When an autistic person (or a non-autistic person) experiences emotional distress, the first step is to understand the reason or situation causing this distress in order to provide better support. Unexpected situations, things not going as planned, social interactions, having to make decisions, or being in places with excessive stimulation are some of the common situations that can overwhelm autistic individuals, but the cause may also be something else entirely.

If any of these situations are identified as a source of distress, the aim is to look for possible solutions for each of them, such as anticipating and modulating social interactions, thinking of strategies to reduce external stimuli, etc.

But sometimes it may not be easy to know what the cause is, either because the situation is complex or because sometimes people can have difficulty identifying these sources of discomfort, and this can happen even more with autistic people, in whom introspection or interception can sometimes fail.

Try talking calmly with your partner, respecting their pace and asking them about these issues. Sometimes it can be enough for the person to know explicitly that they can count on you and that you respect their need for peace and quiet to recover.