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psychotherapy

10 Tips for an Autism-Friendly Christmas

Great advice for enjoying Christmas with your autistic loved ones, from Amazon Number One Bestselling author Helen Wallace-Iles. ‘Tis the season for sparkly decorations and festive music in shops; for school nativity plays, visits to relatives and the excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning.While for most children these things bring a sense of anticipation,

Win a Free Copy of The Ringmaster’s Tale!

As a thank you for all your support over the last year, I’m giving away THREE FREE COPIES of my book, The Ringmaster’s Tale. Described as ‘a gift to parents’ and ‘the best book on autism there is’, it’s full of advice, information and lots of personal stories that give you a ringside seat to

Is My Daughter Really Just a Drama Queen?

Why does my daughter throw a massive tantrum when I brush her hair or put her socks on? Why is she incapable of hearing bad news without working herself up into a frenzy? Why does she have a hissy fit whenever there’s a change of plan? And why, oh why, can she behave perfectly at

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

Why do Autistic People Take Things Literally?

One of the main criteria for receiving an autism diagnosis is having ‘problems with verbal and non-verbal communication’. These problems (or complications as I prefer to call them) can take various forms, but without question one of the most widely recognised is the way autistic people seem to take everything literally. So, why does this

ringmasters tale, autism all stars. aspergers, autism, disability, diversity, parenting, psychotherapy, special needs, literal thinking, autism awareness, autism acceptance

Why No-one Represents the Autism Spectrum

What if I told you that one of my three sons was diagnosed as the most profoundly autistic child several specialists had ever seen; that he had no spoken language ’til he was almost five and regularly mutilated himself, smeared poo round the house and physically attacked me every day for many years: bruising, scratching

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,