Tips for Working Successfully with Autistic Students
At The Kidd Clinic, we find a lot of Autistic students are working ten times as hard to keep up at school. This can lead to Autistic burnout. Autistic burnout can be understood as physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion an Autistic individual may experience from trying to navigate a world that is designed for neurotypical people.
Suicidal Thoughts In Children
TRIGGER WARNING: This article discusses suicide.
There are limited frameworks available for us to understand suicidal thinking in young children. Suicidal thoughts are complex, and there are many factors that contribute to suicidal thoughts, including genetics as well as acquired vulnerability. Early traumatic life experiences, chronic illness, chronic alcohol and substance misuse, and environmental factors such as for example, social position, culture and diet, all play a part in the development of vulnerability (Wasserman, 2012).
Autism and Identity-First Language
Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference in the brain, meaning Autistic people experience the world differently compared to non-Autistic people. At The Kidd Clinic, we work hard to create a space that is welcoming, safe, and affirming for all neurodivergent people. A neurodiversity-affirming approach involves understanding, accepting, and supporting brain-based disability. We believe Autistic people do not need fixing or changing; they need to be accepted, supported, and celebrated, and language is a very important and valuable way to do this.
Support for Parents at The Kidd Clinic
Do you ever wish that you could find THE blueprint, the ultimate step-by-step parenting guide for you to follow with everything you need to know about being a great parent and raising an awesome kid? This parenting bible does not exist, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Our children are all unique individuals with different strengths, interests, needs and challenges and so are we as parents.
What to Expect at an Initial Consultation Session
As this is the first time meeting your clinician, you may be feeling a number of different emotions. It's completely normal to feel a little bit nervous when meeting your psychologist for the first time. We sometimes feel nervous too! If you are attending about your child or adolescent we will ask you lots of questions about their development, schooling, friendships, family, strengths, interests, and current difficulties. We always explain our confidentiality policy in this initial session meaning that what we talk about is private (with a few exceptions which we will explain).
The Overlap: Where Autism and Anxiety Meet
I first became aware of the relationship between anxiety and autism after seeing this co-occurrence within my own family. The anxiety struggle was real, and often it substantially interfered with engagement in everyday activities, social interactions, and maintaining relationships. Unfortunately, for far too long medical professionals tended to regard behaviours resulting from anxiety symptoms as characteristics of autism.
Telehealth: Making a smooth transition to online therapy
Many of our rural and interstate families have been relying on Telehealth for their own or their child’s therapy for some years now. While some of the children and adolescents who we are working with have reported that they have adapted well to online learning and therapy, others may not have tried this and may be feeling anxious about this change.
On group programs.
After facilitating at least one hundred groups over the years for autistic children, adolescents, adults, and families, it has been extremely refreshing to create and implement our neurodivergent-affirming programs this year. At The Kidd Clinic, the enthusiasm and careful thought and consideration that our team has poured into the development of each program has been wonderful to observe and be a part of.
R U OK? Autism: Suicide Risk and Prevention
Research in recent years has revealed suicide attempt and completion rates are 3-10 times higher amongst autistic individuals than non-autistics, across all age ranges beginning from 10 years of age (Hirvikosk, et al., 2018; Kõlves et al., 2021). In addition, suicide rates are much higher amongst autistic girls and women compared to autistic boys and men which is in contrast with suicide statistics for non-autistics.