Life on the Bridge: linking my world to yours as an autistic therapist

You’ve heard from autistic authors. You’ve heard from therapists. Now hear from one extraordinary young woman who’s both. Experience autism from the inside out through a rare fusion of professional skill and personal understanding. Reshape what you know about the autism spectrum and increase your ability to give support. Varied perspectives among autistic individuals, their families, and professionals have often been difficult to reconcile. Now, you can bridge that divide with guidance from someone who’s lived in multiple worlds. Find immediate, actionable options to build connections, foster communication, navigate challenges, and enhance interactions. SPECIFIC CONTENT: Part One, AUTISM BASICS, focuses on the definition of autism, what autism is not, and an overview of implications across the spectrum of neurodivergence. Part Two, COMMUNICATION, discusses effective communication with autistic people, reducing ambiguity, increasing specific content, parent tools for encouraging conversation, relying on verbs, how “Plain Language” helps, when to wait instead of speaking, and the overlooked power of writing to support verbal interaction. Part Three, BEHAVIOR, talks about the logistics of meltdowns and how to handle, cause and effects of stimming and perseveration; recognizing the basis of sensory distortion; outside help and self-advocacy for sensory seekers and sensory avoiders;, Theory of Mind and autistic people’s ability to “read rooms”; reconsidering the value of special interests; all or nothing perspective of “big feelings”; why eye contact can be hard and how to cope; and masking. Part Four, INTERACTIONS, features the truth and implications of loneliness; innate versus learned social skills; the hidden rules causing social complications; encouraging independence; challenges with executive function; a collaborative approach to goal setting; and understanding disability accommodations. Part Five, COMMON QUESTIONS, addresses the practical reality of DSM-5’s “Diagnostic Levels”; the why and how of therapy for autism; the value of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA); and routes to autism advocacy. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Following her appearance on the Netflix series Love on the Spectrum, author Kaelynn Partlow, RBT, amplified her social media reach, establishing herself as an influential voice in autism understanding and actionable advocacy. Over almost ten years providing clinical autism services, she has worked with clients spanning different ages and vastly differing levels of ability. Partlow lives in South Carolina with two supportive roommates and her Labrador, Finn. —- ISBN: 9798991035507 | ISBN10: B0DG33YMFB | ISBN-13: 979-8991035507