Adulting While Autistic

In Working While Autistic, Wendela Whitcomb Marsh delves into the challenges and triumphs autistic individuals face in the workplace. From acing the initial interview to navigating workplace politics, this is the handbook you need to get your career in gear. Employment can be a major challenge for autistic adults, and many are unemployed or underemployed. They may be highly skilled, motivated, and eager to work, but finding and keeping a job seems out of reach. Why is it so difficult? • Working While Autistic offers a blueprint for going from unemployed to happily employed. This book covers: • How to find the right career path • Six Characters in Search of Employment (fictional autistic folk who illustrate the strategies in each chapter) • Goalsetting • Honing your interview skills • Messages from autistic mentors (actually autistic workers share their wisdom and lived experience) • And much more! You'll learn about different dilemmas, including time management, learning when to accept help, and all of the moving pieces that make up getting and keeping a job. It's not easy to find and keep your ideal job, but autistic people can do hard things, and this book is here to help.

If anyone suggests that autistic people should not have children, in the mistaken belief that they would not be good parents because of their neurodiversity, they are wrong. Completely wrong. This is not to say that every autistic person should have a child, any more than every neuro-majority person should. People usually know for themselves whether or not they want to become parents, and if they dont, they shouldnt. Its as simple as that. Of course, that doesnt mean that every moment will be sunshine, rainbows, and cute, cuddly babies who sleep all night and never throw their oatmeal on the floor. Babies are just teenagers on hold, and teenagers are adults in waiting. At every step in the growing up process there will be hard times, and there will be joyful times. Parents have made this same journey since people began peopling, and the journey will continue after our childrens children have grandchildren of their own. Were part of a huge spectrum of parenting through the ages. Isnt it a wonder and a privilege to be a link in this chain? Having a different brain as autists, ADHDers, and AuDHDers do, does not mean that you shouldnt be part of this link, if your heart leads you to parenting. Youll be amazing! You and I both know, though, that being neurodivergent in a neuro-majority world is not easy. Parenting isnt easy, either, but you can do difficult things. Youve been doing them all along, havent you? Parenting is just one more challenge you can manage, and its worth it. This book is here to help you navigate the unique aspects of parenting while autistic. Throughout the book youll find side trips to focus on various aspects of parenting while autistic. Heres a description of each one. Sensory Smarts In this section well discuss some of the sensory issues related to different stages of the parenting journey. Youll find strategies for coping with heightened sensory reactions. Make Family Meetings Fun Your familys need for Family Meetings, and what you will focus on in these meetings, will change as your children grow. Keep up with their needs, and yours, while making it fun for everyone. Weekends That Work You deserve a break at the end of a busy week, and so do your kids. How can you create the kind of weekend that works for all of you? Youll find tips in this section. Fictional Families Throughout the book the topics and challenges at your childs developmental stages will be illustrated by fictional families who, like you, are parenting while autistic. Follow them on their journeys, and see what you may have in common with them. Parent To Parent Its important to listen to the authentic voices of actually autistic parents. Here you will find words of wisdom from neurodivergent moms and dads who have walked the ND parenting path before you, and who want you to succeed, too. Youve got this. Lets go.

Dating is stressful, isnt it? If youre autistic, the thought of trying to meet someone new can feel exhausting. Could you use a dating coach, but in book form? Then youve come to the right place. This book takes you from first date to friendship to love. Youll find Bad Idea/Better Idea tips for what to avoid, and what to try instead. A Couple of Singles follows two fictional autistic characters, Bill and Trish, on their quest for love. Ask Yourself offers opportunities to reflect on whats important to you. Finally, Actually Autistic Love Stories bring first-hand knowledge from neurodivergent couples who are already living the dream. If you want down-to-earth guidance on how to navigate dating and relationships, youve come to the right place. This book is for you.

Neurodivergent (ND) couples, where one or both partners are autistic or have ADHD or another brain difference, often struggle in relationships because of mixed signals. He said one thing, she heard something else, and they both jumped to conclusions about what their partner really meant. Nowhere is social communication more important than in a marriage or committed relationships. You may be in a ND relationship, wondering why it seems so hard to communicate with the one you love. Maybe youre not in a relationship yet, and you know you need some solid communication skills in place before you find the right one so you can make it work. This book is for you. One thing ND couples have in common is a propensity to have mixed signals, yearning to communicate clearly and effectively, but finding that desire thwarted time and time again. How can ND couples turn mixed signals into fixed signals? Youll find answers in Relating while Autistic: Fixed Signals for Neurodivergent Couples. This book offers practical tips, evidence-based strategies, and the keys couples need to unlock their best relationship. Its built on the science of human behavior, relationship research, and what Wendela Marsh has learned from her own twenty-seven years in love in a brilliant and enduring ND marriage. One way relationship mixed signals are explored in this book is through "Red Light/Green Light Tips" that demonstrate what not to do or say, with more effective things to try instead. "What Shall We Talk About?" conversation starters for Family Meetings open the gates to discussions about whats important to the two of you. There will be "Date Night Themes" offering ideas for planned date nights, to avoid surprises. Another way you'll learn to turn mixed signals into fixed signals is through the stories of four fictional couple. You will learn how they deal with miscommunication and misunderstandings. Each chapter also includes "They Say," stories shared by actual ND couples about what has worked in their relationships. This much needed resource is a charming "how-to" relationship guide for autistic and other ND individuals.

Whether you're a young autistic adult leaving the shelter of school, or you're late-diagnosed, finally realizing that you're not broken, you're just autistic, this book is for you. This neurodiversity-affirmative book holds the key to navigating the road trip of your life. Learn practical strategies that have helped others. Follow five fictional characters as they meet and overcome roadblocks on their path to independence. Read success stories shared by actually autistic people in their own words. If you've ever wished that adult life came with an instruction manual, this is it. The first edition won the Chanticleer International Book Award Grand Prize for Instruction & Insight; this new edition features updated information and interesting new characters.