unmasked self, and make us want to suppress our true reactions. How people react to our expression of joy can damage our self-esteem, or can help to build us up and allow us to share our joy with others.

‘But how is autistic joy any different to the joy everyone experiences?’’ is a question I have been asked before. I don’t know how every single person experiences joy. It is an individual experience. But I do know that I feel joy in my whole body, like sparks igniting me, and I have to hold in my unfiltered reaction too often. I know that I have often been criticised for how I express joy, or have been laughed at, or been given strange looks. I know that other people in my life don’t jump up and down, stim and squeal in the way that I do when I am happy and excited. I know that others ‘let go’ of their joy more quickly, whereas I am absorbed by it and forget about everything else. And I know that autistic joy is one of my favourite feelings, and one of the good things about being autistic. There are so many challenges that sometimes I need to remember the joys.

Reminders for autistic people:

It is okay if you express your joy differently to other people.
You will find your people who love you as your authentic self.
Your autistic joy has the power to bring joy to other people too.
You are not and will never be ‘too much’.
The small things that excite you are what make life worth living.
Sometimes even positive emotions can be overwhelming - carve out time to rest in your week.

“A reminder that autistic joy:
is normal...shouldn’t have to be hidden...not shameful...unadulterated...should not be demonised...not embarrassing...not reserved for children...a privilege...not cringey...so important.”

— Chloé Hayden