Can anyone explain the theory of autistic inertia?

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Can anyone explain the theory of "autistic inertia"?
I have had a look online and on WP, but most of the links are now dead and I'm not really getting a good idea of what it actually means.

It just means that autistic people have trouble shifting gears.

I can't explain it but after looking on Google about it I know that I have it bad. All along I just thought I was lazy and a big procrastinator.

You're still a lazy procrastinator. You just understand it a little better now.

You can't equate non-action with laziness, there's exhaustion, there's executive dysfunction, there's your energy pool being burnt by planning the things you have to do in great details and then being unable to put the plan into action because the planning itself stressed you out so much, there's a random stranger ringing your bell at 9 am and burning out half of the energy you had planned on keeping to be able to go to the bank and explain why you owe them money, there are all sorts of reasons for autistic inertia.

That's true and also that i always think i could improve the plan before executing it, so i spend more time on it. Furthermore, there's chronic fatigue caused by my erratic sleeping patterns which makes me sluggish.

I experience it too and it is annoying I guess?

Sometimes inertia gets in the way, mostly when other people put their values / expectations on me.
They may be able to act immediately to a situation, or spontaneously change direction and they don't understand my process.
I find that I need to let any new plans or change in existing plans sit for a while in my subconscious before I am able to act on it. This may take me a day or a week depending on the situation.
It may be that i need extra time to process the situation. However I feel that when i do finally act it is highly considered and I only need to act once to get the job done. Quite often I see NT's running around having a stab at anything as if life is a lottery and you have to play to win - so they play as much as possible.
My strategy involves working out the best solution to a problem or course of action by letting my subconscious work through the possible options, when the time is right I suddenly get the feeling and I am able to put into motion what I need to.
My subconscious seems to have a sense of timing that is more in sync with the universe or something. Like for example if my alarm doesn't go off for work I will wake up in time to get ready and If my alarm doesn't go off and its my day off I will not be woken as there is no need. Similarly when i have exams coming up I can try to push myself to study 3 weeks in advance so that i get a great mark, but its all in vain, then suddenly a week before the exam I will get this sudden burst of energy and get straight to work. Sometimes after a time of not knowing which new direction to take i will sake up in the morning with the solution right there and all the energy to carry it through.
My methods work for me - I am sure I will act when the time is right.

I have stuff I need to do today and have so much trouble even motivating myself to get ready to go do it.

It's nothing bad or hard. I just need to go to the mall and pick up a game I preordered.

You know what gets me moving when i have to do something "not even unpleasant" like that and can't get motivated? I think "I'll do it next week". My brain starts defending itself and goes "noooo i want the game today dude!!" and generally it helps lol.

This could be why I have motivation problems sometimes, even when I am clearly not having depressive episodes, or maybe not who knows. It is hard to sort it out when my brain is different.

An autistic at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.
An autistic in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.

This is kind of true for me. I often need some kind of push to get going on things, but once I get going, I usually keep going.

My post below is rather about general laziness born of depression, which I think is comorbid with autistic inertia in many AS individuals.....


The lack of hope
Creates an attitude of
Why the hell should I bother?
Nothing I do is ever good enough!!
Wherever I go
Enemies appear
Why try?
When there is no hope?

HOPE being accepted and loved by ones wider community, parents and neighbours

Until our general lot improves, hope and hopeful forward creating energy will remain illusive, and peeps will shuffle along looking down at their feet.....

However..... by a supreme force of will, men (and women ) can escape the destiny of the commoner. This is usually only less than 1% of the general population....

Last edited by Surfman on 18 Oct 2011, 2:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

double post

Last edited by Surfman on 18 Oct 2011, 2:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

There's a basis for every human behavior. Describing that basis doesn't nullify the surface level description of the behavior.

The basis of laziness is in its definition: not wanting to do something. We want to and cannot. It's different.