Aspiedent's Blog

To meet the diagnostic criteria (DSM-5) for autism, a person must have persistent deficits in each of the 3 areas of Part A plus at least 2 of 4 behaviours in part B. In this blog post we argue that the behaviours in Part B actually cause the issues in Part A. We believe that looking into Part B first helps with understanding 'why' an individual presents with a collection of symptoms that leads to a diagnosis of autism. If you understand 'why' then you will be able to design appropriate interventions to support them better.

All parents want their children to have the same access to education and opportunities as other children So that they can play a full part in society when they are grown up. This includes gainful employment in a way that meets their potential. In this blog we discuss if autistic children are failed by the system because education does not cater to individual needs.

Different ways of thinking can cause friction, misunderstanding and miscommunication within a team. If one particular way of thinking dominates in a team, those who think differently can be shouted down and/or ignored simply because the majority does not realise they have something important to contribute. This blog post discusses the impact of top down and bottom up thinking within a team. Those who think bottom up or a bit of both top down and bottom up thinking tend to find it difficulty to make their views heard because they are in a minority.

Processing issues in autism are many, varied, and complex. However, they tend to share common characteristics, which can make it difficult to work out which processing issues you are dealing with. In this blog post, we share information on 10 different ways in which processing issues may present themselves in general. However, be careful because these symptoms can also be caused by something else. It is important to work out exactly what you are dealing with before trying to deal with the issues.

This blog post describes how an Autism Profile from Aspiedent has had life changing impacts on a young woman and people around her (name has been changed for privacy purposes). Angela can now hold conversations, is building relationships and studying at colleague for Maths and English. None of this was possible before we met her.

You or your child have just been given an Autism diagnosis after months maybe even years of waiting to have an assessment. Months of struggling with various issues and trying to get support, months of been sent down different pathways, exhausting form filling and been sent on different courses all of which have no benefit whatsoever. Fighting with school to get the right interventions put in place or challenging discussions with your manager to understand your difficulties. When finally, you get the appointment you have long awaited and receive your diagnosis. So, what happens now, where do you go for support? What does an autism diagnosis actually tell you?

Autistic children can be strongly drawn to gaming which may result in spending excessive amounts of time online, become socially withdrawn or obsessive, and react badly to comments from other players. Whilst it is also noted that there are many benefits of online gaming and specific apps to support autistic people. Here we discuss whether video games are good or bad for autistic children.

When it comes to jobs for autistic people, there are many stereotypes about which types of roles are suitable – and which are not. It’s a huge misconception that autistic people should not be in customer-facing roles because of having poor social skills, and we’re going to explore the reasons why this is not always true. But first, let’s put in simple terms what a customer-facing role means.

This is a personal account from a Mother detailing how her child with Autism was struggling at school. It details how a profile through Aspiedent has made a life changing impact to her daughter's school and home life.

With the rise in popularity of the American science fiction TV series Stranger Things, and the recent release of Season 4 Volume 2, now is the perfect time to raise awareness of the danger of glorifying superpowers. Why being a neurodiverse person with a superpower is not a positive association to make for many, and why the term 'autism is a superpower' actually puts many autistic people at an even greater disadvantage.