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Supporting Your Child with Autism for Better Sleep

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https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/18643389

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Been There. Done That. Try This!: An Aspie's Guide to L...

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Read 32 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. The world's Aspie mentors pass on their insights for successful living! Temple Grandin, Ani...

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https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Grace_Under_Pressure.html?id=Lt1BLgEACAAJ&redir_esc=y

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When Sophie Walker's daughter Grace was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, her world unravelled. Her high-powered job was in disarray, she couldn't sleep, often woke in tears and felt hopeless and useless in her role as a mother. With extraordinary frankness, Sophie Walker shares the daily highs and lows of raising Grace.

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When Sophie Walker's daughter Grace was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, her world unravelled. Her high-powered job was in disarray, she couldn't sleep, often woke in tears and felt hopeless and useless in her role as a mother. With extraordinary frankness, Sophie Walker shares the daily highs and lows of raising Grace.

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https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/231087

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Martian in the Playground: Understanding the Schoolchil...

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Read 9 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. This exceptional book illuminates what it means to be a person who has Asperger′s Syndrome b...

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https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/8956

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Freaks, Geeks and Aspergers Syndrome: A User Guide to A...

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Read 121 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Have you ever been called a freak or a geek? Have you ever felt like one? Luke Jackson is ...

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https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Overcoming_Anxiety_and_Depression_on_the.html?id=yee9BQAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective for treating mental health problems such as anxiety and depression in individuals both with and without autism spectrum disorders. This book bridges the gap between research and practice and shows adults on the spectrum practical ways to manage their emotions.

Many adults on the autism spectrum experience isolation, interpersonal difficulties, anxiety, depressed mood, and coping problems. By applying theory and concepts from autism research, this book will help adults on the spectrum to understand their challenges. The author takes the best of CBT self-help strategies, to encourage self-analysis, and to help adults on the spectrum make better decisions in activities such as employment or relationships.

This is an essential self-help guide for adults on the spectrum looking for ways to cope with emotional challenges, and will also be a useful resource for clinicians, psychologists, therapists, and counselors working with them.

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Overcoming Anxiety and Depression on the Autism Spectrum

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective for treating mental health problems such as anxiety and depression in individuals both with and without autism spectrum disorders.

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This is a guide to Asperger's Syndrome by a young man who was just 13-years-old at the time of writing. Luke welcomes the reader into his bustling and chaotic home (he has six siblings, several of whom are also somewhere on the autistic spectrum) and his life with Asperger's Syndrome.

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Social Story - It doesn't have to be perfect

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https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/keeping-healthy

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Developing self-care skills such as washing and personal hygiene can sometimes be an issue for autistic people.

Sensory differences, such as a heightened sense of smell or touch, can make washing an uncomfortable experience. Here are some tips for overcoming these barriers and strategies for helping an autistic person develop self-care skills.

Keep a sensory record

If you suspect that sensory issues are affecting the person's self-care skills, keep a record of their reaction to different types of washing or clothing which they have difficulty tolerating. This can help you to adapt their washing and dressing routine to something they are more comfortable with.

It may be that the sensation of water on their skin from a shower is uncomfortable, so you could try bathing instead or use a preferred fabric for washing, such as a sponge or flannel. Perhaps the smell of a particular soap, shower gel or shampoo is an issue so you could try unscented or hypoallergenic alternatives. Check that the washing powder or fabric conditioner you are using is not irritating the person's skin and try alternatives for sensitive skin if necessary. Perhaps the person is reluctant to wear particular items of clothing because they dislike the feel of certain fabrics or the colour or pattern of the clothing?

Check mental health

For some people, not taking care of themselves may be an indication of depression or other mental health difficulties. If this could be the case, you may want to seek some professional help.

Read our Seeking help with mental health information  for further details on accessing support.

Break down an activity into small steps

Autistic adults can find it difficult to organise things, or remember in what order to do things. If personal hygiene is not a priority for the person, then you may need to remind them to wash themselves or their clothes on a particular day, or how often to brush their teeth or shave. They could decide how to schedule these tasks into their week and write them on a calendar. There are two main ways to teach self-care skills by breaking activities into small steps:

forward chaining: teaches a skill in small steps from the first activity, ie to get dressed in the morning, first you put on your pants, then your socks, etc

backward chaining: starts at the last step and works backwards through the activity, ie once the person has brushed their teeth, move backwards through each step slowly.

Use prompts and motivators

For instance, if you are trying to teach someone to wash their hands, you could use the prompts below in the following order:

physical: hold their hands and wash your hands together

gestural: mime washing your hands next to them while they wash their hands

verbal: say "wash your hands" or show them a 'wash hands' symbol, which you can leave above the sink as a prompt for next time.

Even if the behaviour or task is very short, if it is followed by lots of praise and a reward, the person can feel positive about their behaviour or skill.

Try to give praise and rewards immediately and in a way that is meaningful to the particular person. Some people like verbal praise, others might prefer to get another kind of reward, like a sticker on a star chart, or five minutes with their favourite activity or DVD.

Use picture symbols

You may find that you need to leave physical reminders of each activity in the appropriate room permanently, for example, symbols, or written lists of all the different steps for brushing teeth in the bathroom and the same thing for getting dressed in the bedroom.

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In these guides, we look at self-care skills for autistic people.

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Energy Bank Account and managing anxiety

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Helping your autistic child with school anxiety, presented by Purple Ella

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We are the UKs leading charity for autistic people and their families. Since 1962, we have been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people.