They Are The Future

For autistic teenagers, friendships and romantic relationships can sometimes feel complicated, confusing or exhausting. Your teenager might desperately want friends but struggle to make them, have a group of friends but crave something deeper, or have several good friends yet find socialising draining. There is no single autistic experience of relationships. Your teenager’s s...

If your autistic teenager is not sleeping, you may feel completely exhausted. Sleep affects mood, concentration, emotional regulation and everyday functioning. Sleep difficulties are also particularly common among autistic young people. There is rarely one simple reason for poor sleep. Sensory differences, anxiety, routines, transitions and other health conditions can all con...

Starting a new school or year group can feel enormous for some children. There may be new teachers, classrooms, routines, expectations and friendships. For some children, all this change creates significant stress and anxiety. At Everlief (my clinic), we regularly support children who find transitions difficult. Some need preparation and reassurance. Many also need practical....

Yes, autistic teenagers can thrive. But thriving does not mean coping with everything. I have worked with many hundreds of autistic children and teenagers in the last twenty years as a clinical psychologist. I have also specialised in autism throughout my clinical career. What I notice is that young people thrive when the environments they...

The post

Meltdowns are not just for toddlers. Older children, teenagers and adults also have them when our “Stress Cup” is full. Meltdowns are one of the most common concerns for the children and families who I support at my clinic, Everlief Child Psychology. In this article we will look at how to prevent meltdowns in children...

The post