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Of Course Autistic People Feel Empathy!

One of the most common myths about autistic people is that they don’t feel empathy towards others, and today’s post is designed to help people understand where this mistaken belief comes from. So, what is empathy? Put simply, empathy is the ability to understand what another person is thinking or feeling; but in reality, empathy

Autism All Stars, Ringmasters Tale, aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, empathy, compassion,

Dakota Fanning's Portrayal of an Autistic Woman

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

Autism All Stars, Ringmasters Tale, aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism parents, please stand by, dakota fanning, film review, star trek,

Special Interests: Autism’s Secret Weapon

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

Autism All Stars, Ringmasters Tale, aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism parents, special interests, career choices

10 Things Not to Say to Parents of Autistic Children

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

Autism All Stars, aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism parents, laughter, humour, what not to say

What Autism Acceptance & Feminism Have in Common

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

Why Autism Parents Must Keep Talking

Whether their children have autism or not, ever since humanity began, parents have swapped stories about their offspring. Each conversation would have its purpose, whether that was to raise the spirits or look for guidance, but make no mistake:  the need to speak to others about our offspring is woven deep within our collective consciousness,

aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, psychotherapy, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism parents,

Top Ten Social Tips for People with Autism

Today I’m sharing something from my book, The Ringmaster’s Tale, which is full of funny, sad, poignant and thought-provoking stories as well as lots of great advice about finding the positives when you’re living with autism. This is a light-hearted look at some of the social situations autistic people can struggle with. I’m sure lots

aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, psychotherapy, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism parents,

The Secret to Successfully Parenting Autistic Children

It’s fair to say that we live in a world where the path to success is constantly changing. When I was a child in the 1970’s, success meant getting good grades at school, and as a young woman it meant getting a ‘proper’ job working in an office. These were seen as the quickest, most

aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, psychotherapy, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism parents,

Some Very Good News About Autism

In 1990, when computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, I was expecting my first child, and the mysteries of computers and the internet were completely beyond me. I didn’t realise it then, but this lack of technological ability would prove to be a real blessing not only to me but also to

aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, psychotherapy, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism parents,

When Laces Tie You up in Knots

If there’s one sound that’s guaranteed to strike fear into the hearts of autistic people across the land (and their parents too, of course) it’s someone uttering the word ‘shoelaces’. Now, I’m quite certain that somewhere on the planet there’s an autistic child who’s never struggled to tie their shoes, but I can honestly say

aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, psychotherapy, special needs, autism awareness, autism acceptance, autism parents,