Let me point out right away that laughing about something (autism included) is definitely not the same as laughing at it. Laughing at someone because they’re different and may be struggling with things other people find straightforward is cruel, unnecessary and, in my opinion, downright repulsive. We’ve all met bullies in our time who use …
To celebrate International Women’s Day I’m sharing an extract from my book The Ringmaster’s Tale which has a whole chapter full of advice and resources for girls on the autism spectrum… Similarities and differences The interesting thing about girls on the spectrum is how they can appear similar to, yet distinctly different from, both autistic …
The latest in my ‘spotlight’ series focuses on fourteen year old Ollie Venning, better known as street dancer Ollie V. The struggles he’s faced will be all too familiar to autistic people, their friends and families, but with love, patience and no small amount of bravery on his part, he’s transformed himself into a genuine …
***SPOILER FREE*** When Netflix announced their new series, Atypical, about an everyday family living with an eighteen year old son on the autism spectrum, I was intrigued to see how they’d handle the subject. Having watched the trailer though, I wasn’t sure whether they were laughing at autism or about it, and after reading some …
I was recently introduced to the incredible work of a young autistic man called Chris Baker – a self-taught artist from Cardiff, South Wales. I found his art so inspiring that I decided to find out more, and discovered the story of an ordinary family whose love, acceptance and determination to turn challenges into opportunities …
When you have a child, there’s something nobody tells you: suddenly your first priority becomes another person’s needs instead of your own, and this can take a lot of getting used to. Then comes the twist: as soon as you’ve adjusted to them being totally dependent on you, you have to start the impossibly difficult …
I recently watched Please Stand By, which is the story of one autistic woman’s journey towards independence and follows her on an adventure with the sort of highs and lows we can all relate to. Here are my thoughts on the film… Played by the brilliant Dakota Fanning, our heroine Wendy is a bright, determined …
Today I’m sharing another extract from my book – The Ringmaster’s Tale – discussing just how useful special interests can be when you’re parenting an autistic child (or adult). It’s perfectly understandable that at times you’ll feel like your child is unreachable, and the struggle to teach them new life skills can be disheartening to …
Lots of people worry about saying the wrong thing to parents when they have autistic children and often end up putting their foot in it when they’re trying really hard to be supportive. With that in mind, here’s my guide to some of the things not to say, and why these supposedly helpful statements and …
I know it might seem an unlikely comparison, but when it comes to being restricted by the label society has given you, there’s more common ground here than you might think. Here’s an extract from my book The Ringmaster’s Tale discussing things in more detail: Does a label really limit what someone can do? The …
