“This guidebook is innovative as it helps autistic young people own their autism diagnosis, whereas it’s likely the pathway thus far has been directed by a medical and/or parental perspective. This book assists adults to support autistic young people to find a safe space to explore their autistic identity, diagnosis and newfound life trajectory.” – Carly Jones MBE, British Autism Advocate “Autism, Identity and Me not only reflects Rebecca’s ethos, it is a structured, easy to follow, informative and invaluable text which covers all areas of autism from what it actually is through to every element of the day to day life of an autistic child. I will be using this book in my own practice.” – Andrew Whitehouse, SEND Consultant, Andrew Whitehouse Ltd “Feeling different can be an upsetting, frustrating and terrifying experience, especially as a child. Rebecca's book is a great resource to help young people and the adults supporting them to navigate an autism diagnosis.” – Dr Jenna Kenyani, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Adviser, University of Liverpool “Rebecca’s book is a great resource for guiding strength-based conversations about a young person’s autistic identity. The book focuses on individual similarities and differences, whilst encouraging a sense of shared identity and connection to others. This is a great resource for supporting young people to explore their individual strengths and skills, whilst developing a sense of pride. A recommended read!” – Dr Claire Prosser BEM, Educational Psychologist, Spectropolis – Pay it Forward “This book has helped me get a grip on my autism and understand it more. It allows me to see the reasons, know why I’m doing all this stuff that neurotypicals wouldn’t do, and makes me feel better – good – that I wasn't alone in this.” – Daniel, Young Person ACCESS YOUR ONLINE RESOURCES Autism, Identity and Me: A Professional and Parent Guide to Support a Positive Understanding of Autistic Identity is accompanied by a number of printable online materials, designed to ensure this resource best supports your professional needs. Activate your online resources: Go to https://resourcecentre.routledge.com/speechmark and click on the cover of this book. Click the ‘Sign in’ or ‘Request access’ button and follow the instructions in order to access the resources. AUTISM, IDENTITY AND ME This informative and engaging guidebook provides key adults – parents, school staff and therapists – with the tools needed to support children and young people as they develop a positive understanding of their autistic identity. The guidebook is designed to accompany the Autism, Identity and Me workbook, building the adult’s understanding of autism and autistic identity, expanding upon the themes introduced, and offering a clear and structured programme of sessions to guide the young person through the workbook. Content has been shaped by autistic advisors and contributors, with first-hand experiences woven throughout, alongside examples of ‘possible prompts’, what to focus on as a lead adult, and a variety of concrete, neurodiversity-affirming strategies. Having a positive understanding of your autistic identity is an indicator of higher self-esteem and wellbeing as an adult. This guidebook supports the development of this and will be valuable for all adults working with autistic children and young people aged 10+. Rebecca Duffus BSc, PGCE, MA is an experienced Advisory Teacher with a Psychology Degree and a Masters in Autism and Education. She has many years of experience working with students and educators in both mainstream and specialist education settings as well as within local authority and education services. Rebecca has been a speaker at conferences across the UK, developed a range of parent programmes, and provides training and coaching for settings. Rebecca is passionate about celebrating neurodiversity. AUTISM, IDENTITY AND ME A PROFESSIONAL AND PARENT GUIDE TO SUPPORT A POSITIVE UNDERSTANDING OF AUTISTIC IDENTITY Rebecca Duffus Illustrations by Beth Smith and Rebecca Duffus Designed cover image: © Lisa Dynan First published 2023 by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Rebecca Duffus The right of Rebecca Duffus to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. The purchase of this copyright material confers the right on the purchasing institution to photocopy or download pages which bear the companion website icon or a copyright line at the bottom of the page. No other parts of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Duffus, Rebecca, 1986- author. | Smith, Beth (Illustrator), illustrator Title: Autism, identity and me : a professional and parent guide to support a positive understanding of autistic identity / Rebecca Duffus ; illustrations by Beth Smith and Rebecca Duffus. Description: 1. | Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary -- Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2022031663 (print) | LCCN 2022031664 (ebook) | ISBN 9781032396521 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003350743 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Autistic children--Care | Parents of autistic children--Handbooks, manuals, etc. Classification: LCC RJ506.A9 D84 2023 (print) | LCC RJ506.A9 (ebook) | DDC 618.92/85882--dc23/eng/20220928 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022031663 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022031664 ISBN: 978-1-032-39652-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-35074-3 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003350743 Typeset in Verdana by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India Access the companion website: https://resourcecentre.routledge.com/speechmark For Leroy Duffus, Karen Shaw, Gunny Lenz-Mulligan and Janet Wilson: you would have loved this. Your legacies live on. CONTENTS Acknowledgements xi 1 Introduction 1 2 Background information 7 3 What is autism? 11 4 Sensory differences 17 5 Emotions, anxiety and masking 34 6 Girls 41 7 Debunking myths 46 8 Using the workbook 49 9 Section guidance 64 Session 1: My physical identity; my personality and interests; feeling different 65 Session 2: What autism is; interests and focus 78 Session 3: Social and communication 86 Session 4: Sensory 92 Session 5: Routine and structure; masking, stimming; emotions and energy levels 106 Session 6: Other autistic individuals; my toolkit; my personal passport; my autistic identity statement; self-advocacy 114 Resources 118 References 121 Index 122 ix