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

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

An exceptional and brilliantly written book to help navigate the conflicting advice given and keep your autistic young person safe and happy. However, so often I will meet a young person who is at crisis point, and ask the team around them if they have an understanding of their autistic identity, to be told ‘No’. They may have been told about their diagnosis but been given little support to understand what this means, nor had the opportunity to meet other autistic young people, therefore being left feeling isolated, which can also impact their mental health. What can we do to increase understanding of autistic identity in young people? I’m in lots of Facebook groups full of parents who feel unsupported by the professionals they thought would help them, because the system doesn’t allow them to help most of the time. I can’t fix the system, although I’ll give it a good try. But I can help everyone who reads the book to understand their autistic young person a little better, and to create an environment where they will thrive. Open your minds and come on this journey with me. You won’t regret it. I read this book because I have four autistic grandchildren, all with very different needs. So I have a vested interest in learning more. The Council for Disabled Children’s new Director on their work to implement the Government’s SEND Change Programme - October 18, 2023It 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?

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person : Cathy Wassell (author

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.

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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. 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. This book will help any parent and their autistic daughter understand autism and prepare for an assessment. The book is full of practical information about autism which allows you to explore together your daughter's own profile on the spectrum. The book is easy to read and would enable you to gather all the evidence you could require towards the diagnosis assessment. What I love about this book, is that it also gives you ways you can support your autistic daughter, now, before the official diagnosis. It is common for people to worry about doing the 'wrong' thing and as you understand your daughter, you will find the 'Living well with autism' section really helpful and positive. Because our autistic girls should feel positive about who they are and the future that is ahead of them. 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. 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.

nurturing environment is vital for Review: Why building a nurturing environment is vital for

Autism is a spectrum condition and affects people in different ways. Like all people, autistic people have their own strengths and weaknesses. Social interaction and communication can be difficult for some autistic people but others may enjoy it. Intense interests and repetitive behaviour are often seen along with differing sensory experiences'. North East Autism Society | 15 Lumley Court | Drum Industrial Estate | Chester-le-Street | County Durham | DH2 1AN 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. 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 The event takes place on Friday, 26th May from 9.30am.Places are limited, so please register to secure your place.Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person A Parent's Handbook to Supporting Newly Diagnosed Teens and Pre-Teens The RRP is the suggested or Recommended Retail Price of a product, set by the publisher or manufacturer. 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. 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 by Cathy - Waterstones Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person by Cathy - Waterstones

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? 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! 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.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. As a mum to a neurodiverse son, an autism assessor and a team manager for an autism and mental health team this book is everything it says it going to be.