Viewing Autism as Disorder of Brain Energy – A New Paradigm

Energy powers every aspect of life, enabling our bodies and brains to function and thrive. Every movement we make, every thought we have, every mental and physical task we carry out uses energy that we obtain by converting food and oxygen into usable body fuel.

A novel proposal, laid out in the paper Autism as a Disorder of Brain Energy: How Impairments in Brain Glucose Metabolism Give Rise to Autism Symptoms (in preprint), is that autism is not mainly about “won’t” – it is about “can’t”. Many of the behaviours that look like refusal, rigidity, avoidance or lack of effort may actually come from a brain that is trying to cope with a chronic shortage of usable energy.

This article is an attempt to summarise and simplify the core arguments of this paper into an-easy-to-understand language, and to explain what it would mean to view autism through this new lens.  

The central idea: a low‑energy brain

The paper proposes that autism is fundamentally a brain‑energy disorder. In simple terms, the brain is not able to turn fuel (mainly glucose) into usable energy efficiently enough, especially in key support cells called astrocytes.

When this happens, the brain has to constantly “budget” its limited energy. Tasks that are new, fast, complex, unstructured, noisy or social are particularly energy-expensive, so brains of individuals with autism are forced to prioritise and cut corners just to keep going.

Why this means “can’t”, not “won’t”

Seen through this lens, many everyday behaviours of children and adults with autism stop looking like choices and start looking like survival strategies.

• Saying less, avoiding eye contact, or leaving a busy room can be ways to reduce energy drain, not a lack of interest or care.
• Sticking to routines and familiar topics reduces the cost of constantly processing new information.
• Meltdowns, shutdowns or “freezing” can be what happens when energy demands exceed what the brain can supply, not “bad behaviour”.

The key message is that many individuals with autism are not refusing to do things they “should” be able to do. Their brains are running on a restricted energy budget, and that fundamentally limits what is possible in that moment.

How low energy could explain core autism features

The paper explains how this restricted energy supply leads to well‑known features that define autism:

• Social communication difficulties: Following conversations, reading facial expressions and body language, and tracking group interactions all demand rapid processing across many brain regions at once, which is extremely energy‑hungry.
• Restricted/repetitive interests and behaviours and insistence on sameness: New situations, changes of plan and switching attention are all costly in energy terms. Focusing on familiar interests and routines keeps energy use predictable and manageable, so what looks like inflexibility and ‘rigid behaviours’ may actually be careful energy conservation.
• Sensory differences: Filtering background noise, ignoring irrelevant sights and sounds, and coping with bright, busy environments all require energy. If the brain does not have enough, everyday sensations can become overwhelming, pushing individuals with autism to seek quiet, dark or controlled spaces.

Also of note: Producing speech requires intense, coordinated energy use across language, motor and planning brain areas, plus real-time adaptation to feedback. Energy shortages can halt this complex process, leaving many children and adults with autism nonverbal or with delayed speech.

Everyday behaviours re‑interpreted

The energy‑shortage idea offers a different interpretation of many behaviours that are often misunderstood.

• “Demand avoidance” or “laziness”: Not starting homework, avoiding a conversation, or hesitating to try something new may reflect an accurate internal sense that “I don’t have the energy for this”, not a moral failing or lack of motivation.
• Stimming (repetitive movements or sounds): These behaviours may help regulate arousal and brain chemistry, possibly even nudging the release or use of stored energy in the brain, rather than being meaningless habits to be eliminated.
• Irritability and sudden aggression: Rapid swings in how much fuel is available to the brain can affect mood, self‑control and tolerance for frustration, much like how people without autism can become “hangry” when their blood sugar drops.

Again, the message is that these patterns are better seen as the brain trying to cope with limited resources, not as deliberate misbehaviour.

What this means for families, teachers and clinicians

If autism is strongly shaped by brain‑energy limitations, then expectations, supports and interventions need to change.

• “Instead of asking “How do we make this person act more ‘normal’?”, a more helpful question is “How can we reduce energy demands and support the brain’s limited fuel supply?”.
• Breaks, quiet spaces, predictable routines, and reduced sensory overload are not indulgences; they are basic energy‑management tools.
• Progress may depend less on “trying harder” and more on matching tasks to the person’s available energy at that time of day, in that setting.

This framework also encourages more compassion. When behaviour is understood as “can’t right now” rather than “won’t ever”, it becomes easier to respond with support, patience and flexible problem solving.

Aetiological factors (causes of low brain energy in autism)

The paper outlines multiple factors that can disrupt energy production early in brain development, potentially leading to autism. These include genetic mutations affecting mitochondrial function and glucose (fuel) metabolism, foetal exposure to toxins or infections that damage energy pathways, maternal metabolic issues like diabetes passing on vulnerabilities, and environmental stressors during critical windows that overload developing cells’ energy systems. Together, these converge on a common outcome: insufficient brain energy from gestation onward.

Potential treatments

The paper discusses a range of strategies to address energetic deficiencies, emphasising that no single approach fits all and effects will vary greatly between individuals. These include nutritional supports like alternative fuels for the brain (ketones/ketogenic diet, fatty acids) or specific supplements (creatine, amino acids for example serine, arginine, HMB/leucine and others) to boost energy metabolism, medications targeting brain metabolic pathways, such as intranasal insulin or metformin; and emerging therapies like photobio(neuro)modulation or transcranial stimulation to enhance brain energy delivery. Clinical trials are limited, so a personalized approach is essential to match interventions to specific deficiencies and monitor for side effects.

Looking ahead

The paper situates its argument within a growing body of research on metabolic changes in autism, all of which point towards difficulties in producing and managing energy in the brain. It also notes emerging work on treatments that may improve brain energetics or help the brain cope better with its energy limits, though these are still at an early stage and not yet standard care.

The most important takeaway, however, is conceptual rather than technical. Many of the behaviours seen in children and adults with autism are not simply “bad choices”, stubbornness or lack of effort; they are the visible signs of a brain doing its best with far less energy than it needs. Understanding this “can’t, not won’t” perspective can transform how society supports individuals with autism at home, at school, at work and in the community.

Link to preprint version of the paper: Autism as a Disorder of Brain Energy: How Impairments in Brain Glucose Metabolism Give Rise to Autism Symptoms