Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person is my third book – it’s just the first one which has made it to publication! The first two were abandoned at a skeletal stage when it became obvious that I just didn’t care enough about writing them. But for this book, I probably cared too much. There was so much I wanted to say, and only 80,000 words to say it in! This guidebook does what it says! All of us need nurturing, we also need help to find our way. For our young people this book maps the way forward from wherever you are on the autism journey. It aids the avoiding of potholes, wrong turns and dead ends to open up a road to less stress and increased confidence. Unfortunately, an autism diagnosis carries with it a stigma, and becoming aware of this stigma can be damaging to a young person’s wellbeing as they get older – and the later they are recognised as autistic, the more problematic this becomes. This book is a fantastic addition to the literature out there on how to understand and support autistic young people. Getting your diagnosis after the early years still involves all kinds of difficulties, and Cathy Wassell talks through these in a friendly and informed manner, with personal insights and case studies which illustrate the challenges and the joys of being autistic. There is a wealth of knowledge and advice inside which will be invaluable for anyone working to help autistic young people thrive. We recognise that the work we do wouldn’t be possible without our incredible team of dedicated employees. With opportunities within our care, education, employment and family support services, there’s a career for you at the North East Autism Society.

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person : Cathy Wassell (author Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person : Cathy Wassell (author

Georgina Durrant, author of ‘100 Ways Your Child Can Learn Through Play’ and Founder of The SEN Resources Blog. 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. 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.

No stone has been left unturned in this wonderfully accessible, comprehensive cornucopia guide for parents and carers. The inclusion of 'real people' voices in the case studies throughout is particularly powerful and combined with the almost limitless information, advice and resources, this book is a must have for anyone wishing to support their late diagnosed teen or young adult. 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. 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? If you are a professional leading these conversations (in advance of the session), you should start planning and information gathering alongside parents. The resources section of the Guidebook has tools which can be used in an informal meeting with parents/carers and key adults. If you are the young person’s parent or carer, it is likely that you will have your own thoughts and feelings about this whole process. You may have battled for years to try and get an autism assessment or are carrying the weight of comments from ‘well-meaning’ family members or professionals. There may be layers of guilt or worry over whether you are doing the best for your child. I have worked with many, many families over the years and I can tell you this is all ‘normal’, whatever that means!

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person: A Parent’s Handbook to Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person: A Parent’s Handbook to

Unfortunately, I am not alone in my experiences. So many autistic people go unrecognised and unsupported and end up with severe mental health problems. So many are not given support which they are able to engage with, because their needs aren’t met. So many are retraumatised by encounters with professionals and their experiences within the mental health system. Even for those diagnosed earlier, there is the risk of being made to feel like an outcast because of the diagnosis, or of being forced into traumatising therapies like applied behavioural analysis. This is why we desperately need change, and soon. Because autistic children deserve to grow up feeling included, supported, and secure in their autistic identity.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.

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person | Jessica Kingsley

Have a plan for follow up questions : It’s OK to ‘park’ the question or give the young person a kind of ‘holding message’ - better this than to give a rushed answer that they later find confusing or unsettling. Autistic Girls Network is part of the change we need to see. Cathy’s book is also part of that change. If every parent and every professional could read this book, autism understanding would come a long way. And this is so important, because at the heart of this are young autistic people all over the world who are continually being failed by the people who are meant to protect them. And that has to change.” It turns out that this late diagnosis is more and more common, particularly in those that present in an internal way, who tend to mostly be girls. It turns out our child is NOT fine in school. In fact, they are so anxious, school is traumatising them more and more to the point they may actually become unable to attend. It also turns out that we’re parenting just fine thank you very much, and that since at least one of us is likely to be neurodivergent we’re probably parenting in a much more appropriate way for our neurodivergent child than all those neurotypically-framed parenting courses they tried to send us on. So while you may dip in and out of it, reading some sections may provide you with your own aha moment where you realise that section is more relevant than you thought! What’s important is the change in understanding that can take place to build the best environment to nurture your autistic young person. Giveaway

What is autistic identity?

An autism diagnosis is much more than just a ‘label’. If you’re autistic, you’ve been autistic your whole life and you will gradually become aware that you experience the world in a different way to many of your peers. to support with processing (providing additional visual tools or methods that work for that young person)

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person (Book Review) Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person (Book Review)

If you're looking for the ideal present for your office Secret Santa, give a gift in their name to North East Autism Society this Christmas and help us support autistic children, young people, and adults across the region. Everything in this book resonates on so many levels. A must whether you're a parent, teacher or someone who, like me, reads it and is still astounded by how much feeling different shouldn't have to be so difficult. Affirming, passionate and timely if we are to explode the medicalised myths around autism.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? So what’s the book all about? It’s the book I’d like to have read when my daughter got her autism diagnosis, seemingly out of the blue. It’s also the one I’d like to have read when my son was diagnosed at 18, presenting completely differently to his sister. That is to say, it’s very clear that every autistic person is different, just as we are all different.