Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person: A Parent’s Handbook to Supporting Newly Diagnosed Teens and Pre-Teens

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Woodslane Pty Limited is a company registered in Australia. ABN: 76003677549. 10 Apollo Street, Warriewood, New South Wales 2102, Australia. Claire Sainsbury states ‘any child who is old enough to understand a simple explanation…. is old enough’ (Sainsbury, 2010). Likewise, research has found that when children know nothing about their diagnosis, they can have a very negative perception of themselves (Miller, 2015 and Punshon et al 2009). Who is best placed to have these conversations? Research shows that having a positive understanding of your autistic identity is an indicator of higher self-esteem and wellbeing as an adult. (Corden, Brewer & Cage, 2021 and Cooper, Smith, & Russell, 2017). Yet, when do we teach this? There is also strength and solace in a shared identity. Much of what has been shown to increase wellbeing and reduce anxiety is finding your place in a community of like-minded people, such as with other autistic or neurodivergent folk. Consider the environment: would they prefer to be somewhere familiar? Think about the sensory input such as lighting and sounds.

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person by Cathy - Waterstones

This fascinating book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of autism for parents wishing to learn about autism and how to support their autistic young person. While not shying away from the challenges that an autistic young person may encounter, Cathy adopts a strengths-based approach that focuses on embracing neurodiversity and nurturing the young person to develop their true identity. The book is very readable, and the resources provided at the end allow parents to explore areas further if they wish. The award-winning sports podcast created by autistic learners that’s giving them hope and skills for the future - October 25, 2023 The event takes place on Friday, 26th May from 9.30am.Places are limited, so please register to secure your place. Signs to spot in your own child can include different behaviours in and outside school, and exhaustion. Find out more in this video.

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The experience of getting recognised as autistic is different for everyone, but it is affected by your age, your environment, your mental health and your supporters. Someone who is diagnosed at two is going to have a different life experience to someone who is diagnosed at 17 amid a massive mental health crisis. And they are going to be different again to someone who is diagnosed/recognised at 50, or even at 83 as happened in our Facebook group a few months ago! to support with processing (providing additional visual tools or methods that work for that young person) SNJ is run by volunteer parents. Everything on SNJ is free to use, but if you like what we do, and you want us to keep doing it, a small donation towards running costs would be really appreciated. Parents and teachers of autistic children, you need Cathy's book on your bookshelf! I'm genuinely excited about the positive change this book may bring in ensuring parents and professionals understand autistic young people better. Naturally, we want to remove the stigma, but this depends not on the autistic young person to change, but everyone around them learning about neurodiversity – the more you understand about difference, not deficit, the less likely you are to stigmatise. However we can also nurture the young person so that they develop a positive view of their autistic identity, and can become advocates for themselves and others.

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person : Cathy Wassell (author

As outlined above, the intended target audience for the book was parents of older children and young people who were not recognised as autistic at an early age, but in my opinion the helpful advice in this book stretches to a group wider than that. It could help parents, carers and wider family members of children diagnosed autistic at any age, and it would also offer many insights for educators, particularly those in secondary schools. When I began to feel that, everything changed for me. I began to see that I had a future. I was given the opportunity to learn about myself, understand my brain, and start to make adaptations to my life which made it easier to navigate. I needed a healthy way to direct my anger at my experiences into something useful. So, I joined my local CAMHS young people’s council, to be able to have influence in shaping services. I then stood for election as a public governor for my NHS mental health and learning disability trust. I am now in my fourth year as governor. I started university to study mental health nursing, and I qualify later this year. I became a trustee for the Autistic Girls Network, of course. I started to write blogs, give talks, and work alongside organisations to create change.

Rebecca Duffus is an Advisory Teacher working with students and educators in mainstream and specialist schools, plus local council and education services. Here, Rebecca discusses the importance of supporting young people to understand their autistic identity. When a parent is told their child is autistic they instantly enter a world of misinformation and bias, often propagated by big organisations who claim to want to "help". Many parents inadvertently end up following advice that causes harm. Cathy's book offers the practical insight and guiding hand to help parents of autistic children navigate in what can be a confusing landscape as they journey to understand and embrace their child's neurotype.

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person | Jessica Kingsley

Giving young people the space and time to explore and embrace their autistic identity, in a way that is positive and empowering, is essential for their sense of self and belonging. Further information So often, autistic young people are told to stop stimming, taught neurotypical ‘social skills’ and disciplined because of characteristics directly related to their autistic identity. We need to be actively promoting autistic pride and creating communities where autistic young people can understand their strengths and have their needs catered for. What is autistic identity? Acceptance Matters is a virtual conference hosted by the North East Autism Society. Featuring a panel of autistic speakers, the conference will cover topics including double empathy, school-based anxiety and nurturing autistic young people. It is never too late to support a young person in developing a better sense of self. I have worked for a number of years doing just this, through clearly structured sessions, together creating a personalised book all about them. The Autism, Identity and Me Workbook for young people was created to become the individual’s unique story, using visual prompts to positively explore their personality and interests, feelings of difference and what this means to them. The book also features other autistic individuals, providing peer representation, and a template toolkit. When to have these conversations?Cathy's lived experience shines through - from the conversational tone and reassurance offered to the reader; the book is an easy to use, warm and wide-ranging guide to parenting an autistic teenager. I can see that this book will help countless families, and will be relevant for years to come. Remember our emotions are often contagious: if we are feeling highly anxious, those around us may well mirror these feelings or behaviours. Always consider whose needs you are meeting - if you are doing this because you feel you ought to, but really don’t feel prepared - it might be best to let someone else take the lead (perhaps someone from school), while you access support and develop your own understanding of autism. The Autism, Identity and Me Guidebook explores this in detail and could be a good starting point. Georgina Durrant, author of ‘100 Ways Your Child Can Learn Through Play’ and Founder of The SEN Resources Blog. I wish I had read this incredible book many years ago. My daughter – aged 13 – had a late diagnosis and this (hand)book is exactly what I need to be able to understand and support her better. I’d gleened bits and pieces of information about autism over the past few years, but it’s all here (and so much more) in one book, written in a clear and understandable way. So many ‘aha’ moments. Cathy Wassell’s book seems to have everything covered from co-occurring conditions to sensory stuff, with lots of practical advice on how to nurture and advocate for our autistic young people. Autistic children and young people thrive when adults in their lives understand and support them effectively, but for adults new to the world of autism this can pose a confusing challenge. This wonderful book provides the answers needed by parents or teachers of a newly identified autistic child or young person. Accessible and comprehensive, full of practical examples and strategies, the neurodiversity-affirmative approach outlined here will promote wellbeing and help prevent future mental health problems for autistic young people.