Interview: JKP author Georgina Derbyshire Stands Up for Autism

“Some things that our children say or do can be especially poignant in certain situations and, quite often, they can say things that are so truthful, we just wouldn’t dare say them ourselves! There shouldn’t be anything sad or embarrassing about situations like these. We should see the humour in it and not feel guilty to laugh out loud. I think it is important to embrace moments like these as we have enough of a hard time and laughing can help redress the balance. Laughter is very good for stress too, so there’s no excuse!”

Something Different: John Swogger on his innovative new graphic novel that helps children understand their Asperger’s parent

“Finding out about something as important and life-changing as your parent’s AS has the potential to overwhelm…I think using comics and graphic formats when talking about things to do with behaviour, health or illness can help integrate the very dense, sometimes technical and “clinical” information into the practical, emotional and deeply personal side of the issues.”

Securing Appropriate Education Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders – An interview with author Allison Hope-West

“Evelyn often spoke to me about how after her son received his diagnosis that she expected the ‘autism fairy’ to arrive at her house and explain the implications of Jasper having autism to her, as well as helping her secure educational provision which met his needs. Other families also spoke about how prior to diagnosis they were labelled as being bad parents and told that it was their fault that their child was not behaving in school. Almost all stated that they had been through the most emotionally (and often financially) draining time of their lives to try and secure appropriate provision, and that little or no help or advice had been forthcoming…”