More links to various helpful resources
(a very non-exhaustive list!)
Autism and counselling
- A guide to adapting psychological therapies for autistic adults: https://www.authentistic.uk/
- The Association of Neurodivergent Therapists: https://neurodivergenttherapists.com
- Facebook group: Counsellors working with Neurodivergence (mix of resources and autistic/non-autistic/otherwise neurodivergent members): https://www.facebook.com/groups/counsellorsworkingwithneurodivergence/
- The Double Empathy Problem (not specific to counselling but really important to understand in the context of counselling). Explained here by the National Autistic Society (national charity): https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/double-empathy
- More in-depth paper on the above from Dr Damian Milton, autistic researcher at the University of Kent: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/62639/1/Double%20empathy%20problem.pdf
Autism and mental health more generally
- AMASE mental health report on autistic people’s access to mental health services: www.amase.org.uk/mhreport There is also a guide to supporting autistic people’s mental health: www.amase.org.uk/mhguide
- Book: Managing Meltdowns by Lipsky and Richards: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Meltdowns-S-C-R-D/dp/1843109085
- Book: Neurodiversity, Autism and Recovery from Sexual Violence by Dr Susy Ridout, Pavillion Publishing: https://www.pavpub.com/learning-disability/autism/neurodiversity-autism-and-recovery-from-sexual-violence
(Both of the above books are by autistic authors)
- The above AMASE report is backed up by Sarah Cassidy et al’s paper on the same theme published in the journal Autism: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1362361318816053
- Latest autism and PTSD research by Dr Francesca Happé at King’s College London: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422220302808?dgcid=coauthor
Autism more generally
- Working with Autistic Trans and Nonbinary People, by Marianthi Kourti: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/marianthi-kourti/working-with-autistic-transgender-and-non-binary-people/9781787750227/
- Queerly Autistic, by Erin Ekins: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queerly-Autistic-Ultimate-LGBTQIA-Spectrum/dp/1787751716
- Understanding Autism, a free short course run by the University of Kent – one of very few uni-run autism courses run by autistic professionals: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/autism
- Neuroclastic (autistic people writing on autism): https://neuroclastic.com
- The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism (not exclusively autistic people writing, but mostly, and run by great allies): http://www.thinkingautismguide.com (they also have a great facebook page)
- Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh resources, including glossary and a lot of stuff on mental health: https://amase.org.uk/resources/
- Neurodiversity, autism, and diversity in Social Intelligence: projects at the University of Edinburgh looking into cross-neurotype communication, peer support, and autistic identity (full disclosure I am a co-author in some of this research): http://dart.ed.ac.uk/research/nd-iq/
- Recorded conference at Birmingham University on Autism, Gender and Sexuality: https://autgensex.wordpress.com/
- Book: Neurotribes: the legacy of autism and how to think smarter about people who think differently, by Steve Silberman, with a contribution by Oliver Sacks: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N2W270Y/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
- Book: Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Adults, by Dr Luke Beardon of Sheffield Uni: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autism-Asperger-Syndrome-Adults-Beardon/dp/1847094457
More books and writing by individual autistic people:
- Fingers in the sparkle jar by Chris Packham: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fingers-Sparkle-Jar-Chris-Packham/dp/1785033484
- The Electricity of Every Living Thing by Katherine May: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077H2SGCT/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
- Look me in the Eye by John Elder Robison: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Look-Me-Eye-Life-Aspergers/dp/0091926335
- Aspergirls: empowering females with asperger syndrome by Rudy Simone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aspergirls-Empowering-Females-Asperger-Syndrome/dp/1849058261
- Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate by Cynthia Kim: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nerdy-Shy-Socially-Inappropriate-Asperger-ebook/dp/B00MU2EH3C
- The Autism-Friendly Guide to Self-Employment by Robyn Steward: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Autism-Friendly-Guide-Self-Employment-Robyn-Steward-ebook/dp/B093JNJH4M
Autism-related writing by autistic people online - Sonny Hallett’s medium blog: https://medium.com/@sonyahallett
- Fergus Murray (writes about autism, neurodiversity, inclusive education, theories of autism (that have been published in the Psychologist magazine), etc.) Some really nice intro explainers: https://oolong.medium.com
- Ann Memmot (autistic autism professional, sharp critic of bad autism research, works for NHS amongst other orgs): http://annsautism.blogspot.com
- Really great list of blogs by autistic people (including non-speaking autistic people): https://anautismobserver.wordpress.com