Making Space for Autism

SHARON MCCARTHY is adjunct course author & lecturer. She delivers autism-specific training to different disability services across Ireland & has designed & delivered autism-centric courses at Cork College of Commerce. Sharon is parent to multiply-identified autistic children & acquired her own official autism diagnosis in 2020. MICAELA CONNOLLY is a Senior Educational and Child Psychologist with 15 years' experience of working on a multidisciplinary team in a specialist autism service. Her work involves assessment; therapeutic interventions; training; developing & implementing programmes to advance understanding & awareness of autism. CAOLAN MCCARTHY is an autistic Speech and Language Therapist. He has spoken at the IASLT Autism and Neurodiversity Special Interest Group annual conference & made contributions to the New National Training Programme for Special Educational Needs Assistants with University College Dublin and National Council for Special Education.

Chapter 1 - What is autism? An introduction.: the language of autism, the 24-hour child, intersectionality.
Chapter 2 - Trauma and its impact: masking and autistic burnout; emotional and physical responses; what a good support person looks like.
Chapter 3 -The environment: an explanation of its component parts ; how supports, legal rights, pressures on families etc. can impact it.
Chapter 4 - Physical environment: what contributes to it; what a positive environment looks like; how to complete an audit and improvements to be made (proactive & reactive).
Chapter 5 - Sensory environment: what is meant by this; what sensory processing/integration is; what a positive environment looks like; practical strategies and advice; auditing with a focus on individual sensory experiences.
Chapter 6 - Emotional environment: what emotional regulation/dysregulation and wellbeing is; how to ensure the autistic person's needs are met; completing an audit and strategizing to provide for emotional safety and wellbeing.
Chapter 7 - Communicative environment: how to ensure an autistic person's voice is central; what a doubly empathetic environment looks like; respectful communication; auditing and strategies to help facilitate positive communication.
Chapter 8 - Internal versus external environment: the differences; how internal feelings impact; how to recognise when you need to listen with more than your ears; person-centred accommodations that can be made; auditing the environment from an internal perspective.
Chapter 9 - Social environment: what creates a social space; expectations placed upon the individual based upon societal norms/expectations; how double empathy theory can be applied; social environment audit process; positive social strategies from a double empathy standpoint.
Glossary of terms / References / Useful resources