Articles Autisticrealms Writing Neurodivergent Mental Health Education SEN

Autistic parent and teacher advocating for a better understanding of neurodivergence and mental health in education

My writing reflects my own experiences and thoughts.

I write about my personal journey and the understanding I have gained so far about

autism, education and mental health.

If you have any questions, please contact me.
autisticrealms@gmail.com

Articles

Monotropism Questionnaire & Inner Autistic/ADHD Experiences

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jul 28, 2023
11 min

Monotropism Questionnaire & Inner Autistic/ADHD Experiences

The results from the Monotropism Questionnaire could help validate people's feelings. Knowing they have a monotropic mind could help people

Transitions - Supporting young people throughout the day

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jul 19, 2023
6 min

Transitions - Supporting young people throughout the day

Reducing the number of demands and transitions an autistic / PDA person has to manage daily will help reduce anxiety.

Monotropism and Experiences of being Monotropic

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jul 9, 2023
11 min

Monotropism and Experiences of being Monotropic

Monotropism is increasingly considered to be the underlying principle behind autism and is becoming more widely recognised.

Book review - Autistic Burnout, Children /Young People in Education by Viv Dawes

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jun 26, 2023
4 min

Book review - Autistic Burnout, Children /Young People in Education by Viv Dawes

Supporting young people through autistic burnout requires a holistic approach that prioritizes a deep understanding of autistic identity,

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jun 26, 2023
5 min

Energy Beans & Sensory Summer Holidays

Family holidays and days out are a great way to spend time together and can create lasting memories.

Autistic & OCD - Autistic Dream Realms Project (May 2023)

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

May 22, 2023
2 min

Autistic & OCD - Autistic Dream Realms Project (May 2023)

OCD commonly co-occurs amongst autistic people; research from 2015 found that 17% of autistic people also had OCD.

Penguin Pebbling - An Autistic Love Language

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Apr 30, 2023
3 min

Penguin Pebbling - An Autistic Love Language

Penguins pass pebbles to other penguins to show they care. Penguin Pebbling is a little exchange between two people to show that they care

Autism Strengths & Challenges Papyrus Autism Acceptance Week 2023

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Apr 2, 2023
3 min

Autism Strengths & Challenges Papyrus Autism Acceptance Week 2023

Autism is not an illness or a disorder, it is a different way of thinking and responding. It is important to value differences.

Low Demand Parenting (for the whole family)

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Apr 2, 2023
4 min

Low Demand Parenting (for the whole family)

If you are also autistic and have neurodivergent children it can feel even more overwhelming at times. A low demand approach may help.

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Mar 31, 2023
9 min

Autism & OCD - What Could Help

OCD obsessions & compulsions = disabling (negative) Autistic routines & rituals = enabling (positive)

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Mar 26, 2023
9 min

Monotropism = Happy Flow State

Monotropism is like a force that draws you into a specific channel of interest, much like a river, it has momentum.

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Mar 21, 2023
12 min

Autism is fluid

Autism is fluid and everyone has different needs. We need compassion and understanding to develop deep and meaningful connections.

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Mar 18, 2023
7 min

Neurodivergent Friendly Classrooms

There are many ways to make schools and classrooms neurodiversity affirming and neurodivergent friendly. Teachers need to be flexible

Supporting neurodivergent students who are struggling to attend school

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Mar 7, 2023
7 min

Supporting neurodivergent students who are struggling to attend school

Everyone deserves an education, but more importantly every child and family deserve to feel understood, validated and supported.

Book Review: The New Normal-Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society by David Gray-Hammond

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Feb 9, 2023
1 min

Book Review: The New Normal-Autistic musings on the threat of a broken society by David Gray-Hammond

The New Normal highlights the barriers in society caused by unacceptance of difference & challenges in a society that is ‘broken by design'.

Book Review -Square Pegs, Inclusivity, Compassion & Fitting in (A guide for Schools)

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Feb 8, 2023
2 min

Book Review -Square Pegs, Inclusivity, Compassion & Fitting in (A guide for Schools)

The knowledge and ideas in the new book, Square Pegs (2023) has the potential to transform our education system and support those working wi

Supporting autistic students experiencing OCD in a school setting

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jan 29, 2023
12 min

Supporting autistic students experiencing OCD in a school setting

Exploring autism, alexithymia, interoception and OCD in education. Looking at the impact on students & how teachers can support them.

OCD & Autism (mixed with alexithymia and interoception differences)

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jan 29, 2023
9 min

OCD & Autism (mixed with alexithymia and interoception differences)

Being autistic whilst experiencing OCD and co-occurring difficulties with alexithymia and interoception can be very challenging.

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jan 15, 2023
5 min

Total Communication

People's 'voices' may look and sound different depending on the person, their needs and environment. We need a total communication approach

Education Crisis - Neurodiversity Affirming Teacher Training Needed

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Jan 3, 2023
14 min

Education Crisis - Neurodiversity Affirming Teacher Training Needed

Teachers need neurodiversity affirming training so they can effectively support children and their families. We need to develop teacher know

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Nov 28, 2022
5 min

Neurodiversity - Language Matters

Language helps to validate your feelings and experiences; it helps you connect with yourself and others. Language can be empowering....

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Nov 22, 2022
4 min

An Autistic Experience of Social Media

The online community supports a type of parallel play & enables a monotropic flow state. Online spaces can be more predictable & manageable

Helen Edgar (Autistic Realms)

Oct 30, 2022
1 min

Poetry

Poems written by our daughter (age 12) during Covid-Lockdown 2021 I’m glad I’m Autistic I want you to know that autism isn’t all that...