What is the relationship between autistic brains & cPTSD?

Autism and cPTSD have a very complicated relationship…

We know (from loads of research) that autistic people are more likely to be abused at home, in school, at work, and in romantic relationships.

We know that this is partly because autistic people have social communication differences.

We know (also from loads of research) that autistic people have significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression.

We know (again, loads of research) that autistic people are significantly more likely to self-harm and commit suicide.

We know that autistic people are largely unsupported and that this creates anxiety and trauma over time.

We know a LOT about the correlation between…

Autism and lack of systemic support…

Autism and abuse…

Autism and trauma…

And autism and mental health decline…

We even know there's a definite correlation between autism and physical health decline (though this is talked about quite a bit less)

These have all been central discussion points in autism advocacy… many of them for for decades now…

But what we don't know, at least not yet, and at least not scientifically, is what the actual *causal chain* of all of this is and how all of these things are interconnected.

Not just some of these things… all of these things.

Connected by the same overarching explanation.

Right now, the science is basically a medley of various patterns… but it's missing a structure that puts it all into a bigger picture that instantly explains how all of the patterns relate to one another.

So when I say I have a theory about autism and cPTSD… *that* is what I am talking about.

Not a single theory. A unifying one. A theory that brings all of those things into the same frame and explains how they all relate. What causes what… and why.

Bringing together everything we have established through centuries of human observation and science…

Adding in new scientific discoveries that have been established much more recently, as the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and biology have continued to evolve…

And finally, carefully and rigorously analyzing the internal autistic experience and mapping that to the established science…

In a way where all things remain true at the same time.

The science of the past.

The science of the present.

And the lived experiences that are now being articulated and shared in ways we simply didn't have access to before now.

This is what my theory is attempting to do.

Not surface the patterns that we already know exist…

But synthesize those patterns into a single, unified, overarching theory that offers an explanation from a completely new vantage point.

So, for those who said they'd be interested in hearing more about my theory… please stick around. Because that's exactly what I plan on getting into on here in the coming months. 🙂

And for those who may not have seen my last few posts...

I'll be conducting an independent research study on this next year.

I have a research advisor who has a doctorate and over 40 years of research expertise to help me with design and scientific rigor.

I hope to launch the study sometime in early 2027.

If you're interested in participating, there's a sign up link to be notified as I progress towards launch. I'll share it below.

And a sincere thank you to the over 2,000 people who have already entrusted me with this mission. I look forward to moving it forward with your help. 🙏🏻