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The Centre publishes a quarterly Research Bulletin, which is developed to meet the needs of education professionals working with children and young people with autism. Each Research Bulletin provides accessible summaries of relevant, peer-reviewed articles. The summaries are structured to provide teachers with easy access to the key points from the research and implications for practice, which teachers can consider integrating into their daily work.

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Anxiety Management Best Practice Resource

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Anxiety Management Best Practice Resource

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Anxiety Management - Best Practice Resource

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Background Information Anxiety is often closely associated with autism. It is essential that anxiety is addressed as it has a significant impact on future outcomes for the child or young person. It will affect confidence and is likely to lead to increased social isolation, academic underachievement, lack of skill development across all areas, and places ...

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An introduction to the Double Empathy problem

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Indicators of Effective Practice Document

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Indicators of Effective Practice Document

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Flo explains the challenges of unmasking for her mum

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Murray explores his life as a non-speaking autistic person

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Ethan’s Film, Inside Our Autistic Minds - BBC Two

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The short film made by Ethan in Episode 2 of Inside Our Autistic Minds.

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Inside Our Autistic Minds

The short film made by Anton in Episode 2 of Inside Our Autistic Minds.

Inside Our Autistic Minds

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Facebook pages that are allowed to edit FB preview titles and descriptions */ ?> Inside Our Autistic Minds The short film made by Anton in Episode 2 of Inside Our Autistic Minds. Inside Our Autistic Minds

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An empowering lived-experience guide to celebrating and supporting neurodivergence from 24-year-old actor, social media star and disability advocate Chloé Hayden

'Fierce, unapologetic and joyous . . . This book is a marvel.'
-Jordon Steele-John, Disability Rights Advocate and Australian Senator

Growing up, Chloé Hayden felt like she'd crash-landed on an alien planet where nothing made sense. Eye contact? Small talk? And why are you people so touch-oriented? She moved between 10 schools in 8 years, struggling to become a person she believed society would accept, and was eventually diagnosed with autism and ADHD. When a life-changing group of allies showed her that different did not mean less, she learned to celebrate her true voice and find her happily ever after. ...

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An empowering lived-experience guide to celebrating and supporting neurodivergence from 24-year-old actor, social media star and disability advocate Chloé Hayden 'Fierce, unapologetic and joyous . . . This book is a marvel.' -Jordon Steele-John, Disability Rights Advocate and Australian Senator

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There have been numerous posts on social media recently about After School Restraint Collapse.

You may be wondering what this is, or how to help a child or young person experiencing this extreme stress response. It is term used to describe a student who suppresses or masks their anxieties in school, but then has an emotional response when they return home. The Centre has put together this resource to help school staff and parents to work together to reduce this type of anxiety in autistic children and young people.

#understandingautism #learngrowdevelop #MCA2021

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Social Media - Middletown Centre For Autism

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Eliza Fricker gets it. Her compelling, hard-hitting and irreverently humorous illustrations follow a family through the early days of school avoidance, the process of accessing support and the challenges of coping in the meantime. Can't Not Won't illuminates the absurdity and frustrations that often arise when dealing with health, social and educational systems, and will help any parent in the same boat feel seen. This guide acts as a way to communicate these difficult circumstances with others.

Wonderfully relatable, the book also includes written guidance for parents and professionals on what works best when it comes to managing school avoidance.

Can't Not Won't was an instant entry in the Sunday Times Bestseller List.

WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED BY ELIZA FRICKER.

PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2023.

JESSICA KINGSLEY PUBLISHERS.

During Laura Kerbey's time teaching autistic children, she had a sudden realisation that those with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) are children like no other! None of her tried and tested autism strategies would work to help them focus or learn and most of her time was spent wondering, what am I doing wrong?

If you feel the same, this short, easy-to-read guide is here to teach you everything you need to know from one educator to another. With an introduction to what PDA is followed by PDA tailored advice on how to connect with your student and create an autonomous, spontaneous environment that is personalised for you both, this guide is here to ensure that you and your PDA student thrive!

Illustrated by the popular Eliza Fricker and packed with entertaining anecdotes (including one about Jabba the Hut's poo), this go-to-guide contains everything you need to start implementing PDA friendly learning to help you connect with your student and help them make the most of their learning experience.

The Educator's Experience of Pathological Demand Avoidance was awarded a "Highly Commended" honor in the SEND category of the Teach Secondary Awards 2023.

WRITTEN BY LAURA KERBY.

ILLUSTRATED BY ELIZA FRICKER.

PUBLISHED APRIL 2023.

JESSICA KINGSLEY PUBLISHERS.

This positive and lively guide to working with children with PDA will become an essential part of every educator's library. Easy to dip into, entertaining and yet also full of important truths.

Dr Naomi Fisher
clinical psychologist

A really clear picture of what it is like to have PDA and some excellent ideas of how to help in school and college. Every teacher should own a copy of this book.

Caitlin
16 year old PDA'er

Because of the lived experience and personal stories, (both of successes and failures), and the language used, (omg plus those awesome images!), this is an incredibly important tool in supporting those in education to begin to reframe and rethink their approaches and education styles.

Tigger Pritchard
Autistic/PDA Advocate, Consultant and Trainer

of great help to educators who are new to PDA. The writing is digestible, which combined with the format's 'on point' illustrations, makes for a very enjoyable and insightful read.

Rebecca Leek
Teach Secondary Awards

© 2023 ELIZA FRICKER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

NO PART OF THIS WEBSITE MAY BE DUPLICATED OR SHARED WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION.

VIEW TERMS & CONDITIONS.

WEBSITE BY OUT OF NOWHERE DESIGN.

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Eliza has published several books, including the Sunday Times Bestselling title "Can't Not Won't", and autobiographical "Thumbsucker"

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Last week the Centre shared a resource from NAS on Autistic Fatigue, sometimes referred to as burnout.

Today's resource, designed by the Centre, further explains the causes of autistic burnout. Tomorrow we will share a resource on modifications and supports which can prevent this fatigue and burnout.
Click here to access the resource
#understandingautism #learngrowdevelop

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Social Media - Middletown Centre For Autism

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Last week the Centre shared a resource from NAS on Autistic Fatigue, sometimes referred to as burnout. Today's resource, designed by the Centre, further explains the causes of autistic burnout. Tomorrow we will share a resource on modifications and supports which can prevent this fatigue and burnout.

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As the Centre prepares for its conference, commencing in just 11 days, it is a good time to look back on presentations from past conferences.

In 2019, Brenda Myles presented the keynote speech. In this clip from an interview at the conference, she explains why providing increased 'neural noise' can help autistic students to attend and engage.

Click here for the video.

To find out who is presenting at this year's conference on 23-24 April, and to register for a place, visit this link

#MCAConference2021 #understandingautism #learngrowdevelop

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Social Media - Middletown Centre For Autism

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As the Centre prepares for its conference, commencing in just 11 days, it is a good time to look back on presentations from past conferences. In 2019, Brenda Myles presented the keynote speech. In this clip from an interview at the conference, she explains why providing increased 'neural noise' can help autistic students to attend and engage.

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A neurodiversity-informed and autism-affirming approach means that autistic people should not have to change who they are.

However, in a world not built for autistic people, many are forced to mask to feel safe. This @Autistica webinar focuses on masking, click here to view the webinar

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Social Media - Middletown Centre For Autism

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A neurodiversity-informed and autism-affirming approach means that autistic people should not have to change who they are. However, in a world not built for autistic people, many are forced to mask to feel safe. This @Autistica webinar focuses on masking, click here to view the webinar

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Inclusion – Belonging in School – a school-level resource for developing inclusive policies

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Belonging in School - a school-level resource for developing inclusive policies

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Watch all your favourite TV shows Live or On Demand on your PC, smartphone or tablet for free.

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Ask an Autistic #25 - What is Executive Functioning?

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Teachers TV: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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Why everything you know about autism is wrong | Jac den Houting | TEDxMacquarieUniversity

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Being diagnosed with autism is often seen as a tragedy. But for Jac den Houting, it was the best thing that ever happened to her. As an autistic person, concepts like the neurodiversity paradigm, the social model of disability, and the double empathy problem were life-changing.

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Fast Facts About Autism For Kids (World Autism Awareness Day)

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Dr. Barry Prizant is a speech-language pathologist with more than 50 years experience as a researcher and international consultant for autistic and neurodivergent individuals and their families. He is an Adjunct Professor of Communicative Disorders at the University of Rhode Island and Director, Childhood Communication Services (a private practice). Previously, he served as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Brown University School of Medicine, and held a tenured professor appointment at Emerson College. Publications include 5 books, most notably Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism (2015; 2022) and The SCERTS Model manuals, an educational approach implemented in more than a dozen countries. He has published 150 scholarly chapters and articles and serves on numerous professional advisory boards for journals and professional organizations. Barry has presented more than 1000 seminars and keynote addresses internationally, including two invited presentations at the United Nations for World Autism Awareness Day. His career contributions have been recognized with honors from Brown and Princeton Universities, the Autism Society of America and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

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Uniquely Human: The Podcast - Uniquely Human: The Podcast

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Uniquely Human: The Podcast, a show that illuminates and celebrates Autism and Neurodiversity. Hosted by Barry Prizant and Dave Finch.

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In this recorded webinar Dr Patsy Daly, author of 'Small Changes make Big Differences' talks about approaches for developing strategies to support the autistic learner both in the classroom and online.

To watch the full webinar visit this link

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Social Media - Middletown Centre For Autism

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In this recorded webinar Dr Patsy Daly, author of 'Small Changes make Big Differences' talks about approaches for developing strategies to support the autistic learner both in the classroom and online. To watch the full webinar visit this link

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IFI International | This is Nicolas: Living With Autism

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This is an inspirational piece of work, made with clarity and insight by an insider, which greatly enhances our understanding of Asperger's Syndrome.

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Dr Patsy Daly Small Changes Can Make Big Differences

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Listen to this episode from The Middletown Centre for Autism Podcast on Spotify. Dr Patsy Daly discusses strategies in her book Small Changes Can Make Big Differences

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Online Talking About Secondary School contains different scenarios. For example

Wearing school uniform for the first time

Forgetting to bring homework to school

What to do in the dinner hall

Packing my bag for school

Each scenario is followed by response pictures which illustrate ways of behaving which will encourage discussion about the 'right' thing to do and prompt students to make their own suggestions.

The user has the ability

Record the students' responses and discussions and play them back. This makes it ideal for role play and 'rehearsal' of social conversations.

Make notes within the digital resource and then email these from within the resource, together with the recordings.

Play optional audio for children or young people who have not learnt to read or who have reading difficulties.

The background of the text can also be changed to yellow, which may help some children read the text.

By purchasing this resource you are able to email a link to 10 parents/carers in any 14-day period.

For more information about the online Talking About Series watch the video.
Technical stuff:
Black Sheep Press digital web resources were built and designed for use on PCs and laptops. If you wish to use this resource on a mobile device please see our apps.
This is an online resource so when using it you will need to be connected to the internet.

Talking About Secondary School is also available as a download in printable format.

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

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Talking About Secondary School online resource (School) - Black Sheep Press

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"Talking About Secondary School" is an online resource intended to assist children aged 7+ years and older to help them manage their emotional responses.

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"Tiimo began as a research project, and our close collaboration with users has shaped its design.
We are always learning, researching, and prioritizing user feedback."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"If you struggle with staying on track and building habits or routines, stop everything and try Tiimo. The app is like the accountability coach I needed, 24/7."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This tiny app has changed my life and my relationship with time! With Tiimo time makes sense to me in a way it just hasn't for my whole life."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Tiimo makes me feel "in control" because I'm able to see my day visually and make scheduling a breeze. I always know what is coming next which reduces anxiety and helps me focus on what I am currently doing."
‍

7 days of Tiimo premium at no charge. Cancel at any time.

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Tiimo is a daily planning app tailored for neurodiversity. We're all wired differently and with Tiimo you can visualize time, build focus and make life happen.

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9 likes
Audience: young people
MeeTwo. A Safe Social Media Solution To Improve Teenage Wellbeing(Rebranded as "tellmi")
W hat is it? MeeTwo is an award winning free fully moderated app for teenagers, which provides peer support, expert help, inbuilt educational and creative resources as well as in app links to UK charities and helplines. MeeTwo is a neutral space which allows young people to experiment with what it feels like to open up without drawing attention to themselves while positive feedback and social support builds confidence, increases wellbeing and promotes emotional resilience

Why is it different? 100% Moderation: Every post and reply is checked before it reaches the app to eliminate all bullying, judgment or humiliation. Positive feedback and support is curated into the app.

Why Peer Support? MeeTwo builds on the empirical success (1) of the peer support model - where young people help each other - by creating a free, standardized, and scalable solution that is accessible to the 84% (2) of UK teenagers who have a smartphone.

Are there any adults involved? MeeTwo is curated by qualified psychologists. Within the app, trained 'super peers' who are actually undergraduate psychology students guide advice chains and ensure everyone gets supported. They also provide the kind of advice that other users model their responses on.

Is it educational? Yes. Educational resources are developed in response to users needs, so if there is discussion around a specific topic, relevant advice and information is integrated into the app.

Is it creative? yes. MeeTwo encourages young people to express themselves visually as well as verbally. Getting their work published gives users a sense of achievement and their creative input stops the app looking and feeling feeling like a worthy "mental health" resource.

Can users access real world support? Yes. MeeTwo has an inbuilt directory of specialist support groups, so users can call helplines or explore the websites of National charities such as Childline, Young Minds or Brook through a closed loop system. Being able to do this privately allows them to explore support without feeling stigmatised.

Is it safe? MeeTwo is safe because we have a sophisticated back end safeguarding system which ensure that vulnerable children or risky posts are picked up before they hit the app. These young people are directed to more appropriate support.

What happens if a post is rejected? When posts are rejected young people are given a clear explanation as to why their post failed so that they can learn from their mistakes.

What does it achieve? MeeTwo improves emotional articulacy by encouraging young people to identify and express their feelings. Positive feedback, advice and social support builds confidence, increases wellbeing and promotes emotional resilience (3). MeeTwo allows young people to access advice support without labelling themselves as having a problem. It is a neutral space which lets young people to experiment with what it feels like to open up without drawing attention to themselves. MeeTwo offers active support, practical advice and tools for change. Its important because improved emotional wellbeing benefits all teenagers psychologically, socially and educationally.
Visit website Download on ap store Download on Google Play Submit Resource

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MeeTwo (Tellmi): A Safe Social Media Solution To Improve Teenage Wellbeing

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Children and young people centred communication

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Lámh supports communication - between parents and child, between siblings, between friends. It can be a stepping stone to communicating with the world. Lámh is a manual sign system used by children and adults with intellectual disability and communication needs in Ireland.

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Just a minute of patience | JAM Card | Autism | Hidden disability | Northern Ireland

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JAM Card allows people with a hidden disability like autism or communication barrier tell others they need ‘Just A Minute’ discreetly and easily. JAM stands for ‘Just A Minute’ of patience. It is available as a digital app or physical card. Register and get yours by post or download from Google or…

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The picture shows 12 spoons.

Christine Miserandino was the first person to write about 'Spoon Theory', in 2003. Her original article can be found at:

https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

Since then, a large number of people from the disability and neurodiversity groups have used this as a basis for explaining our own situations.

I am sometimes asked about how 'spoon theory' relates to autism and shutdowns. I shall explain it from my own perspective, in this blog.

Firstly, a reminder of the principles of 'spoon theory'. Let us say that an average person wakes up in the morning with (say) 12 units of energy to 'spend' on the daily activities. Once all that energy is used up, they can do no more and must rest.

Christine illustrated it by imagining the units of energy as something physical - and the first thing she found was 12 spoons in a cutlery drawer. So those became the example.

Each spoon represented a 'unit' of energy for that person. She then explained how much energy each daily task, each social event, took to complete for her, as someone with a long-term health condition. Each missing unit of energy meant that she had one fewer 'spoon' for the day. If she had overspent the amount of energy, maybe she could borrow a 'spoon' of energy from tomorrow....but then, tomorrow, she would have fewer units of energy to complete that day. It is a helpful example of how much of a challenge life can be, for people placed in situations which require huge energy to complete. Autism is not a health condition, but if we are put into inappropriate social and sensory situations, we can run out of ability to keep our brain operating. When that happens, we go into meltdown or shutdown.

What is it like for me? I'll take tomorrow as an example.

Let us say that I wake up with those 12 units of energy, represented by 12 'spoons'.
I can do at most 12 things, before they're gone.
Some of the things need more than one unit of energy to complete.

Examples: Showering, including drying and any lotions or deodorants etc. - 2 'spoons'. A day at work - 5 spoons. Visiting a shop to buy ingredients for dinner. 2 spoons if it's a small shop, maybe 3 or 4 if it is a sensory nightmare.

Cleaning teeth - 1 spoon.
Washing and drying hair - 2 spoons.
Getting dressed - 1 spoon.
Preparing dinner for the family and sorting out evening tasks for the house, family and animals. 2 spoons.
Meeting a friend in the evening. Maybe 1 spoons, maybe 4 spoons. Depends if they are autistic or not. If not, I have to work extra hard to communicate. I want to. I love being with people, but I can't do it for long without running out of 'spoons'.
Getting ready for bed 1 spoon.

Total possible 'spoons' of energy? Not enough . I have 12. 12 and then I'm out of energy and unable to do more. The sensory and social load would be too much.

So, each day, I have to plan how to use that energy.

That's how I have to plan my life, as an autistic person asked to live in a world that is not designed for me. Too bright, too loud, too many social demands from people who expect social skills that match theirs...until they learn to 'speak autistic' and take the pressure off me.

If something unexpected happens, I may need to expend even more energy.
Angry person - for me, 5 spoons gone at once.
Unexpected change of venue from a doable one to one that is a sensory nightmare - 3 spoons gone, maybe more.

Then, I'm in trouble.
If I can't rest for long enough, to recover, after that kind of emergency 'spoon drop', I'm in shutdown. Many autistic people report that they experience shutdown sometimes or always, not the lively 'meltdowns' in common literature. Here was one online poll. Whilst informal, it matches with professional experience.
Dealing with the morning tasks for the house, family and animals. 1 spoon.
Driving a long distance. 2 spoons. .

I cannot speak, or move much. Overwhelming, pain, exhaustion. And every 'spoon' I have is then gone, probably for tomorrow too.

This, my friends, is why autistic people plan so carefully, and are so concerned about knowing what is ahead.

Important to know about 'spoon theory'. Important to realise that small changes for you may be huge changes for your autistic friends and colleagues. Important to realise that if we ask for information, we need it to be around those social and sensory energy-loss-points. Help us know whether we can do the thing. It makes such a difference.

So many autistic people have to live lives just about making it through each day.
So many are pushed into negative energy every day, for no good reason.

We want to be a full part of society, and - if we are allowed to communicate, socialise and contribute in doable ways, we can do just that. As friends, colleagues, specialists, carers and so many other things. Work with us to achieve that, and all of society can benefit.

Thank you for listening.

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The picture shows 12 spoons. Christine Miserandino was the first person to write about 'Spoon Theory', in 2003. Her original articl...

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How Carol's Club Works

Carol's Club Members have 24/7 access to the ClubHouse where Social Stories and related articles, resources, and materials, called projects, are stored. My name is Carol Gray, and I am the sole author of Carol's Club, with occasional contributions from my colleague and friend in the United Kingdom, Dr. Sioban Timmins.

Carol's Club opened in October of 2017 with paid subscriptions. Members submitted requests for projects that were posted every other week. Carol's Club changed its format in February of 2020 with free membership and access to everything in the ClubHouse. Instead of accepting requests, I periodically add new articles and Social Stories to the ClubHouse.

Becoming a member of Carol's Club is easy! Complete and submit the registration form. You will receive a MailChimp email. Follow directions to join the mailing list that I use to notify members when I add something new to the ClubHouse. Your information and email address will remain confidential.

To thank you for becoming a member, the "Carol's Club Welcome Packet" awaits you in the ClubHouse (posted October 12, 12017, remember to log in first). It contains a bonus project: "Understanding the Tooth Fairy and Other Similar Traditions - Ideas for Parents and Professionals," 2. a tour of the Clubhouse (It's just for fun - to show you around), and 3. the first Clubhouse project, "Social Stories 10.2 Definition on PowerPoint®."
Welcome to Carol's Club!

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Welcome to Carol's Club - Carol Gray - Social Stories

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How Carol's Club Works Carol's Club Members have 24/7 access to the ClubHouse where Social Stories and related articles, resources, and materials, called projects, are stored. My name is Carol Gray, and I am the sole author of Carol's Club, with occasional contributions from my colleague and friend in the United Kingdom, Dr. Sioban Timmins.

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In this video, Middletown Trainer Advisor Edel Quinn explains the concept of the' fear ladder' and associated strategies that may be used to help your child with their fears. Fear ladders encourage children and young people to recognise and manage their fears rather than avoid them. With this strategy, exposure to what the child or young person finds fearful is approached in a step by step manner with consideration always given to the child or young person's level of anxiety.
Fear Ladder Video
#FearLadder #UnderstandingAutism

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Social Media - Middletown Centre For Autism

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In this video, Middletown Trainer Advisor Edel Quinn explains the concept of the' fear ladder' and associated strategies that may be used to help your child with their fears. Fear ladders encourage children and young people to recognise and manage their fears rather than avoid them.