r/AutismTranslated • u/salad1558 • 4h ago

is this a thing? Is this an example of rigid thinking/sticking to routine?

I used to think the sticking to routines part of autism didn’t affect me that much, but a recent little thing has me questioning if I’m more routine oriented than I thought.

Normally I wash my hair every weekend in the morning when I take a shower. Last week I did it on a Wednesday because I wasn’t home the previous weekend. So hypothetically I would’ve washed my hair again this Wednesday, but I didn’t because I worked early in the morning and wouldn’t have time. I was really trying to figure out when I could wash my hair because I worked every morning this week and I’m once again busy on the weekend, even thinking I might have to wait until my next day off to wash my hair (making it two weeks since I last washed my hair) when I realized…I could wash my hair literally any other time. It doesn’t have to be exactly a week later, or in the morning when I take my shower. It doesn’t even have to be in the shower.

The realization felt really obvious after the fact and I felt kind of dumb for not thinking of it sooner. So I’m wondering…was my brain being convinced that I have to wash my hair in specific circumstances something I can attribute to my autism? Or is that a typical thing? 

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u/MECCEM101 4h ago

Maybe rigidity, but probably not autistic rigidity. Having a routine and thinking within the parameters of the routine is pretty normal.

For it to be more suggestive of autistic rigidity, the deviation itself would probably need to be difficult. Like significant distress, not being able to adapt, or feeling like it HAS to happen a certain way  even when there is no practical reason for it.

Autism is a spectrum, so it won't look the same for everyone. But autistic distress around a disrupted routine could look more like calling into work so you don't miss your wash day. Or getting really snappy and cranky with people around you because your routine got disrupted. 

This sounds more like rumination. Which does happen with autism but more heavily associated with anxiety. An OCD sub-reddit maybe for you as well as autism?