Templepatrick Paediatric Clinic

02/02/2024

Some really helpful advice here from Mental Health UK to start important conversations about mental health

19/07/2023

Important info from The Neurodivergent Teacher

08/06/2023

We are the UK’s leading autism research charity. Our vision to create breakthroughts that enable all autistic people to live happier, healthier, longer lives.

20/05/2023

Tomorrow we will be holding our Young Person's Transition Group, "Thinking About Adulthood". Sign up using the QR code or link to join us next month! https://forms.office.com/r/QQMs4L3gGf

13/05/2023

08/05/2023

07/04/2023

Planning Your Career Through Intense Interests

06/12/2022

Via thinking persons guide to Autism - Autballs excellent explanation of the Double Empathy Problem

The idea that autistic people lack/struggle with empathy comes mainly from two things:
1. The (ridiculous and outdated) research that supposedly showed we lack Theory of Mind. Turns out it’s garbage, but unfortunately it just won’t die.
2. The fact that allistic people don’t know how to read us and are conditioned to assume the worst about us.

So in my ongoing effort to dispel this myth, here is a non-exhaustive list of areas we may struggle (or “struggle’) when it comes to empathy. Do note that these issues are not exclusive to autistic people, they are not all things WE are “doing wrong,” and that none of them involve completely lacking or being incapable of empathy.

[Image description: POSSIBLE REASONS AN AUTISTIC PERSON MAY “STRUGGLE WITH EMPATHY” - Infographic by Autball.

Translucent white boxes with black text on an aqua to green diagonal gradient. The boxes read:
(1) We Show It Differently: We may be trying to help in a way that we would find comforting but you don’t.
(2) Don’t Realize What’s Happening: We’re not all bothered by the same things, so we may not realize there’s anything to be upset about.
(3) Perspective Taking Issues: Cognitive Empathy is not the same as Affective Empathy; we can feel it if we get it.
(4) Didn’t Pick Up On Cues: If you’re relying on facial expressions, body language, or us “reading between the lines,” we just may not get the message.
(5) It Wasn’t Extended To Us: It’s hard to understand the concept when we don’t get any/enough experience with it ourselves.
(6) Conditioning: We’ve been told we lack empathy so many times that we’ve stopped trying.
(7) Alexithymia: If we can’t identify our own emotions, it’ll be hard to show them, or even recognize them in others.
(8) Big Feelings Are Overwhelming: Some people learn to “turn off” their empathy/hyper-empathy in order to maintain/survive.
(9) Misinformation: A lot of people call things “empathy” that aren’t actually empathy, like putting others’ needs before our own.
(10) Just Not That Emotional: Emoting just might not be our thing; that doesn’t mean we can’t understand what’s going on.

At the bottom in bold white text is the following: * = (asterisk equals) Allistics struggle to do these things with us too! See: The Double Empathy Problem. (The first four boxes have asterisks in them.)]

02/12/2022

Really sensible advice here re supporting our autistic children/young people from Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism

A mini-guide and checklist for parents, to help both them and their autistic kids live the Best Lives Possible.

01/12/2022

Autistic Burnout - a description through lived experience by Jodie Smitten and for us all to remember it is real

Trigger warning: distressed children, abuse, burnout, trauma

These words were written by me; an autistic parent supporting my autistic child some years back. AUTISTIC BURNOUT IS REAL.

It is a mental health crisis that although is understood in autistic
communities, it is rarely recognised or understood in mental health services.
Understanding of it is vital for recovery.

Many of the emails/messages I receive for support describes a child in autistic burnout. I have posted some further resources in the comments below. All of which can be shared with professionals.

Jodie x

14/11/2022

LEANS curriculum now available to teach primary school children about different styles of thinking so all children feel valued and respected via Acces Communication

Salvesen Mindroom Centre is a Scottish charity that supports, informs and empowers children and young people living with learning difficulties. Our vision is to become an internationally recognised centre of excellence in neurodiversity to help create a world in which no mind is left behind.

14/11/2022

Supporting Trans and Gender Diverse Autistic young people

🏳️‍⚧ SUPPORTING THE WELLBEING OF TRANS & GENDER DIVERSE AUTISTIC YOUNG PEOPLE - RESOURCES

We are proud to be a leader in mentoring Autistic young people and have the privilege of working with many who are both Autistic and trans/gender diverse.

Having access to respectful resources and suppportive communities is vital for both young people and the adults who care about them. In honour of , we'd like to share some valuable links:

🏳️‍⚧ RESOURCES FROM OUR I CAN TEAM
All of our resources have been significantly shaped by youth voices and also reflect the lived experience of Autistic trans/gender diverse young people and adults within and beyond our team.

▪️ "Supporting Autistic LGBTIQA+ Young People," a training module for parents/carers, teachers, youth workers and service providers, delivered by Sam Rose (view here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-qjAZNCF0U).

▪️ Three sets of youth-informed tips - with extensive resources embedded within - for Autistic LBGTIQA+ young people, the adults who support them, and service providers, respectively (download here: https://icannetwork.online/autistic-lgbtqia/)

▪️ "Tips from Autistic LGBTIQA+ Young Adults", a webinar geared toward young people (access here: youtu.be/Z1IIsXGar7A).

▪️ We offer Autistic-led online group mentoring for ages 8-22, including groups specifically for Autistic LGBTIQA+ teens and young adults ages 13-22. Please note that groups are formed with similarly-aged peers (learn more here: https://icannetwork.online/online/).

🏳️‍⚧ COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS (NATIONAL) FOR YOUNG PEOPLE + THEIR PARENTS/CARERS

▪️ Minus18 are champions of LGBTIQA+ youth. providing information, events, advocacy (www.minus18.org.au/).

▪️ Transcend Australia provide parent/carer support, community connection, information, advocacy & fundraising (transcendaus.org/).

▪️ Parents of Gender Diverse Children provide peer support to parents and those parenting trans and gender diverse children (www.pgdc.org.au/).

▪️ TARA is an intersectional, Autistic-led support & information community for parents & carers in Australia

🏳️‍⚧ BOOKS

Available in many local bookstores as well as online vendors

▪️ "The Awesome Autistic Guide for Trans Teens" by Yenn Purkis & Sam Rose (details here: tinyurl.com/8fafr9cc)

▪️ "The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens & Tweens" (includes a section on gender diversity) by Yenn Purkis & Tanya Masterman (details here: tinyurl.com/5zus5sde)

▪️ Queerly Autistic, The Ultimate Guide for LGBTQIA+ Teens on the Spectrum" by Erin Ekins (details here: tinyurl.com/akpfy9k8)

🏳️‍⚧ ...AND MORE...

▪️ From Minus18, "Trans 101" (view here: youtu.be/-3ZzpTxjgRw)

▪️ From Amaze, "When Your Child Is Transgender/Gender Diverse" (download here: tinyurl.com/xcahawyr)

▪️ From Anna Cristina (video) "What To Do When Your Child Comes To You And Says...Practical Support Strategies" (view here: youtu.be/3wwqE8WA9XA). Sponsored by Reframing Autism and The Autistic Realm Australia - TARA.

This list is not exhaustive; rather, it contains valuable resources that can help lead to more localised support and to other helpful materials.