Aspects of Autism no one talks about.

Shamus Hart
2 min readAug 6, 2022
Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

The naive view of High-Functioning Autism is that it is just reductive to social, restricted behaviours and perceptions of empathy. However, there is far more to being on the spectrum than just what is perceived as non-physical and mental.

Autism fundamentally is physiological, as in neurophysical and affects how the brain processes sensory information. But, people need to be mindful of other comorbid physiological aspects of autism.

At age 35, I discovered the physical aspects of Autism that are rarely discussed; these would have been wonderful to learn about at a younger age. For these reasons, I thought these would be worth sharing. These physical signs include:

  • Gut biome diversity differences. Specifically, a lack of L.Reuteri compared to the general population.
  • Gut lining issues, usually Leaky Gut or IBS type symptoms.
  • Food intolerance. More prone to allergies and sensitivities.
  • Trouble understanding accents. It’s inherently a different language to us.
  • Lower muscle tone than the population.
  • Flat footedness.

When I’m a little back on my feet with life, I wouldn’t mind exploring these ideas a little further. Specifically, gut health has been the most significant lifestyle change that’s allowed me a better quality of life. These improvements have improved sleep quality, the ability to hold a job, and better relationships with friends and family.

My gut health journey wasn’t me doctor googling, but rather a measured approach with an excellent qualified health professional. If you would love to hear about what and how I looked after my gut health and how it improved my quality of life being Autistic, please like the article or post a comment.

I’m more than happy to share my health adventure or the best investment in myself.

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Shamus Hart

Design, philosophy, psychology and neurodiversity. Please help me hit my goal of 1K followers. #actuallyautistic